On Friday, October 20, 2023 the Miami Conservancy District and the University of Dayton jointly celebrated the installation of a new "storybook trail" along the Great Miami River Trail in Dayton. It was a blustery and misty afternoon, but that didn't dampen the spirits of the people that worked very hard to create the children's book, Into the River, and to transform it into the series of kiosks that unfold the story as one moves upriver along the trail. As can be seen in the picture above, the new features are on the trail near Jerome B. Meadows' 1991 "Celebration of Cycling" sculpture.
The storybook trail features twelve unique kiosks. Each kiosk displays two pages of the book, which was written and published by students from the University of Dayton’s Rivers Institute at the Fitz Center for Leadership and Community. The book was written to increase awareness of the importance of water and takes readers on a colorful journey down the Great Miami River. Into the River was created with input from local elementary students about their ideas and feelings towards rivers, as well as their original drawings and artwork.
This trail enhancement project was managed by the Miami Conservancy District (MCD), and was partially funded by an Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Storybook Trail grant of $6400 and partially by matching funds from the MCD. ODNR launched the Storybook Trail program in 2019 to promote the importance of literacy, a healthy lifestyle, and connection with nature.
Congratulations to everyone who made this new feature along the Great Miami River trail happen. Take a breather on your next trip through Dayton on the Great Miami River Trail to read this charming book.
