Annette Spaulding has been a professional diver for decades and has made some truly remarkable discoveries. As water quality in the Connecticut River has improved, Annette has discovered many archeological and historical artifacts in the river. In her program she’ll talk about her dives and research and include underwater

videos. A recent four-hour dive near Sumner Falls yielded a wide variety of interesting objects which she will bring to share. After searching for more than 30 years, Annette rediscovered the Native American petroglyph site known as “Indian Rock” at the confluence of the Connecticut and West Rivers in Brattleboro. She recently completed a two-

year project diving and videotaping below the petroglyphs in Bellow Falls under the Vilas Bridge. The team working on that project included Abenaki Chief Roger Longtoe Sheehan and the historic project is now nationally recognized as a historic cultural spiritual space.   Several months ago, after interviews with fishermen and a fish biologist, it was confirmed by NOAA that short nose sturgeon have returned to the river between Vernon and Bellows Falls for the first time in 115 years. Annette

hopes to prove that sturgeon may exist as far north as the Wilder Dam. She will bring items she has found in the river.

Annette Spaulding