Saturday, April 19, 2025, 10:00AM-3:00PM at Gough Park in Silver City,NM: celebrate Earth Day, hosted by the Continental Divide Trail Days/Continental Divide Trail Coalition, at the GCAS educational booth. We're asking for 3 or more GCAS members to help set up, run, and/or close out our booth during this event. Volunteer for a couple hours or all day. No experience necessary to show the public what the GCAS does - we'll have plenty of brochures, games, and selected artifacts on display as well as used books for sale to support our GCAS library. Contact Marianne by email or telephone/text to 772-529-2627 to offer your help!

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The next several weeks are chock-full of archaeologically flavored events and activities, and one of them offers an opportunity for you (yes, you!) to help introduce local schoolchildren to experience hands-on education in ancient pottery techniques:

Friday, September 27, 2024, 9:30AM to 12:00PM Noon at the WNMU Museum in Silver City: the San Lorenzo Elementary School's 4th and 5th grade classes, guided by the GCAS's own Marilyn Markel, visit the WNMU Museum for a morning or education and activities, immediately followed by a pizza lunch for the kids and all other participants in a nearby outdoor area. Marilyn Markel is seeking two volunteers to help at the Museum and to enjoy a slice of pizza afterwards. Please telephone Marilyn directly at 575-536-9337 to help out and for extra details.

The next several weeks are chock-full of archaeologically flavored events and activities on two different days offer an opportunity for you (yes, you!) to help introduce local schoolchildren to experience hands-on education in ancient pottery techniques:

Wednesday, September 25, 2024, 2 sessions at 12:15PM and again at 2:00PM, at San Lorenzo Elementary School in San Lorenzo: Marilyn Markel is seeking volunteers to help San Lo's 3d through 5th grade classes in a fun and educational pottery program. Please telephone Marilyn directly at 575-536-9337 with the time you can help the school and for program details.

Now's the chance for anyone interested in becoming a SiteWatch volunteer to step up!

SiteWatch coordinator Jessica Badner would like to come to our area on Feb. 4-5 for site steward training. If you know someone that wants to be a site steward please have them call Marilyn Markel as soon as possible at 575-536-9337. Marilyn advises that we need  about 12 people to sign up to have the training. If those dates do not work SiteWatch may schedule the training for mid February or try to do a ZOOM training.

Marilyn Markel advises us that the annual SiteWatch conference is to be held on March 2, 2024, at the Los Luceros Historic Site near Santa Fe. Watch the GCAS website for details as they develop, or check with the web page for SiteWatch New Mexico.

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The GCAS is starting 2024 the right way, with three new board members and six returning board members. Please welcome Eduardo Arguello, Valerie McCaffrey, and Dena Pinson, who will join Gary Barnett, Marilyn Gendron, William Hudson, Marilyn Markel, Kathryn McCarroll, and Marianne Smith in making the policy and day to day business decisions that keep the GCAS going.

Board projects for 2024 include updating our GCAS Bylaws to better comply with current state and federal law; organizing a calendar of program speakers, field trips, and special events; and assessing how we might help other local preservation-oriented groups with their own projects. We hope 2024 is as auspicious for all our readers as it promises to be for our members. Join us as we move forward!

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People, WE NEED YOUR HELP! Please step up to fill one of the following upcoming vacancies so that the GCAS can keep moving forward with out programs and events. Email Marianne at [email protected] or call her at 772-529-2627 to get details of the activity you aim to take on. It doesn't even have to be one of the following; use your imagination for how you want to contribute to the oldest continuously operating archaeological club in New Mexico!

No experience necessary for any position – we will show you the ropes and provide you with the materials you need to make it work:

Beginning November 25-26, 2023, and continuing into Spring 2024: David Greenwald of the Jornada Research Institute has announced that JRI's excavations will resume at Creekside Village in the Tularosa NM area. Contact Dave Greenwald beforehand to secure his approval to participate, then meet at the wye in Tularosa (junction of US 54/70: the abandoned gas station) at 9:00 AM on November 25 and/or November 26 to carpool to the site. The group plans to focus on the pithouse they have been working on to perhaps remove the last of the fill from the NE quarter of it during these two days in November.  They plan to continue work at Creekside Village until late April ’24 or early May ’24 over most weekends (Greenwald's schedule and weather permitting). Once you are properly vetted, bring a lunch, water layered clothing, gloves, hat, and dust cover. For more details, email Dave Greenwald directly.

Any GCAS members who participate in this opportunity, please let us know so we can follow your progress!

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And now, a message from your GCAS president: WE NEED YOUR HELP! Please step up to fill one of the following upcoming vacancies so that the GCAS can keep moving forward with out programs and events. Email Marianne at [email protected] or call her at 772-529-2627 for details of the activity you aim to take on. It doesn't even have to be one of the following; use your imagination for how you want to contribute to the oldest continuously operating archaeological club in New Mexico!

No experience necessary for any position – we will show you the ropes and provide you with the materials you need to make it work:

It's been a busy month, going from September into October. Set aside these remaining October dates for archaeological action leading into the Halloween holiday:

Do any GCAS members have ideas for good community projects for us to pursue? We need to hear from you!

Tuesday, October 31, 2023,  is the DEADLINE for a special grant application the GCAS can use: The Site Steward Foundation is offering two $1,000 grant awards in 2023 to individuals and organizations for funding projects supporting the preservation, education, and research of archaeological and cultural resources in New Mexico. The purpose of the H. Wayne Nelson grant program is to encourage and support professionals, students, and volunteers in the fields of archaeology, anthropology, and cultural resource management. The grant application will be evaluated based on the project’s critical need and proposed outcome, including community impact, benefits, and feasibility.

We need motivated GCAS members to tell us how they would like our group to proceed to help our community.

The H. Wayne Nelson grant application deadline is October 31, 2023, with the grant award date by December 31, 2023. Please let the GCAS know how you can help move our group forward, and  email Gary Newgent to request a grant application form.

Thank you for helping!

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