CA-3712
May 5-9, 2008
Must commit to full session
Chilao Flats is located in the San Gabriel Mountains east of Los Angeles at an elevation of 5,000 feet. The project will entail archaeological excavation at a late prehistoric residential site. Surface artifacts include late prehistoric projectile points, lithic debitage, manos, metates, midden soil, bedrock mortars, and cupules.
Volunteers will work with FS archaeologists to excavate the site. Duties will include digging with a trowel or shovel, screening the dirt, mapping, photographing, and preparing drawings of soil profiles, features, and artifacts. The excavation site is located approximately half a mile from the campground. Good physical condition is suggested.
Number of openings: 3
Special skills: Must be in good physical condition, able to hike ½ a mile from the camp to the site and perform physical labor; previous archaeological experience helpful, but not required
Minimum age: 18 years old
Facilities: Free camping at Chilao campground, tents and self- contained RVs up to 28 feet; toilets at campground, showers at fire barrack, no electricity, no potable water; volunteers responsible for personal camping gear, food, and drinking water
Nearest towns: La Canada Flintridge, 26 miles
Applications due: March 3, 2008
CA-3718
May 19–23, 2008
Must commit to full session
The foothills of the Sierra Pelona Mountains in northern Los Angeles County have an extensive prehistoric and historic past. Archaeologists have identified a number of seasonal prehistoric habitation and resource exploitation sites. Historically, the region witnessed the arrival of the Spanish, the historic ranchos, homesteading, and later use for back country hunting and camping, extensive mining, and (more recently) extensive motorized recreation.
Between 2006 and 2007, two large fires opened up visibility in the area, which is providing a unique opportunity to discover more archaeological sites within these burn areas. Volunteers, under the direction of Angeles National Forest archaeologists, will survey portions of the two large burned areas to identify and record previously unidentified prehistoric and historic sites.
Number of openings: 5
Special skills: Must be moderately fit, able to walk 2–4 miles per day on uneven terrain in varying conditions
Minimum age: 18 years old
Facilities: The project is located only a few miles north of the greater Los Angeles Basin, volunteers may camp or stay in motels and commute
Nearest towns: Santa Clarita, 10 miles; Acton, 10 miles; Castaic, 10 miles
Applications due: March 17, 2008
CA-3736
June 22-26, 2008 (including Sunday)
Must commit to full session
"Weaving Connections" provides an opportunity for the public to interact with traditional basketweavers in a five day camp-out. Volunteers will gather and process basketry materials and be introduced to basic basketweaving skills. Volunteers will also assist in the restoration and enhancement of beargrass habitat, a plant important in traditional basketweaving. The partners in this undertaking are the Bureau of Land Management’s Sacramento, Arcata, and King Range offices, the San Francisco Bay Area Urban Indian Basketweavers, Bear River Band of Rohnerville Rancheria, and the California Department of Transportation. The project will take place within the King Range National Conservation Area along the Pacific coast of northwestern California. Join us for this very exciting Bureau of Land Management PIT project!
Number of openings:20
Special skills: Must be able to work and interact with people of different cultural backgrounds
Minimum age: Under 18 with a responsible adult
Facilities: Volunteers will camp in an established campground, vault toilets and sun showers; all meals and beverages will be provided
Nearest towns: Project is located in the King Range National Conservation Area near Whitethorn, CA; Shelter Cove, 5 miles; Garberville, 25 miles; Eureka, 90 miles
Applications due: April 20, 2008
CA-3710
May 5-9; 12-16, 2008
Must commit to full session; may participate in both
The Laguna Mountains area of Cleveland National Forest has the greatest concentration of known archaeological sites on the forest. Most of the sites were located in the early 1980s and were mapped using basic compass-and-map methods. Many people visit the Laguna Mountains every year, and as a result the sites can be damaged inadvertently or simply loved to death. For the fifth year in a row, PIT volunteers and Forest Service archaeologists will survey the areas around Laguna Meadow; relocate, photograph, and map the sites using global positioning system (GPS) units; document the sites’ current conditions; and update site records.
The resulting documentation will allow the FS to more accurately track the effect of continued use of this area on fragile archaeological resources. The project will be based at various locations throughout the Laguna Mountain Recreation Area.
