The Wampahoofus' Favorite Place: A Children's Book of Environmental Stewardship

This project is dedicated to the conservation of the largest alpine environment in Vermont, and consists of a children's book and an activity brochure that is meant to supplement the book. The book, titled The Wampahoofus' Favorite Place, tells the story of the Wampahoofus (a folkloric character that lives on Mt. Mansfield) as he travels the ridgeline of Mt. Mansfield and speaks about the alpine plants and animals that make the alpine environment unique and important. The activity brochure consists of a point-based treasure hunt that encourages children to explore the plants and animals outlined in the book while they are hiking the ridgeline of Mt. Mansfield. The goals of this project were to spark interest in young readers and educate them about the rare alpine environment atop Mt. Mansfield, and for the book and brochure to become part of the Green Mountain Club's collection of information in their Visitor Centers (one on Rt. 100 in Waterbury Center and the other at the top of the Mt. Mansfield toll road). This paper outlines the literature relevant to my topic, the methods used in the creation of both the book and the brochure, the results of my methods, and finally a discussion of these results.