This talk will explore the geological and cultural history of the Everglades and the role of early Native Americans and initial tree island formations.
SPOTLIGHT: Science and Environment
Sara Ayers-Rigsby, MA, RPA, Director, Southeast/Southwest Regions Florida Public Archaeology Network, Florida Atlantic University Anthropology Department
Sara Ayers-Rigsby specializes in cultural resources management and historic preservation. As the Director for the Florida Public Archaeology Network's Southeast/Southwest Regions, Ayers-Rigsby is responsible for designing educational outreach and programming for Florida's southernmost nine counties, which comprise half of the state's population. Before beginning her role as Southeast/Southwest Regional Director for the Florida Public Archaeology Network, she spent ten years working as an archaeologist throughout the United States, with a regional focus on the archaeology of the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic. She earned her M.A. in Archaeology for Screen Media from the University of Bristol, UK, and her B.A. in Classical Archaeology from Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland. She is certified as a member of the Register of Professional Archaeologists (RPA). Her research interests include public outreach and archaeology, resiliency, archaeological compliance legislation, and industrial archaeology in Florida. She loves visiting state parks, historical sites, and house museums in south Florida and is always thrilled to talk to others about them.