The Story Trail at the Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery keeps on getting better. In July 2020, the hatchery staff reached out to Friends of Northwest Hatcheries for help with a project aimed at engaging young preschool and school age hikers on the local Icicle Creek Nature Trail, an existing interpretive trail. The project was called Story Trail because it involved posting up a children’s book low on the interpretive sign posts. FNH’s secretary, Courtney Feeney, volunteered herself and her two boys to do the work of cutting, getting the pages laminated and posting up the first story.
After a few early tweaks, everyone agreed that the Story Trail project complimented the trail nicely. Bringing art, early literacy and environmental education onto the trail enhanced the hiking experience for young students and their families during a time when school resources were limited due to the lockdown.
The Story Trail project caught the attention of another local family interested in volunteering at the Leavenworth Hatchery. Mother and son team, Dara and Olyn Shultz, contributed their expertise and in coordination with hatchery staff continued work to improve it. Dara reached out to Washington based publishing company, Sasquatch Books, to get permission to download the PDF version of “Why Do I Sing” and print it on durable, weather resistant paper provided by the hatchery. Wood was also provided by the hatchery to create a stable place for Story Trail pages on the sign posts. Olyn, a local Boy Scout, finished the boards and attached the boards and pages (perfectly) to the sign posts.
