Sedona AZ (June 4, 2014) – Keep Sedona Beautiful’s Speaker Series ends its 2013-2014 season Wednesday, June 11 at 5:30 pm with a program featuring Nicole Branton, Red Rock District Ranger of the Coconino National Forest.
Branton’s talk will focus on the State of the Red Rock District, the Slide Fire and her impressions of the issues we are facing together.
The evening includes complimentary appetizers donated by El Rincon Restaurante Mexicano and refreshments provided by Keep Sedona Beautiful (KSB).
Originally from an urban setting in St. Louis, Missouri, Ranger Branton discovered her passion for forest lands as an adult earning her degree in Anthropology at the University of Southern Illinois in Edwardsville. Inspired by a lecture given by a Forest Service Archaeologist describing the ancient sites found on exploratory trips into the wilderness areas of Utah, Branton’s first experience was working as an unpaid intern for the Ashley National Forest searching out and recording ancient sites. After working for the Illinois Transportation Archaeology Project through the University of Illinois, and for private archaeology companies in Tucson, she then attended graduate school at the University of Arizona in Tucson where she earned her Master’s Degree and then a Doctorate in Anthropology.
Branton’s first permanent posting as a U.S. Forest Service Archaeologist was on the Coronado National Forest in Southeastern Arizona, then serving for the next 12 years on the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National Grassland as Forest Archaeologist. She became the new Red Rock District Ranger earlier this year.
Keep Sedona Beautiful welcomes the community and visitors alike to its monthly Preserving the Wonder™ Speaker Series, which takes place at its historic Pushmataha Center on 360 Brewer Road in Sedona.
Held the second Wednesday of each month from September to June, KSB’s Speaker Series presents an interesting diversity of programs relevant to the unique environment of our region. Keep Sedona Beautiful, Inc. is a nonprofit organization that, by acting through the stewardship of its members and volunteers, is committed to protecting and sustaining the unique scenic beauty and natural environment of the Greater Sedona Area. For more information about Keep Sedona Beautiful, please call 928.282.4938, or visit http://www.keepsedonabeautiful.org/.