(STAFFORD TOWNSHIP, NJ) -- More than 175 children and adults shared a love of reading and community support in Storywalk^®, during July and August through a partnership of the Ocean County Library Stafford Branch and the Hunger Foundation of Southern Ocean.

Attendees strolled through the Stafford Community Garden at Lake Manahawkin, stopping at points along the way to follow the story line of Kari Percival’s gentle introduction to outdoor environments for young readers, How to Say Hello to a Worm. 

Laminated pages were mounted alongside beds of budding plants along the path, giving participants the chance to absorb the book and observe food-bearing gardens in growth. The display remained in view during the weeks of July 11 and August 8.

Storywalk^® is an annual collaboration of the Ocean County Library and the Hunger Foundation of Southern Ocean. Community members can look forward to the next events, in July and August 2023.

The program was developed by Vermonter Anne Ferguson and the Kellogg-Hubbard Library of Montpelier, VT. It has reached all 50 states of the US, and 13 nations including Canada, England, Germany, Russia, Bermuda, Malaysia, Pakistan, and South Korea.