Number of openings:12
Special skills: Must be in good physical condition, willing to work in a wildland area under a variety of weather conditions; archaeological experience helpful, but not required
Minimum age: 18 years old
Facilities: Forest Service barracks with kitchens and bathrooms with toilets, sinks, and showers
Nearest towns: Alpine, 30 miles; El Cajon, 45 miles; San Diego, 60 miles
Applications due: March 3, 2008
CA-3782
September 8-12, 2008
Must commit to full session
The Historic Carson-Mormon Trail, an important Trans-Sierra emigrant route and National Historic Trail, runs through the Eldorado National Forest, but not all segments have been identified and documented yet. We need volunteers to assist the Forest Service archaeologists in ground-truthing a 5-mile long segment of the trail along Iron Mountain Road from Highway 88 and Brown Rock, a landmark mentioned in emigrant diaries from the 19th century. Additional segments of trail may be added to the project as work progresses.
We will use metal detectors to find 19th century artifacts that denote trail routes, record trail segments using GPS, verify trail segments using the historic trail classification system developed by the Oregon California Trails Association (OCTA), and record features and artifact locations along the trail.
In addition to the trail verification, members of OCTA have expressed interest in performing a test excavation of a cultural rock feature located along a previously verified segment of trail. This rock pile may be the remnants of a trading post as indicated in numerous diary entries about trading posts along the trail, however, no conclusive proof of this has yet surfaced. Excavating a portion of the rock feature and testing the area surrounding the feature may produce archaeological evidence that will finally reveal the feature's historic use.
Number of openings:20
Special skills: Experience using metal detectors, archaeological field experience, and ability to identify 19th century artifacts helpful but not required. Please bring a metal detector if you own one and indicate on your application if you will do so.
Minimum age: 10 years old; under 18 with a responsible adult
Facilities: Forest Service and non-Forest Service campgrounds, pit toilets and water, no showers; volunteers responsible for personal camping equipment and food; lodging available in Kirkwood, Pioneer, and Jackson
Nearest towns: Kirkwood, 12 miles; Pioneer, 24 miles; Pine Grove, 48 miles; Jackson, 57 miles
Applications due: July 7, 2008
CA-3781
September 15–19; October 6–10, 2008
Must commit to full 1 session; may participate in both
This survey project area is located in Long Valley in the beautiful eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains. Long Valley stretches from the town of Mammoth Lakes along Hwy 395 east to the Glass Mountains and commands spectacular views of the Sierras. The earliest evidence of human habitation dates to about 13,000 years ago. The prehistoric site types range from obsidian tool making workshops to seasonal hunting and piñon pine collecting camps with rock art.
Livestock grazing has occurred in the area for nearly 150 years, yet there has been little analysis of how this activity has affected archaeological sites. The purpose of this project will be to survey and record specified areas and analyze whether grazing is impacting prehistoric archaeological sites. We will also visit important seasonal village sites located in high impact areas and document their condition.
This is a great opportunity to experience the variety of prehistoric sites located in the Long Valley as well as gain some valuable field archaeology skills including identification of sites, compass use, navigation with topographic maps, use of global positioning system (GPS) units, and an overview of cultural resource management on public lands.
Number of openings: 4
Special skills: Must be in good physical condition able to hike at least 5 miles per day at elevations from 6,500 to 10,200 feet above sea level in a variety of weather conditions; archaeological survey and mapping experience helpful but not required
Minimum age: 18 years old
Facilities: Free camping at Big Springs Campground, pit toilets, volunteers responsible for personal camping equipment, food, and water; FS barracks at Crestview or Mammoth Lakes may be available; transportation provided from camp to project areas
Nearest towns: Mammoth Lakes, 10 miles; June Lake, 10 miles; Lee Vining, 15 miles
Applications due: July 14, 2008
CA-3764
August 11–15, 2008
Must commit to full session
The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) is considered the most ambitious of FDR's New Deal programs for its large scope and far reaching impacts. On the Klamath National Forest, the ‘CCC boys' constructed much of the Forest's existing infrastructure. Known primarily for the structures they built (e.g. lookouts and work centers), the CCC also built roads, bridges, campgrounds, corrals and fence lines; improved wells and water holes; installed telephone lines; fought fires and planted trees. Unfortunately, many of the camps in which the CCC crews lived, have been minimally documented and have suffered greatly from deterioration and vandalism.
