Buddy Bison Story Stroll Opening in Sussex County, Delaware

June 29, 2021

Kids and Families Encouraged to Read and Explore the Outdoors This Summer

Washington, D.C. (June 29, 2021) – National Park Trust announced today that their children’s book published in partnership with National Geographic Kids, Buddy Bison’s Yellowstone Adventure, will be featured as part of the Sussex County, Delaware Summer Reading Challenge Story Stroll. The theme for this year’s Summer Reading Challenge is Tales + Tails and the Story Stroll will allow kids and families to experience this children’s book written by Delaware author and native Ilona E. Holland, that takes kids on a Yellowstone National Park adventure with the National Park Trust’s wooly mascot Buddy Bison. A Story Stroll is a family-friendly and immersive outdoor reading experience where the pages of a children’s book are spread out and placed along a walking trail. Participants can “stroll” through the pages of the storybook.

Buddy Bison’s Yellowstone Adventure tells the story of twins Elena and Christopher who are visiting Yellowstone National Park with their Aunt Rosa, a park ranger. Aunt Rosa gets an emergency call and instead of waiting patiently, Christopher wanders off. That’s when Buddy Bison, the adorable pint-sized mascot clipped to Elena’s backpack suddenly comes to life and leads her on an adventure to find her brother.

This special event will be set up at the 14 public libraries located around Sussex County, DE, and will be available from July 9th through the first 2 weeks in August. Each library arranges the “Stroll” in a way that best suits their surrounding community. For some libraries, the readers will walk from sign to sign around the library building, and for others, they may walk to different points around town or arrange their Story Stroll in a local park. While supplies last, the Sussex County Department of Libraries is providing each child who participates with their own plush Buddy Bison mascot for participating, just like the one in the book.

Sussex County Outreach Librarian Jill DiPaolo explains, “Providing Story Strolls in our communities incorporates literacy and learning into a fun & physical outdoor activity for young people and families. Time spent in nature during a Story Stroll promotes well-being, health, and a love of reading.”

According to author Ilona Holland, who serves on the National Park Trust Advisory Board Member, “Books are an important way for children to become more engaged with the world around them. I love writing with the thought of encouraging children to explore and observe nature. The story stroll is another way of getting kids to interact with their surroundings while instilling the joy of reading.”

We love the idea of Buddy Bison’s Yellowstone Adventure being featured by the Sussex County Department of Libraries. This program not only encourages kids to read this summer but also to learn more about and discover our nation’s parks. As Buddy Bison says, “explore outdoors, the parks are yours!”, stated Grace Lee, National Park Trust Executive Director.

To learn more about Sussex County’s Summer Reading Challenge, visit https://sussexcounty.lib.de.us.   See also https://ilonaeholland.com for more about the author.

ABOUT NATIONAL PARK TRUST

National Park Trust is a non-profit dedicated to the protection of our national parks. The Park Trust preserves parks today and creates park stewards for tomorrow by acquiring the missing pieces of our national parks and building a pipeline of future caretakers of our public lands and waters by getting kids to parks. Since 1983, the Park Trust has completed 76 land projects in 31 states, one U.S. Territory, and Washington, D.C. Our national Buddy Bison Programs and Kids to Parks Day support 300 Title I schools annually in under-served communities. Find out more at parktrust.org.

Media Contact: Ivan Levin at 540.818.5818 or ivan@parktrust.org.

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