Northwest

Presentations For Adults

Request A Speaker

FPAN can help facilitate speakers for meetings of your civic group, community organization, youth club, or heritage society, and for lecture series and special events.

Most presentations last about 30-45 minutes with additional time for questions, although programs usually can be tailored for your needs. Specific topics are dependent on speaker availability, so book early! Below are some of the standard talks we give in the region but we are often able to custom make a talk based on your interest. There is no charge for presentations, although donations are gratefully accepted to support FPAN educational programs.

Fill out the “Request A Speaker” form at the top of this page to submit your program request!

Shipwrecks of Northwest Florida

 The Panhandle of Florida is the site of hundreds of historic shipwrecks, the result of centuries of maritime commerce, conflict, and travel!

Shipwrecks of Pensacola

 This presentation describes a variety of Pensacola’s historic shipwrecks from Pensacola’s Spanish, British, early American, and Industrial Expansion periods!

Shipwrecks of the Blackwater River

 A major tributary of Pensacola Bay, the Blackwater River flows through the pine forests and fertile uplands of Santa Rosa and Okaloosa Counties.

San Pablo: The “Secret” Former Life of a Gulf of Mexico Shipwreck

 Discover the incredible history and archaeology of the shipwreck "San Pablo" off Pensacola, Florida!

USS Massachusetts: History and Archaeology of the Nation’s Oldest Battleship

 This presentation describes USS Massachusetts and her long life of service to the nation and to Pensacola.

History is the Real Treasure: The 1733 Spanish Galleon Trail

 This lecture describes a State of Florida project to record and interpret the 1733 fleet that resulted in the production of a booklet and website devoted to telling the story of the fleet disaster.

By Land and Sea: Don Tristán de Luna’s 1559 Colonization Attempt in Pensacola, Florida

 Before the English settled Jamestown and before the Spanish colonized St. Augustine, the harbor of Pensacola, Florida, was targeted by Spanish authorities as the perfect place to establish a town on the northern Gulf Coast.

Museums in the Sea: Florida’s Underwater Archaeological Preserves

 This lecture features Florida’s Museums in the Sea, historic shipwrecks that have been interpreted for divers and snorkelers as a way to educate citizens and visitors about the real treasure of Florida’s shipwrecks – their history.

Diving, Historic Preservation, and Heritage Tourism

 This lecture describes the issues archaeologists face regarding effective management and protection of submerged cultural sites, as well as strategies that have been developed for interpretation and sustainable tourism at underwater archaeological sites.

Our Past in Peril: Florida’s Trouble with Treasure

 This lecture describes Florida’s history of treasure hunting, laws regarding commercial salvage of historic shipwrecks, and the strategies employed by resource managers to protect historic shipwrecks for the present and future and to promote visitation.

Fantastic Archaeology: Florida Frauds, Myths, and Mysteries

 Delve into Florida archaeology by learning what archaeology is, and, importantly, what it is NOT!

Tombstone Tales: Cemeteries, Symbols, and Stories

 This presentation describes the development of the modern cemetery, the kinds of information that can be learned from inscriptions and symbols on markers, the laws protecting historic cemeteries in Florida, and ways to protect them for the future.

Introduction to Archaeology

 Appropriate for all ages, this fun and informative show sets the stage for understanding how archaeology preserves our past for the present and future.

Remote Sensing in Archaeology

 This lecture discusses, in basic terms, the kinds of remote-sensing instruments archaeologists use, both on land and underwater.

Talking Smack: The Sailing Vessels of Pensacola’s Red Snapper Fishing Industry

 This presentation discusses the importance of red snapper fishing to the development of Pensacola and Northwest Florida, in addition to why the industry began and ended so quickly.

Pirates! The Last Scourge of the Gulf

 This talk examines some of the broader aspects of piracy during the early 1800s in the Gulf and Caribbean. It also focuses on the current archaeological evidence for possible pirate ships from this period that wrecked beneath the waters of the Gulf.

Unearthing Florida

 In this presentation, the author of the "Unearthing Florida" radio program will highlight eight different archaeological sites across the state from prehistoric times to the Civil War.

Archaeology of Northwest Florida: A Tour through our Heritage

 This presentation features a virtual tour of the major archaeological discoveries in FPAN's Northwest Region.

Deadman’s Island: Pensacola Bay’s Unique Landform

 Learn about the unique geography of this interesting landform, and why people have used it for thousands of years.

Archaeology of Gulf Islands National Seashore

 The National Park Service's Gulf Islands National Seashore on Santa Rosa Island, Florida, is a jewel of unspoiled natural beauty and rich cultural heritage.