This past spring, the Florida Museum Randell Research Center (RRC) hosted a two-part lecture series, paired with volunteer enrichment and training workshops. This year, the series were designed to present regionally relevant scientific topics — including coastal archaeology, history, and community resilience — to both members of the Friends of the Randell Research Center and the general public and engage the RRC Volunteers. I was honored to be invited as a speaker for the 2025 Lecture and Workshop Series at the Calusa Heritage Trail.
During my talk titled “From Excavation to Preservation: How Environmental Archaeology Brings the Past to Life”, I shared insights into my role as the Collections Manager of the Environmental Archaeology Program at the Florida Museum, emphasizing the importance of museum collections, stewardship, and my own research collaborations in coastal archaeology. The accompanying workshop, co-led by me and RRC Director Michelle LeFebvre, gave volunteers the opportunity to sort animal remains, or zooarchaeological remains, from an actual archaeological site, using modern comparative skeletal collections from the FM Environmental Archaeology Program to identify bone fragments and interpret the assemblage. This hands-on experience demonstrated how archaeologists collect data, the types of questions we can answer using zooarchaeological methods specifically, and how such research contributes to our understanding of the past. This experience was mutually enriching—both for the volunteers, who gained new skills and perspectives, and for us as researchers, who benefited from sharing our work with engaged and curious participants.
My connection to the Florida Museum dates back to my undergraduate years at the University of Florida in the early 2000s, where I began as an intern training in zooarchaeology, or the study of animal remains in the archaeological record. Early in my career, I worked with collections from Pineland! Supervised by Karen Walker, I performed zooarchaeological analyses on bone and shell assemblages excavated by the RRC. That work initiated my first visit to the center on Pine Island and introduced me to the archaeology of the Calusa. Prior to this spring, however, it had been nearly 20 years since I had set foot on Pine Island and visited the RRC.
A lot has changed in that time. The island has endured repeated impacts from hurricanes and both the local community and the RRC have been engaged in ongoing rebuilding efforts. During my first visit around 2003, I helped plant trees in the parking lot at the entrance of the RRC. A year later, Hurricane Charley removed them. More recently, multiple hurricanes have left their mark on the landscape, yet the resilience and dedication of the community remains. During the 2025 season, those traveling to Pine Island for the lectures and workshops had to navigate the only roadway to the island, still under construction from the damage caused by Hurricane Ian, enduring traffic jams in and out of the island. However, what had not changed, was how clearly the RRC staff, volunteers, and supporting community care about the continued stewardship of Pineland and what it offers to Pine Island, southwest Florida, and the greater state.
The day after my lecture, I had the opportunity to attend Dr. LeFebvre’s public talk at the Tribby Arts Center at Shell Point. Titled “More than what’s below the surface: What hurricane impacts to archaeological sites in southwest Florida are teaching us about cultural heritage and resilience in the present,” her lecture emphasized the global influence of Calusa heritage in understanding the archaeology of past fisherfolk, and in the preservation and protection of coastal archaeological sites facing threats from weather events such as hurricanes. Most notably, she emphasized how the RRC has been working to connect archaeology, heritage stewardship, and community restoration in the wake of recent hurricanes across Pine Island and South Florida region. Her message resonated with me and the audience—collaborations between scientists and local communities don’t just advance archaeological practice; they turn research into meaningful action.
I am grateful for the opportunity to have contributed to the RRC this spring. Beyond sharing my passion for archaeology with the RRC and members of the public, it was clear to me how steadfast the RRC has been for over 25 years in realizing the Florida Museum’s vision to “inspire people to care about life on Earth and help shape a world in which nature and culture enrich every person.” After the workshop in particular, several volunteers expressed their appreciation for opportunities to interact with scientists, noting that experiences like these make them feel like a part of the Florida Museum community.
The RRC truly is a hub for meaningful and dynamic public education and programing. I am excited for the future of the center and hope that the Florida Museum’s Environmental Archaeology Program will have the opportunity to play a role in its ongoing efforts to build connections between archaeology, stewardship, and the public.
Nicole Fuller is the Florida Museum’s Environmental Archaeology Collection Manager.