What started as an idea to further promote local stewardship and awareness surrounding trash clean ups, has metamorphosed into a multi-partner endeavor to bring a story to life. Maryland Coastal Bays Program, in collaboration with the Town of Ocean City, Plak That, 1% for the Planet, and Di angelo Publications, has implemented a Storybook Walk for the locally authored “Keep Our Beaches Clean! What If Everybody Did That?” at the newly renovated Bayside Park at 3rd Street in downtown Ocean City.

Storybook Walks are a wonderful way to expand literacy all the while enjoying some outdoor exercise. They typically feature large scale pages of a book chronologically placed along a trail, or, in this case, a bayside boardwalk. This specific walk spotlights, “Keep Our Beaches Clean! What If Everybody Did That?”, a book written by an inspiring class of Showell Elementary School 2nd graders in collaboration with professional surfer Kelly Slater. The book was released this past spring by Di angelo Publications. Mackenzie Keyser, the facilitating teacher from Showell Elementary says, “the students and I are so thrilled, and honored, to have ‘Keep Our Beaches Clean! What If Everybody Did That?’ made into a Storybook Walk! Our hopes are that through this extension of the book, children from all over will be eager to help do their part to keep our beaches clean!”

As they approach the Storybook Walk, visitors will encounter a panel that outlines how to use the walk. As they continue, readers will embark on a story about how the choices we make can impact the beach and the critters that live there. It ends with a panel that includes a QR code that links to more resources such as a lesson plan that compliments the book. These panels were created with ideas from all the partners and brought to life by local graphic designer Mark Huey. The event will feature guest speakers, including Mackenzie Keyser, an official ribbon cutting, and a book signing by the student authors themselves! There will be books on site for purchase from Coastal Bays, or attendees can bring their own to get signed.