“Empty Hands, Open Arms” author to speak at CMC Speaker Series

Deni Béchard’s book explores the race to save Congo’s Bonobos

EHOA2 930When author Deni Béchard first learned of the last living bonobos — great apes that are, alongside the chimpanzee, our closest relatives  — he was horrified to learn how close the animals and the rainforest they call home are to extinction.

Béchard discovered that one small NGO, the Bonobo Conservation Initiative (BCI), has done more to save bonobos and their natural habitat than numerous larger organizations.  “Empty Hands, Open Arms,” which explores BCI’s success, was based on Béchard’s extensive travels in the Congo and Rwanda and hundreds of hours of interviews with conservationists all over the world.

Béchard will be in Breckenridge January 22 for a reading and book signing at Colorado Mountain College’s Eileen and Paul Finkel Auditorium. The event takes place from from 7-8:30 p.m. and is free and open to the public. For more information about the event, contact Heidi Kunzek (970) 453-6757 ext. 2614.