RAPID CITY, S.D. – Children at the YMCA of the Black Hills were treated to a special reading session on Tuesday with local author, Eric Zimmer. Zimmer is the Vice President of Philanthropy and Special Projects for the Black Hills Area Community Foundation, which helps fund charitable efforts and organize initiatives to address key issues in the region.
His book “Bark the Beaver Helps the Black Hills Thrive” is part of a project between the Black Hills Area Community Foundation and the Black Hills Parks and Forests Association. The project also commemorates the 20th anniversary of the nonprofit, and the 80th anniversary of the Black Hills Parks and Forest Association.
It’s a children’s story about how anybody can get involved and make their community a better place.”
That larger project is known as the Beautiful Black Hills initiative, which invests in how to take care of the Black Hills along with bringing people together to address important issues. As for how the idea of his book’s main character came about, he says it was based on a real-life encounter. “Beavers are a really important keystone species that have played an important role for thousands of years in keeping our streams and our prairies and our hills clean and hydrated,” he explained. “Also, beavers are just super cute, and there was one that lived right by our office up until a few months ago.”
Tuesday’s reading session was for kids in the early learning group. “Both of my daughters go to the YMCA Early Learning Program, and my daughter Stevie was very excited to have me come read to her class, and so the staff here was happy to have us do it, so we did that and had a wonderful morning doing it.”
Author Eric Zimmer reads his book to children enrolled in the early learning program at the YMCA of the Black Hills.
Christina Holiday/ NewsCenter1
More reading sessions are set for the upcoming weekend. The first is Saturday in Custer at the Black Hills Parks and Forest Association’s office from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. On Sunday, a reading will take place at the Outdoor Campus West in Rapid City from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. Both events will have books for purchase and signing sessions.
The book is
currently available for purchase
online, and comes with a plush toy of Bark the Beaver. Proceeds go towards environmental education within the Black Hills.