People of the Apalachicola Project: June Fieldwork Recap

Staff from the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve and project lead N. Grinnan (right) talk about the process of monitoring archaeological sites and the kinds of materials that can indicate past human activity (photo by E.J. Murray).

June 2024 Fieldwork Recap

We can’t believe the time has already come: June is the beginning of the end of our fieldwork for the “People of the Apalachicola” project! Over the last six months, we’ve been monitoring and documenting 15 archaeological sites three times each. June provided our last opportunity to visit nine of those sites; July will be the last opportunity we have to visit the other six. Although the fieldwork is drawing to a close, the work continues as we start to pull together data from the field, our “Community Conversations on Heritage at Risk” feedback, and our online Qualtrics survey results. All of this data will then be analyzed, synthesized, and shared with our community partners and anyone else interested in the outcome of the research. To keep you informed, here’s a recap of our work during the month of June: The team was joined by Emily Jane Murray, Public Archaeologist for the Florida Public Archaeology Network’s Northeast Region, to assist with fieldwork. Interns and staff from the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve joined us in visiting most of our sites during the week, providing their expertise and insights on the area. With permission from our U.S. Forest Service colleagues, we visited Prospect Bluff Historic Sites to conduct fieldwork while honoring the Juneteenth holiday. We celebrated the nationally significant history of the site and the many freedom seekers who fought for their rights there between 1814-1816. Despite a blustery start that kept us off the water, the team successfully monitored nine sites on the priority list throughout the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve, utilizing photography, photogrammetry (to produce 3D models), and an Arrow Gold RTK GNSS Receiver (for hyper-accurate shoreline measurements.

We are also very proud this month to share an incredible “sneak peek” video created by project Collaborative Lead Mike Thomin! The video highlights the goals of our work, the methods we are using to conduct our research, and how we hope to produce positive outcomes for the Apalachicola area community. Features include our partners at the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve (Anita Grove and Megan Lamb), as well as the project’s field team (Bria Brooks, Nicole Grinnan, and Mike Thomin). We are also very grateful for the generosity of Jeff Dutrow and the Flying Fish in sharing their music with us. This sneak peek and the many others can be found on the National Estuarine Research Reserve System’s Science Collaborative YouTube Channel.

Do you live in the Apalachicola area? We need your input!

Access the survey here! If you couldn’t make it to one of our Community Conversation workshops or still have more to say, we want to hear from you! This survey will help us understand the ways in which the local community values cultural resources like archaeological sites, historic structures, historic cemeteries, and more. A Qualtrics online survey will collect responses; the survey contains 20 questions and takes only about 15 minutes to complete. Please help us out!

Project Partner Highlight: Dawn Lawrence, Heritage Program Manager, U.S. Forest Service

Dawn Lawrence is a professional archaeologist who has worked for multiple federal agencies across the United States over the course of her 20-year career. She is currently a Heritage Program Manager with the U.S. Forest Service, responsible for the preservation and interpretation of the historic and archaeological resources in the three National Forests in Florida. A major part of her duties is the stewardship of the National Historic Landmark sites at Prospect Bluff, the location of the Negro Fort—one of the largest Maroon settlements in North America. Dawn is currently working in partnership with descendants and Tribes to recover and reinterpret the erased story of the Negro Fort community, and to recenter that narrative within the context of Florida and United States history.

Past Events: SciCafe Recordings Now Available!

“Studying Marronage through Underwater Archaeology” by Bria Brooks (UWF) Stream this free virtual program, hosted by the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve, to learn more about project team member Bria Brooks’s research to highlight the stories and legacies of Prospect Bluff’s 19th-century Maroon community. Click here to stream! “‘People of the Apalachicola:’ A Community-Driven Archaeology Project” by Nicole Grinnan (UWF) Stream this free virtual program, hosted by the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve, to learn more about how University of West Florida and the Florida Public Archaeology Network archaeologists are working to record and preserve over 12,000 years of human history in the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve. Click here to stream!

FPAN Project Page

NERRS Science Collaborative Project Page

Contact Us

This work is sponsored by the National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERS) Science Collaborative, which supports collaborative research that addresses coastal management problems important to the reserves. The Science Collaborative is funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and managed by the University of Michigan Water Center (NA19NOS4190058).

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