Brian Beauvais

Park County Archives Curator Brian Beauvais will present the next Draper Natural History Museum Lunchtime Expedition on Thursday, March 5. The free program — titled, “Sportsmen, Market-hunters, and Game-hogs: The Early Years of Wildlife Conservation in Park County” — begins at 12:15 p.m. in the Buffalo Bill Center of the West’s Coe Auditorium.

In his talk, Beauvais will discuss the historical development of early wildlife conservation in the county.

“Following the removal of the buffalo, and heavy market hunting in the late 19th century, the surviving game populations in northwest Wyoming were at an all-time low,” he said. After witnessing the decline firsthand, many early settlers realized the necessity of protecting the diminishing herds before it was too late.

The presentation explores what followed — a combination of efforts by local citizens and officials from the fledgling Wyoming Game and Fish Department to save the remaining wildlife from complete annihilation.

Beauvais has a master’s degree in history and is currently working toward a master of library science degree. He is also a member of the Park County Historic Preservation Commission. In his spare time, Beauvais loves to explore the historic geography of Park County.

The Draper Natural History Museum Lunchtime Expedition series is supported in part by Sage Creek Ranch and the Nancy-Carroll Draper Foundation. Talks in the series take place the first Thursday of each month from February through December. On April 2, Shannon Barber-Meyer discusses wolf and deer research in Minnesota’s Superior National Forest and why it’s significant

For more information on the March 5 talk, visit centerofthewest.org/event/lunchtime-expedition-history-conservation.