A giant outdoor storybook called Norman Builds a Park tells the story of Dr. Norman Camp, whose conservation efforts preserved this land.
by Lori D. R. Wiggins | photography by Justin Kase Conder

Visitors to the Walnut Creek Wetland Park can easily see its virtues:  trails navigate wet and dry wildlife habitats and lush corridors under trees, and a welcoming nature center invites guests to explore, learn and relax. Now, visitors can also take in the complex story that led to its creation. 

Norman Builds a Park is a life-size storybook that’s been permanently installed on the park grounds. Over 32 oversized, waterproof pages, it explains how the late Dr. Norman Camp III spearheaded the efforts to transform these 58 acres from a dumping ground into a natural sanctuary.
The book was unveiled June 21 with a reading by the author, Stacie Hagwood, a former park manager who wrote the book just before she retired in 2022.

It was written in partnership with Partners for Environmental Justice, an interracial grassroots organization that Camp helped create in 1995 in response to environmental injustices against historically Black communities in Southeast Raleigh. The group’s early partners were churches in Raleigh, Apex and Fuquay-Varina, including Camp’s church, St. Ambrose, whose backyard meets the wetlands.

The idea for a park emerged from the group’s cleanup efforts of the polluted areas. The goal is to increase awareness about the importance of the wetlands and the health of this urban greenspace, as well as to restore its economic, educational and beautification benefits for nearby communities and residents. Carolyn Winters served as the PEJ secretary for 25 years and is still on the board. “We had boots on the ground to right an injustice, and we continue to make a difference,” she says.

The book begins with the story of Camp exploring and discovering nature as he grew up nearby in Southeast Raleigh and continues through the park’s construction. The area was annexed by the City of Raleigh in 2003 and the park opened in September 2009. Unfortunately, Camp died in September 2018, before seeing the nature center dedicated in his name. “The park and its story echo the history of a community built by the strength, mental fortitude and resilience it stands on today,” says park superintendent Kyleene Rooks.

“We wanted something we could use for kids on field trips,” says Hagwood, noting that Norman Builds a Park is written on a third-grade level to meet social-studies standards. “Our hope is that this storybook will inspire the next generation to be change makers and stewards of the environment.” 

This article originally appeared in the August 2024 issue of WALTER magazine.