MITCHELL, SD (Mitchell Now) — The Mitchell Library is helping area kids take a field trip to the west side of the state, without actually leaving town.
As part of its “Unearth a Story” summer reading campaign, staff will hold a virtual Zoom tour of The Mammoth Site in Hot Springs. Children’s Services Librarian Jean Patrick says the group will connect with Mammoth Site Director Seth Vandenberg. He’ll be on a tablet and walk the grounds, stopping at different points of interest to show off on the screen what it looks like to be on an active archaeological dig.
Following the tour, Vandenberg will take questions from the students. The first session is at 10:30 a.m. with a second scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The event is free, and library membership is not required to participate. Patrick tells Mitchell Now walk-ins are welcome.
There is no established age range, but Patrick reminds parents that this tour will be one where kids are mostly sitting down and focused on a screen. Kids who are preschool age may not be able to hold their attention for the whole tour, unless they are passionate about prehistoric animals. On the other end of the spectrum, she hopes some parents will stick around and contribute to the discussion. Patrick recommends doing the morning session, if possible, as the Summer Scholars program is bringing over a bus load of elementary school students for the afternoon time slot. Depending on how many questions there are, each tour should last about a half hour.
The Mammoth Site is the world’s largest research center dealing with mammals who appeared in the late Ice Age. In addition to the wooly and Columbian mammoths, 87 other animals have remains preserved there. Sinkholes used to dot the landscape of the area, acting as a perfect trap for living creatures, large and small.