Volunteers will work with archaeologists to locate and document the various features of Camp Leaf near the hamlet of Bray, CA and one of its associated spike camps at Little Shasta Meadow in the Cascade Range of northern California. We will conduct pedestrian surveys through both sites using metal detectors and GPS, and photograph and record the features and diagnostic artifacts we find at these sites. If time allows, we will also conduct a pedestrian survey between the spike camp at Little Shasta Meadow and the Ball Mt. Lookout (built by the CCC in 1940) to document the road and telephone line the CCCs built from the spike camp to service the lookout.
Number of openings:12
Special skills: Archaeological experience helpful but not required; please bring a metal detector if you have one
Minimum age: 12 years old; under 18 with a responsible adults
Facilities: Tent and self-contained RV camping at Martin's Dairy, Juanita Lake, and Shafter Campgrounds, vault toilets, tables, grills, running water; dispersed camping at project locations; hotels and motels in Weed, Mt. Shasta and Klamath Falls
Nearest towns: Weed, CA, 45 miles; Mt. Shasta, CA, 50 miles; Klamath Falls, OR, 50 miles
Applications due: June 9, 2008
CA-3709
Session I: May 19 - June 23; Session II: June 24 - July 27; Session III: July 28 - September 2; Session IV: September 3 - October 10, 2008 (including weekends)
Must commit to one full session; may participate in more
The Tallac Historic Site on the south shore of Lake Tahoe is reminiscent of the period of opulence and luxury in the late 19th, early 20th century. This is the area Mark Twain said “has the air that angles breathe.” Tallac was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. It consists of 153 acres with three large summer estates including 28 remaining structures dating from 1884–1923, and the archaeological remains of a resort/casino complex. One of the estates is managed as a museum, one entertains tours and programming, and the third is a community events center. Over the past ten years the Site has grown to over 100,000 annual visitors mostly in July and August.
We encourage your participation now more than ever. There are many ways to help. Some volunteers take part in the continued preservation, restoration, and maintenance of structures, grounds, artifacts, and machinery. Others prefer providing tours. Still others assist in a variety of museum related activities including staffing or behind the scenes projects. Master and amateur gardeners love the heritage and demonstration gardens. Those with special interests are often drawn to the restoration of a lake steamer known as the Quic-chakidn. There is really something for everyone with a commitment, at any level of skill or interest.
Minimum requirement for all volunteers is 32 hours a week (4-eight hour days).
Number of openings: 20
Special skills: Carpentry, masonry, roofing, and interpretation helpful, but not required
Minimum age: 18 years old
Facilities: An RV site with full hook-up or a site with electricity, water, and a dump caddy is provided to volunteers in exchange for volunteer hours; laundry facilities available at both sites and a P.O. Box is provided for mailing needs
Nearest towns: South Lake Tahoe, 2.5 miles
Applications due: Session I: March 17, 2008; Session II: April 21, 2008; Session III: May 26, 2008; Session IV: June 30, 2008
CA-3739
June 16-20, 2008
Three days; may commit to more
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During the 1870s, the rapid growth and development of California towns and cities radically increased the need for construction lumber. California mountain forests proved to provide some of the best lumber sources. With few roads accessing the mountain areas, elaborate flume systems, including Tehama County’s 42 mile long Blue Ridge Flume, were created to carry the cut lumber from the mountains to valley centers for distribution. Flume tenders lived along key spots. Following abandonment the flume system, many were dismantled, but vestiges exist. Today, interpretive mapping across the Bureau of Land Management’s Bend Area of Critical Environmental Concern is proposed.
The work will concentrate on 12 lowland miles of flume along the Sacramento River near Red Bluff. Using metal detectors, volunteers will assist archaeologists with artifact recovery and feature definition. These efforts will contribute to a better understanding of the flume construction and of maintenance worker facilities and lifeways, and ultimately provide information for future interpretive efforts.
We will visit and document historic and prehistoric sites in the vicinity, as time permits. Access to one area may necessitate river raft travel.
