Volunteers Install Born Learning Trail At Danbury's Rogers Park

DANBURY, Conn. -- Young children in Danbury have a new place for jumping, running, playing and learning, thanks to the efforts of some volunteers from Ridgefield-based Boehringer Ingelheim and the United Way.

A kid begins to venture down the new Born Learning Trail at Rogers Park in Danbury.
Photo Credit: *Karen Tensa*

Monet Borione, who works for the United Way of Western Connecticut in Danbury, gets to work digging a hole.
Photo Credit: *Karen Tensa*

A sign along the trail suggests activities for kids and parents to do together.
Photo Credit: *Karen Tensa*

This sidewalk art encourages kids to hop like frogs.
Photo Credit: *Karen Tensa*

Monet Borione of Danbury leads the work crew from Boehringer Ingelheim.
Photo Credit: *Karen Tensa*

The trail includes 10 signs along a paved path decorated with artwork. It was installed last week by volunteers.
Photo Credit: *Karen Tensa*

This is the spot: A volunteer gets ready to dig.
Photo Credit: *Karen Tensa*

The trail includes a pint-size hopscotch for kids to try.
Photo Credit: *Karen Tensa*

Ridgefield-based Boehringer Ingelheim and the United Way of Western Connecticut in Danbury installed the trail.
Photo Credit: *Karen Tensa*

A hole is to dig: Two volunteers use a special tool to dig a hole for a sign post.
Photo Credit: *Karen Tensa*

Shapes, colors and more decorate the paved path of the new Born Learning Trail in Danbury's Rogers Park.
Photo Credit: *Karen Tensa*

Karen Tensa

06/12/2013 4:00 a.m.

A Born Learning trail was installed last week at Rogers Park, with its 10 signs featuring educational activities tucked into the landscape near the playscape and the spray park.

"The Born Learning trail encourages you to do learning and exploring with your kids," said Monet Borione of Danbury, a staffer for United Way of Western Connecticut who led the work crew. "It has 10 signs that offer different ways to use nature as a classroom. It's something you do together with your young child.

"You and your kids can learn about the world around you. For example, you can tough a tree -- is it soft, hard, rough, smooth -- or compare flowers by size or color."

About a dozen volunteers from Boehringer Ingelheim of Ridgefield and Danbury turned out to help install the trail on the United Way's Day of Action.

"They were wonderful," said Borione. "We dug the holes for the sign posts, planted flowers and painted shapes and animals and ABCs and a hopscotch on the sidewalks."

In addition to supplying the work crew, Boehringer Ingelheim paid for the trail materials and donated them to the cause.

Each of the 10 signs encourages a different learning activity appropriate for young children. For example, the one called "jump clap skip move" encourages parents and children to be active. "Pretend to move like an animal. Walk like a duck or jump like a frog," the sign says. And the children can leap on a sidewalk painting of a frog or duck-walk atop a painting of a waterfowl.

"It was great to see kids jumping around there," said Borione. "It's a great addition to the park."

The Born Learning trail incorporates the idea that learning happens all the time and encourages parents to find ways to learn together, she said. "By playing and exploring, you help young children get ready for success in school and in life. Together, you can turn everyday moments into learning moments," according to the first Born Learning sign.

A summer kickoff event will be held soon at Rogers Park to celebrate the installation of the Born Learning trail, but no date has been set.

More than 600 volunteers from 32 companies took park in the United Way's Day of Action, working on 105 projects and 35 nonprofits across nine towns in Fairfield County.

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