Outdoor Conversations is SBFC’s presentation and lecture series focused on different aspects of wilderness and the outdoors.
Join us for an evening of conversation with Forest Service Archaeologist, Michael Wanzenried.
The World in a Can: An Archaeologist's Perspective is a unique presentation exploring the diverse and fascinating history of aluminum cans and their impact on our outdoor environment.
Delve into how the first impenetrable cans, which had to be hammered or chiseled open, evolved through technological advances that now predict the disappearance of outdoor can dumps within the next 30-50 years. Discover Idaho's transition from fresh to canned foods, highlighted by the first advertisement for a can in the 1865 Idaho Statesman, and explore the typology of cans, including the iconic beer can. The presentation will conclude with a Q&A session, offering resources for those keen to learn more about this intriguing topic.
*We are partnering with the Heartland Hunger & Resource Center for this month’s presentation. Please bring a canned good (or other nonperishable item, toiletry, etc.) to share with our neighbors in need.
Michael wanzenried
Michael Wanzenried lives in Boise but is originally from western Montana. Although he spent the first twenty-some years of his life as ‘outdoorsy,’ it was two seasons with a youth conservation corps that instilled in him a greater appreciation for being outside that went beyond recreational hiking and camping. These experiences led him to pursue a career in archaeology. Since graduating from the University of Montana with an MA in anthropology/archaeology in 2010, he has been conducting cultural resource investigations for private, state, and federal outfits in Montana, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and Alaska.