The Rocks to Host Author Tom Ryan & Dogs Samwise & Emily

Hikers and animal lovers, mark your calendars! Writer Tom Ryan and his canine companions Samwise and Emily visit The Rocks Estate to discuss their adventures, and some of the stories from “Will’s Red Coat,” his new book.

An admission fee of $10 per person will be earmarked for improvements to the events room in the main building at The Rocks. Owned by the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, The Rocks serves as the Society’s North Country Conservation & Education Center.

Tom Ryan lives in Jackson, N.H., and is the author of the New York Times bestselling memoir, “Following Atticus.” During the winter of 2007, Ryan and his dog, Atticus M. Finch, climbed 81 4,000-foot peaks, raising several thousand dollars for the Jimmy Fund and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute along the way. The following winter, the pair climbed 66 4,000-foot peaks and raised funds for the Angell Animal Medical Center in Jamaica Plain, Mass. Their fundraising efforts garnered Ryan and Atticus induction to the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals’ Hall of Fame as recipients of the organization’s “Human Hero of the Year Award.” Ryan and Atticus also received the “Humane-itarian Award” from the Massachusetts School of Law.

Tom and Atticus adopted an elderly, special needs dog named William Lloyd Garrison – “Will,” for short. Will thrived in the companionship of Tom and Atticus, leading to their receipt of the Massachusetts School of Law Humanitarian Award. Ryan’s second book was “Will’s Red Coat: The Story of One Old Dog Who Chose to Live Again.”

The Rocks is the North Country Conservation & Education Center of the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests (www.forestsociety.org). The Forest Society is a non-profit membership organization founded in 1901 to protect the state’s most important landscapes and promote wise use of its natural resources. The landmark 1,400-acre property The Rocks includes numerous buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places and offers Agri- and Eco-tourism opportunities throughout the year. For more information please visit www.therocks.org For reservations and other inquiries e-mail [email protected] or call 603-444-6228.