Trail Association To Feature Archaeologist

Sara Ayers-Rigsby, regional director for the Florida Public Archaeology Network, will speak at a meeting of the Loxahatchee chapter of the Florida Trail Association on Monday Jan. 7 at the Okeeheelee Nature Center. Members and guests can socialize with refreshments at 7 p.m. The program begins at 7:30 p.m. The topic of the talk will be the Fisheating Creek Wildlife Management Area. The event is open to the public. Call Roy Moore at (561) 307-7792 for more info.

Ayers-Rigsby specializes in cultural resources management and historic preservation. Prior to beginning her director role, she spent 10 years working as an archaeologist throughout the United States, with a regional focus on the archaeology of the southeast and mid-Atlantic regions.

Fisheating Creek is home to the Fort Center Archaeological Site, a series of mounds, circular ditches and constructed ponds occupied by indigenous groups prior to European contact. The site is similar to a modern city, with areas for residences and ritual use. The Jan. 7 talk will explore the fascinating history of the site, before hiking the publicly accessible parts of the site on Sunday, Jan. 27. Call Jeff Andrews at (561) 310-5960 to register for the hike.