COLUMBUS, Ohio — Gov. Mike DeWine announced the state is awarding $28,000 for new or improved literacy trails in five Ohio counties. 

The program, which is being funded through the Ohio Division of Natural Resources, will finance trails in Ashland, Athens, Champaign, Ottawa and Preble counties. According to the governor’s office, the trails are similar to the Storybook Trails at 11 state parks. The local trails will promote the benefits of early literacy and a heathy lifestyle, the state said. 

“Developing an appreciation for reading at a young age is so important for children as they grow, and we are excited to award these grants to help more communities combine the love of reading with the love of nature,” said DeWine.

The trails are in partnership with the governor’s Imagination Library, which currently has more than 300,000 children signed up to receive a free book each month. 

DeWine’s office said that the Storybook Trails have 15-20 child-height panels featuring pages of a children’s book and an activity to accompany the text on the page. A Little Free Library can be found at each site and visitors can borrow books for free or donate books to the collection, the state said.

The following organizations were granted funds:

• The Ashland County Park District will receive $5,173 for a new trail at Byers Woods
• The Village of Chauncey in Athens County will be awarded $5,233.19 to expand their story walk trail along the Bailey’s Trail System
• Goshen Township Memorial Park will receive $5,160.80 to create a new Mechanicsburg story walk
• The Black Swamp Conservancy will be awarded $5,060 for the creation of a permanent storybook trail at the Dr. Robert L. Nehls Memorial Nature Preserve
• The Village of Lewisburg will receive $7,856 for a storybook walking path at Lewisburg Community Park