Hot and sunny weather enticed Emporians out to enjoy the Tuesday Trail Talk event at the Lyon County Fairgrounds walking path on Tuesday evening, Sept. 6. Healthier Lyon County and the Emporia Public Library were partners for the first of several events happening on local trails.
“Tuesday Trail Talk is part of a three-part approach to promote our local Lyon County trails,” Daphne Mertens, Grants Manager at Healthier Lyon County, said. “We have a team of coalition members and community partners who have been meeting to put this into action.
“The first part was videos onsite at each of the trail locations shared to our TikTok account @healthierlyoncounty featuring a look at the trail using our stoplight trail accessibility rating system. Part two was a brochure to give the same information in paper form. Third are the Tuesday Trail Talk events.”
Emporia Public Library provided a Storywalk featuring the children’s picture book, “Wonder Walkers!” written and illustrated by Micha Archer. Storyboards, with pages from the featured book, were placed at intervals along the walking path.
The Healthier Lyon County table featured a spinner with prizes and a build-your-own trail mix station. Sidewalk chalk was ready for small hands at the path entrance.
Friends Lisa Harper and Gail Chamberlain were among the first walkers.
“We like to do stuff like this,” Chamberlain said.
“We walk every day anyway,” added Harper. “This is fun.”
Emporia Public Library Youth Services Coordinator Lori Heller was excited to be invited by Healthier Lyon County to participate in the Tuesday Trail Talk event.
“We thought this would be the perfect location to have community members experience the Lyon County Fairgrounds Trail as well as learn more about Emporia Public Library’s programs and services and participate in a nature inspired movement activity,” Heller said. “This outdoor Storywalk is a variation of the ones Emporia Public Library places in the windows of businesses up and down Commercial Street each month.”
Seven-year-old Taylor Parker was ready to take on the trail with his family, but stopped to create some sidewalk chalk art first.
“We saw the Facebook invite, and thought, ‘There’s two family things to do tonight, so we’ll do them both,’” Taylor’s mom, Emily Parker, said.
Lisa Decker and Linda Turney, along with Rosie the dog, completed the one-mile loop with big smiles.
“We walk Monday through Thursday,” Decker noted.
“It’s our therapy,” Turney exclaimed.
Mertens noted that the events will be held every other Tuesday through October, each time at a different trail featuring different activities. The next one, on Sept. 20 from 6 to 7 p.m., is at the Cottonwood River Trail starting at the Veterans Memorial in Soden’s Grove.
“We will learn about fish in the river and native plants from ESU Professors Dr. Erika Martin and Dr. Dave McKenzie,” Mertens said.
For more information about Tuesday Trail Talk, visit the Healthier Lyon County website at emporiastrong.com or find the events on the Healthier Lyon County Facebook page.
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