All library locations and services will be closed Tuesday, December 24, through Thursday, December 26, for the winter holiday.

StoryWalks®

Welcome to our StoryWalk®!

Main Library (Your Legacy: A Bold Reclaiming of Our Enslaved History by Schele Williams)
Beaver Marsh (I’m Done by Gretchen Brandenburg McLellan)

StoryWalks® were created to promote early literacy, outdoor physical activity, and time together with family and friends. We love all of those goals, and we hope to bring the library to new places, and add some fun to our community.

Please stay tuned for additional StoryWalk® sites! We will list them here as well as on the library’s events page. If you have any questions/comments/suggestions, you can also contact us at SmallBizCenter@dconc.gov. Don’t forget to fill out the surveys, and tag us with #DCoLStoryWalk on any online pictures!

How Did This Project Start?

Members of Main Library’s Small Business Center, STEAM Team, and Children’s Unit were dreaming about fun, interactive programs that promote early reading, being active outside, inspire creativity and curiosity, and help our community connect with amazing local places and organizations.

The StoryWalk® Project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, VT and developed in collaboration with the Kellogg-Hubbard Library. Storywalk® is a registered service mark owned by Ms. Ferguson.

Main Library

This StoryWalk® path features the book Your Legacy and goes around the building. The first sign is on the front windows nearest to the corner of Roxboro and Liberty, then the path goes along Roxboro to Holloway, and finally up the stairs along the building, closest to the parking lot.

Beaver Marsh

Gate leading to the Beaver Marsh Nature Preserve, with a welcome sign next to the entrance.

Durham County Library is delighted to partner with Ellerbe Creek Watershed Association on this StoryWalk®. We hope you will enjoy a walk through the beautiful Beaver Marsh Preserve while also enjoying the book I’m Done and time with friends and/or family! This StoryWalk® trail is about ¼ mile long.

While this is our first StoryWalk® here, it’s not our last! Stay tuned for additional trails (and a new book every quarter).

Please send us your feedback, via a survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3LMM7T3.

 A StoryWalk sign along a stretch of one of the nature preserve trails.

Pro Tips

  • Starting from the cul-de-sac on Ambridge, there is a small decline to the start of the StoryWalk®. The Marsh View and Blueberry Trails are mostly flat and suitable for (jogging) strollers and new/unsteady walkers.
  • Bring binoculars—there’s almost always wildlife to see! You may also want to download an app like Seek, iNaturalist, or Merlin Bird ID to help identify plants and animals.
  • Speaking of…..this is what poison ivy looks like! Be aware so you don’t check “getting poison ivy” off your summer experience list.
    Poison ivy plants, with groups of three leaves.
  • Bring some water, and you might want bug spray.
  • There is a bench with a lovely view of the marsh at sign 6.
  • There is numbered signage along the trail, but you can also follow the blue blazes “out” and the yellow blazes “back.”
  • Please stop by one of the many amazing local businesses nearby!
  • Posting pics online? Please use #DCoLStoryWalk!

About the Preserve

Purchased in 2009, this land is one of Durham’s hidden gems and the inspiration for the always epic Beaver Queen Pageant. It is home to a “diverse array of native plants, over 75 migratory and resident birds, 10 species each of dragon and damsel flies, and five species of frogs. In the center of the pond is a large active beaver lodge!”

Plan Your Visit to the Beaver Marsh

Opening Hours: Dawn to dusk year-round.

Address: 3400 Ambridge Street, Durham, NC 27704

Directions & Parking:

​From East Club Boulevard / Ambridge Street: If you’re looking to hike along the trails, this entrance is your best bet. Turn south onto Ambridge Street from East Club Boulevard and park in the cul-de-sac at the end of the street. From there you’ll see an ECWA kiosk and markers for the Blueberry and the Bird and Creekside Connector Trail.

From East Club Boulevard / Cascadilla Street: This entrance is directly behind Big Lots at the end of Cascadilla Street, with parking located between Big Lots and Harbor Freight. Here, you’ll find a viewing bench located right in front of the active beaver lodge! Watch birds fly in and keep your eye out for the beavers who swim to and from their lodge at dawn and dusk each day.

Durham Public Bus

The closest stop to the Cascadilla Street entrance is #5868/#5992 on Route 9A/B at the corner of Cascadilla Street and East Club Boulevard. Walk south on Cascadilla Street behind the shopping center and you will see the preserve on your left. The closest stop to the Ambridge Street entrance is #5475 on Route 9A/B at the corner of Stephenson Street and East Club Boulevard.

Beaver Marsh Nature Preserve map