June 17, 2025
Ancient Things in Wild Places:
Traces of Native Americans and Historic People on the National Wildlife Refuges
Somewhere beneath the hoof prints of bison, the nests of the piping plover, and the burrows of the black-footed ferret, are the tools and camp fires of earlier peoples. These wild animals and their habitats are protected on our National Wildlife Refuges – a system of public lands that also offers a rare opportunity to preserve archaeological sites and historic places (and the occasional dinosaur). The eight states that comprise the Mountain – Prairie Region of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Wildlife Refuge system extend from the Canadian border to the desert southwest. The cultural resources of the region span over 12,000 years from PaleoIndian camp sites to Depression-era fire towers and Cold War remnants. These paleontological remains, archaeological sites, and historic structures on the Refuges are a diverse and wonderful heritage, and provide some unique challenges for interpretation and preservation.
Featured Speaker:
Meg Van Ness, a longtime Golden resident, has been an archaeologist for over 50 years with most of the time spent in the middle of the continent: the Midwest, Northern Plains, Rocky Mountains, and Southwest. She has a BA in anthropology from the University of Missouri and an MA from Northern Arizona University – both in anthropology with an emphasis in archaeology. Her early years were spent working on various projects through universities and archaeological consulting companies, followed by 15 years at the Colorado State Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation. Beginning in 2005, and until her retirement May 2023, she was an archaeologist for the Department of the Interior’s U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – National Wildlife Refuge System. Her primary interests are the archaeological remains of prehistoric plant use, Depression-era buildings and structures, and new discoveries.
Featured Brewery: Holidaily Brewing
How This Works
The Buffalo Rose will open at 6:00 p.m. Food and drink service will begin at 6:00 p.m. and the program will begin around 6:30 p.m. Following the presentation, we’ll take a brief intermission for Q + A. We’ll wrap up around 7:45 p.m., but people are welcome to stay a bit longer to chat with the speakers.
Please check out podcasts of Past Talks.