Grand County Library District’s One Grand Book is an annual showcase for a particular book or author, and in past years has featured David Heska Wanbli Weiden, Shelley Read, Ted Conover, Julian Rubinstein, Pam Houston, and Peter Heller. This year we are pleased to have Ben Goldfarb and his books as our selection for One Grand Book.

Ben Goldfarb is a Colorado environmental journalist and author whose work has been published in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, Smithsonian Magazine, The Washington Post, National Geographic, The New York Times, Orion magazine, and many others. He has also written the non-fiction books “Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter,” and “Crossings: How Road Ecology Is Shaping the Future of Our Planet.” These books have received multiple prestigious awards for excellence, and copies are available for checkout at all library branches.

The Granby Book Club will gather at Granby Library on Monday, August 31 at 5 p.m. to discuss the two books. 

Join us for our main One Grand Book event, Ben Goldfarb’s talk at Granby Library on Saturday, October 3 at 6 p.m. There will be a visual presentation and audience Q&A, moderated by local author Martin J. Smith, founder of Grand County Community of Writers. Goldfarb’s books will be available for purchase and signing.

In addition to library events and promotion, various community organizations have chosen to collaborate on One Grand Book and offer a series of related events and programs.

Friday, August 14, at 10 a.m., meet at the Kawuneeche Vistors Center at Rocky Mountain National Park to learn about the fascinating connection between moose, beavers, and the wetlands. Register at gcld.org or call Juniper Library at 970-627-8353.

Saturday, August 15, at 3 p.m., Evie Guay, River Journey Manager for the Headwaters Center, and the Upper Colorado Watershed Environment Team (UCWET) founders will offer a Headwaters Center tour and a watershed walk to the pond levelers on the Fraser River. 

Tuesday, September 15, at 5:30 p.m., Annie Hart, Species Conservation Biologist for Colorado Parks and Wildlife, will present at the Kremmling Library on the CPW’s new beaver strategy and the review process that formulated the strategy.

Thursday, September 24, 5:30 p.m., Michelle Cowardin, Wildlife Movement Coordinator for Colorado Parks and Wildlife will present at the Granby Library on working with CDOT for State Highway 9’s success with animal crossings.

Friday, September 25, at 4:30 p.m., be sure to tune in to KFFR 88.3 FM or KWTR 89.1 FM for an interview with Ben Goldfarb.

Friday, October 9, at 5:30 p.m., Samantha Davis, historian and Programs, Marketing, & Education Manager for Cozens Ranch in Fraser will present “Getting Here Was Half the Adventure: The story of wagon roads, stagecoach lines, mountain passes, and the routes that opened Grand County to the world.” 

Finally, the Genre Explorer’s Book Club in Hot Sulphur Springs and Kremmling will focus on Goldfarb’s books, among others, with the theme of “Nature’s Hidden Connections” this quarter. Clubs will meet for book discussions in November.

Read these thought-provoking books, as well as Goldfarb’s other writings, attend programs at your favorite institutions (or discover a new one!), and meet the author for his unique perspective on Grand County’s environment.

John Marte is a digital resources associate with Grand County Library District. You can reach him at jmarte@gcld.org