During the course of the Fall semester in Interpreting Cultural Landscapes we took several walking field trips around Natchitoches to illustrate points made in class. One of the trips was from the Catholic Cemetery to the main churches in Natchitoches. Another was around a residential block to illustrate the changing dynamic of the urban settlement landscape of the city. We also walked around the NSU campus to look at some of the key historic and cultural landscapes found on campus.

The last field trip was to the American Cemetery in Natchitoches, one of the most historic cemeteries in the region. This field trip was led by Dr. Elizabeth Guin, Associate Professor in the Heritage Resources Program. She gave a fantastic explanation of the landscapes dynamics with the cemetery, and the experience was enjoyed by everyone. And we had a beautiful day to visit this incredibly interesting site. Both graduate and undergraduate students really seemed to enjoy the trip!

The students in Geography 4100/5100 at the American Cemetery. Dr. Guin is fourth from the left.

The class on the move through the cemetery.

Dr. Guin explaining the American Cemetery as a cultural landscape.

Graves in the American Cemetery.

View showing markers, fencing, and other features of this cultural landscape.

Flowers in the American Cemetery help to make this a special cultural landscape.