Buttonwood Park Zoo Hosts ‘StoryWalk’ and Scavenger Hunts

According to a recent press release, the Buttonwood Park Zoo is hosting a StoryWalk on its 7-acre campus, in collaboration with the New Bedford Birth - 3rd Partnership for the first time.

The StoryWalk Project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, VT, and developed in collaboration with the Kellogg-Hubbard Library. Storywalk is a registered service mark owned by Ms. Ferguson. A StoryWalk involves posting all the pages from a popular children’s book along a walking path. According to the Kellogg-Hubbard Library, it is an “innovative and delightful way for children -and adults! - to enjoy reading and the outdoors at the same time.”

For the month of July, guests to the Zoo will be able to peruse the pages of the beloved children’s book “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?” by Bill Martin Jr and Eric Carle as they stroll the newly opened pathway around the Asian elephant habitat. In August, the StoryWalk® will be “Planting a Rainbow” by Lois Ehlert.

Thanks to a collaboration with the New Bedford Birth – 3rd Partnership, the StoryWalk® will also be available in 3 other languages, Portuguese, K’iche, and Spanish.

“StoryWalks are a great way to get families outside being active, and at the same time, enjoy the gift of reading”, says BPZOO’s Curator of Education, Carrie Hawthorne. “Children are naturally drawn to the Zoo and animals, and this collaboration is a great way for us to promote and encourage literacy for the New Bedford community.”

In addition to the StoryWalk®, BPZOO is also now offering scavenger hunts for all ages! Created by Lindsay Marzulla, a BPZOO Education intern as part of her Master’s Degree in Anthrozoology, these scavenger hunts are designed to engage and encourage BPZOO guests to learn about conservation efforts locally and globally. Two versions of the scavenger hunts are available HERE.

Buttonwood Park Zoo located at 425 Hawthorn Street in New Bedford and is open from 9 am until 5 pm Wednesday to Sunday. Entry is done through pre-purchased timed ticketing and tickets are only available through pre-purchase HERE.

I would love to take all three of my nephews for a StoryWalk. Eric Carle is a favorite of ours. And the scavenger hunt idea is so cute because it gets the kids to interact with the environment.