Culturally Peeled Ponderosa Pines in Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve, Mosca, Colorado

Join Park Archeologist Ree Rodgers and explore one of the few living "sites" on the National Register of Historic Places, 5SH1035, is a grove of approximately 72 culturally peeled Ponderosa Pine trees. Also known locally as "Indian Grove" this cluster of trees represents a distinct phase in the history of the San Luis Valley of southern Colorado. We'll discuss what distinguishes these trees as cultural phenomena, the historical context of the site, how they have been studied and by whom, what archaeologists have learned about them, and finally how the park is working to preserve them for future generations.