Passport in Time
Have you ever fancied yourself an amateur archaeologist? Is there a little Indiana Jones deep down inside of you? Interested in the rich cultural history of North America? Want an excuse to get out into the forests and spend time in nature?
Here's an amazing opportunity I stumbled across on the National Forest Foundation website:
Passport in Time is a program housed within the USDA Forest Service. Its primary function is to provide volunteers an opportunity to work on archaeological and historic preservation projects while providing staffing to those programs in our national forests.
Projects have included archaeological surveys and excavations, rock art restoration, oral history gathering, and analysis and cataloging of artifacts.
Each project has different requirements, though the few I browsed through seemed more concerned with a willingness for the work and the ability to enjoy natural surroundings than with any specific expertise in a given field. Some of the programs are deep in the woods, requiring basic survival experience while others have you staying at hotels near the sites. There is no fee to participate, but you need to cover your own expenses including accommodation and transportation.
This is a great way to get some experience in the field (internships!) or just to have a great time while assisting with American cultural heritage projects. There is a wide variety of programming to choose from, and the projects range all over the US, so there's a high likelihood there's a program out there that would appeal to anyone interested in the concepts of nature and preservation.
Programs run from a few days to a few weeks. It sounds like a great way to spend a weekend, and as certain projects do have room for children (with parental accompaniment), this would be an excellent excuse for a family getaway. Or, with more time on your hands, you could sign up for programs throughout America, jumping from one national forest to the next as you work your way across the country.
For more information, visit the Passport in Time website at http://www.passportintime.com/.
