STORYWALKS® AND STORY TRAILS

Explore Prairie Ridge through the guidance of a StoryWalk® or Story Trail! StoryWalks® are traditionally children’s picture books whose pages have been spread along a walking trail, allowing visitors to read the book while on a walk! Story Trails similarly follow along a designated path as visitors explore a variety of nature-related topics or themes.

StoryWalks® and Story Trails are intended to be completed on your own, at your own pace, during Prairie Ridge’s open hours. Trails are mulch-, dirt- or grass-covered and may contain small hills. We recommend wearing closed-toed shoes, dressing for the weather, and bringing a water bottle with you for your journey!

For more information about our StoryWalk® and Story Trail programs, please reach out to Eileen Tan at eileen.tan@naturalsciences.org.

EVELYN THE ADVENTUROUS ENTOMOLOGIST STORYWALK®

March 15 – April 24

As spring arrives and we more readily encounter insects in our environment, what better time than to learn about insects through the eyes of an entomologist? Our next StoryWalk® features Evelyn the Adventurous Entomologist: The True Story of a World-Traveling Bug Hunter by Christine Evans. Follow along with the story as you take a walk around Prairie Ridge, all while putting on your own entomologist hat and looking for insects!

An illustrated woman kneels to inspect insects in a forest.

CITY NATURE CHALLENGE STORYTRAIL

April 25 – May 4

Follow along on the trail as you learn all about the City Nature Challenge – what is it, why it’s important, and how you can contribute! While you explore, you’ll stop at different natural history features of Prairie Ridge, exploring everything from the spikes on trees to the sounds of birds calling overhead.

A person uses a phone to photograph a natural item.

THE COLORS OF PRAIRIE RIDGE STORYTRAIL

May 14th – June 29th 

Summer is a time of COLOR at Prairie Ridge – so take a hike and see what you can find! Will it be the red of a Northern Cardinal, the green of duckweed on the pond, the white of the clouds in the sky? There is so much to explore at Prairie Ridge!

All text associated with this StoryTrail is printed in both English and Spanish.

An orange butterfly sitting on an orange flower

PAST TRAILS OF 2024

Winter Critters of Prairie Ridge StoryTrail – January 1 – February 10

Black Birders StoryTrail – February 15 – March 9

Outdoor Adventure Packs

The North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resource’s PATH Outdoor Adventure Packs are now available for use at Prairie Ridge!

PATH Outdoor Adventure Packs are part of the PATH (Parks and Trails for Health) program that encourages folks to get outside to encourage mental and physical well-being. These packs come with activity suggestions, guides to North Carolina wildlife, and tools to aid your exploration, like compasses and measuring tapes! At Prairie Ridge you’ll find these packs in a large bin located next to our entrance kiosk. When you want to give one a go, grab an available pack, sign it out, and then get exploring! When you’re done, return it to the bin and sign it back in. It’s that easy!

Kids in Parks: Track Trail Program

Track Trails Program

Have you heard of the TRACK Trails program? Prairie Ridge is one of several locations throughout North Carolina with a Kids in Parks TRACK Trails program. TRACK Trails feature self-guided brochures that lead families on different adventures while taking a walk at a specific park. Prairie Ridge has four TRACK Trails available, including two that are available in both English and Spanish.

Prairie Ridge TRACK Trails include:
• The Need for Trees
• Birds of the Piedmont
• Animal Athletes/Animales Atletas
• Nature’s Hide and Seek/El Juego Del Escondito En La Naturaleza

The TRACK Trails kiosk is located by the picnic tables adjacent to the Nature PlaySpace. Participants are encouraged to register through kidsinparks.com, as participants can earn Trail TRACKer Gear and prizes for each TRACK Trail they complete!

Check out the Kids in Parks website for a full list of participating locations throughout the state.

Planet Walk

Want to learn about the planets of our solar system? Explore our Planet Walk!

Beginning at our back entrance off of the Reedy Creek Greenway, Prairie Ridge is home to an at-scale Planet Walk, with each planet spaced apart proportional to the actual distance between planets in space! This walking experience is a self-led activity that can be enjoyed at any time during Prairie Ridge’s open hours.