‘Brown Bag’ lectures wrap up with petroglyphs, preserving stories for posterity and more

Inset image: Man with bow and arrow pointing at bighorn sheep, Kohta Circus Petroglyphs, near Mesquite, Nevada, Jan. 6, 2013 | Photo by Angie Amodt, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — The popular “Brown Bag Lecture” series is wrapping up their season with one more month of free lectures, including presentations from a Washington County historian, an archaeologist, a storyteller and the “Petroglyph Patrol.”

Backcountry in the Arizona Strip, Arizona, Jan. 3, 2015 | Photo by Julie Applegate, St. George News

The Bureau of Land Management and its partners host the one-hour lectures on Fridays beginning at noon. These offer unique opportunities for members of the public to learn more about natural resources and public lands in Southern Utah and the Arizona Strip.

The lectures are free, but given their popularity, it is recommended to reserve seats one week prior to each program at the Interagency Information Center, 345 E. Riverside Drive, St. George, or by calling 435-688-3200

The lineup for April is as follows:

April 7 – Washington County History – Leo Lyman

Edward Leo Lyman is a local history expert. In 1981, he received a Ph.D. from the University of California, Riverside, and taught at California State University, Riverside, and at the Victor Valley College in California, where he is an Emeritus Professor of History.

After 17 years in Victor Valley, Lyman moved to Silver Reef in 2004. He continues to be an active historian in the Southwest. In 2007, Lyman became Utah’s State Director of the Old Spanish Trail Association.

April 14 – Site Steward and Petroglyph Patrol Programs – Susan Crook

Artifacts recovered after being taken from an area near Beaver Dam, Arizona, and on other public lands in Arizona, Nevada and Utah, date and location unspecified | Photo courtesy of BLM Arizona Strip District, St. George News

Southwest Utah National Conservation Lands Friends is a local service group sponsored by Conserve Southwest Utah. Crook will discuss the “Site Stewards” program, which works to protect irreplaceable cultural resources on BLM-managed public lands.

In Washington County, Site Steward teams help protect these resources by visiting sites quarterly to maintain photo records of site conditions, which are submitted to land management agencies in an effort to preserve these sites for current and future generations of Americans. The Petroglyph Patrol is a lighter version of the Site Steward program with a focus on public education.

Read more: Petroglyph Patrol volunteers needed for ‘Respect and Protect’ campaign

Freda Kelly poses with Paul McCartney in this photo, location and date not specified | Photo courtesy of DOCUTAH@TheElectric, St. George News

April 21 – A Story to Tell – Lane Ronnow

Lane Ronnow explains how the program “A Story to Tell” helps people tell their life story, record it for posterity and get it televised on the local cable channel and the internet.

The show recently featured stories by Freda Kelly who worked for ten years as a secretary for The Beatles.

Read more: Former Beatles secretary tells story of ‘hectic decade,’ attends Docutah monthly screening

The community television channel will be recording this presentation of the Brown Bag Lecture series.

April 28 – Favorite Places on the Arizona Strip – Greg Woodall

Greg Woodall currently works as an archaeologist for the Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument. With over 20 years of experience guiding visitors across the vast Colorado Plateau, Woodall’s knowledge of the Arizona Strip is extensive.

About the Brown Bag Lecture series

Speakers include geologists, range specialists, biologists, archaeologists, rangers and other specialists who cover subjects tied to the Arizona Strip and surrounding public lands.

For those who want to learn more before venturing out or are curious about these remote and rugged landscapes, the lectures are an excellent way to bring the resources and related issues to the community’s doorstep.

The lecture series is sponsored by the Dixie/Arizona Strip Interpretive Association, BLM, National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service.

Event details

  • What: Brown Bag Lecture series.
  • When: Each Friday in April at noon.
  • Where: Interagency Information Center, 345 E. Riverside Drive, St. George | Telephone 435-688-3200.
  • Cost: Free but advance seat reservations are advised as space is limited.

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @STGnews

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