Sussex Academy Elementary School in Georgetown unveiled its new Connie Hendricks Story Walk, an outdoor trail walk and educational experience, with an April 30 ribbon-cutting ceremony and inaugural walk.

"This isn't just a scenic path; it is a front-row seat to vital conservation," said fourth- and fifth-grade science and math teacher Don Ott, who spearheaded the project.

The walk features a nature trail looping around the back of the elementary campus, winding through the Redden Forest, past a pond and continuing to another secret pond, which is a documented breeding habitat for the endangered eastern tiger salamander.

On display throughout the trail are pages from the children's book, "The Salamander Room," by Anne Mazer.

The project aims to increase environmental literacy, wetland protection and habitat restoration of the campus's secret pond, serving to protect a rare breeding habitat and its endangered inhabitants. To help facilitate this restoration, overhanging branches were cleared to manage evaporation, and a fish-excluding device was installed.

"We are teaching students that they aren't just readers; they are active stewards of the environment," Ott said.

The story walk honors its namesake, Dean of Elementary Connie Hendricks, for her lifelong commitment to fostering student curiosity and turning learning into an adventure. 

It was funded through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation in collaboration with the Red Clay Consolidated School District, located in New Castle County. Ott thanked Red Clay's Brian Mattix and Sonia Saunders, who invited Sussex Academy to partner under their grant with the Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund in partnership with the NFWF.

Ott also recognized Todd Klawinski, who helped coordinate the connection between schools, and Julio Burgos, who spent hours installing the signs and benches on the trail and by the pond, as well as in the school's garden and outdoor classroom.

The project is part of an international movement, StoryWalk, which is a registered service mark of the Kellogg-Hubbard Library that promotes early literacy, physical activity and time in nature.

Ott ended his speech with a quote from Hendricks: "Stories and nature both hold the power to transform how we see and think about the world. Let this trail be a reminder that literacy and nature are endless, hands-on adventures waiting for you to explore and discover."