The Mesa Verde Foundation strives to provide exciting and educational experience through our tours and events. Tours provide those seeking deeper experiences at Mesa Verde National Park and the greater Ancestral Puebloan region with in-depth experiences. Our events provide ways for people to engage further with the Foundation in communities throughout the Four Corners region.
The Water Ecology of Mesa Verde National Park
Presenter: Andrew Spear, Biologist/Wildlife Program Lead at Mesa Verde National Park & Yucca House National Monument
Moderator: Monica Buckle, Mesa Verde Park Ranger and Bioscience Technician
Date: Wednesday, December 8th at 4:00pm MST
Please join us for our December “Conversations from the Mesa” webinar, “The Water Ecology of Mesa Verde National Park.” This webinar, presented by Mesa Verde National Park Ranger and Bioscience Technician Andrew Spear, will provide the status and background of water ecosystems in MVNP and highlight some of the research and restoration projects actively occurring in the Park. One project, supported by grant funding from the Desert Fish Habitat Partnership, is to construct wooden restoration structures designed to mimic beaver activity and other natural processes within the NPS reach of the Mancos River. Andrew will also discuss ongoing investigations of historic conditions of seeps and springs and a focused study on groundwater movement and springs on Chapin Mesa.
Andrew grew up in Asheville, NC, and obtained a B.S in Geography: GIS from Appalachian State University in Boone, NC, in 2010. After graduating, he began working in federal land management with the United States Forest Service in Idaho. He later held positions with the National Park Service in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and on a roving SE U.S exotic plant management team. Andrew arrived at Mesa Verde National Park in 2014 and worked four seasons in vegetation management through 2017. After a brief time in Zion National Park, he returned to MVNP in 2018. Andrew now manages the Park’s physical science program primarily focused on air quality monitoring, seeps and springs, and the Mancos River. When he isn’t thinking like a beaver or collecting water samples at springs, he is usually found biking, skiing, boating, hiking, etc., in the 4 Corners Region. He lives in Mancos, CO, with his partner Jessica. He feels most in his element when backpacking and has completed hikes of the Appalachian Trail (2013) and Arizona Trail (2015), carrying the trail name “Junco.” He is incredibly grateful to call Mesa Verde home and will forever remain in awe of the Park’s cultural heritage and the wonders found within the landscape.
Click HERE to register for this webinar!
“Conversations from the Mesa” Upcoming Webinars
Stay tuned for our 2022 topics!
Sign up links will be posted on the website and sent out via email typically two weeks before the webinar.
“Conversations from the Mesa” Past Webinars (Click on the links to see the full recording on YouTube!)
Preserving Mesa Verde Architecture: March’s Webinar with Stephen Matt, Mesa Verde National Park Archaeologist
Rare Plants and Wildflowers of Mesa Verde National Park: April’s Webinar with Tova Spector, MVNP’s Chief of Natural Resources
A Postcard Perspective on the History of Mesa Verde: May’s Webinar with Dr. Andrew Gulliford, Professor of History and Environmental Studies at Fort Lewis College and Mesa Verde Foundation Board Member
To Polish or not to Polish?: June’s Webinar with Dr. Tara Travis, Supervisory Museum Curator, Mesa Verde National Park and Yucca House National Monument
How Park Archaeologists Assess and Treat Fire-Affected Cultural Resources (Mesa Verde National Park): July’s Webinar with Christine McAllister, Mesa Verde National Park Archaeologist
Enjoying and Preserving Dark Skies at Mesa Verde National Park: September’s Webinar with Spencer Burke, Mesa Verde National Park Ranger and Visual Information Specialist
Modern Mapping Applications for Cultural Resource Management at Mesa Verde Park: October’s webinar with Sheldon Baker, Compliance Archaeologist and Cultural Resource GIS Specialist at Mesa Verde National Park
The Wildlife of Mesa Verde, a historical and current perspective: Lions, bears and owls oh my!: November’s webinar with Nathan Brown, Biologist/Wildlife Program Lead at Mesa Verde National Park & Yucca House National Monument