Number of openings: 12
Special skills: Must be able to walk several miles a day in hot weather over rocky and hilly terrain; please note on the application if you own and can bring a personal metal detector
Minimum age: 12 years old; under 18 with a responsible adult
Facilities: Primitive camping, toilets and sun showers provided; volunteers responsible for personal camping equipment and food
Nearest towns: Red Bluff, 5 miles; Redding; 20 miles from Redding
Applications due: April 14, 2008
CA-3706
April 20-25; April 27-May 2, 2008 (including Sundays)
Must commit to one full session; may participate in both
Archaeologists from both the San Bernardino and the Angeles National Forests will combine their time and talents to lead an archaeological investigation at the Transverse Mountain foothills that face the Mojave Desert. Volunteers will assist with subsurface examinations of prehistoric heated rock food cooking facilities that are commonly referred to as “earth ovens” or “roasting pits.” These structures were used by desert-margin groups to process yucca and other foods during an approximate 8000 year span of prehistory. Excavation-related activities will include retrieval of carbonized organic specimens suitable for radiocarbon dating, macrobotanical analysis, and other specialized studies.
Number of openings: 5 per session
Special skills: Previous archaeological experience helpful, but not required
Minimum age: 18 years old
Facilities: Participants will be based at a Forest Service barracks with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, living room, kitchen (with microwave, stove, and refrigerators), and laundry facilities. The barracks will accommodate four participants (two per bedroom) during each session. Others will sleep in their own trailers, campers, or motor homes at an adjacent paved parking area.
Nearest towns: Village of Wrightwood, 3 miles; Victorville, 35 miles miles; Palmdale, 35 miles
Applications due: February 17, 2008
CA-3760
July 14–18, 2008
Must commit to full session
This award winning project is a joint endeavor between the Six Rivers National Forest and the Karuk Indigenous Basketweavers, working in partnership with the Karuk Tribe of California, the California Department of Transportation, and the Bureau of Land Management. Volunteers will assist traditional basketweavers in collecting and processing basketry materials. We will also spend a day preparing an area for the Fall burning of bear grass. Besides basket weaving, other activities will include learning about indigenous forest management practices and then removing non-native vegetation, visiting various cultural areas in the forest, storytelling, and a demonstration Brush Dance. The basketweavers will prepare all meals outdoors, which will include traditional foods such as acorn soups and salmon. California tribes are world known for the quality of their baskets. Join us for 5 days of collecting and processing basketry materials, weaving, eating traditional foods, and sitting around the campfire swapping stories. This will be a unique cultural experience for all of us as we interact with traditional Native American basketweavers and gain insights into indigenous cultural values and activities.
Number of openings: 25
Special skills: Must be willing to work and interact with people of different cultural backgrounds
Minimum age: 5 years old; under 18 with a responsible adult
Facilities: Primitive camping with the basketweavers in a remote, beautiful location; meals, water, ice, chemical toilets, and solar showers provided; small general store and public phone in Orleans
Nearest towns:Orleans, 5 miles; Willow Creek, 40 miles; Eureka, 80 miles
Applications due: May 12, 2008
CA-3759
August 4–9; 11–16, 2008 (including Saturdays)
Must commit to full session; may participate in both
The barn at the historic Fahey Cow Camp has suffered some indignities over the years and we intend to right some of those wrongs. We’ve already begun the process by internally bracing the structure and removing one of the offending lean-tos at the south gable end. Next (and this is where we need your help) we need to finish the stabilization process and restore the barn. We’ll remove the second lean-to, excavate the soil away from three sides of the structure, and screen the soil for archaeological materials. To restore the barn, we’ll replace unsound exterior boards and battens, interior rotted framing, and possibly replace the sill logs. Top it all off, we will apply a new coat of shakes on the roof and gable ends.
If you’ve worked with us before, in the restoration of the cabin at the Fahey Cow Camp, you’ll remember the setting as idyllic, situated in a meadow on the banks of Wrights Creek and shaded by a crescent of pine trees. If you haven’t worked with us before, here’s your chance to participate in the restoration of a late-19th-century cow camp, a site that embodies the grazing lifeway in California’s Sierra Nevada mountain range, a lifeway that continues to this day.
Number of openings:10
Special skills: Carpentry experience helpful but not required
Minimum age: 16 years old; under 18 with a responsible adult
Facilities: Campgrounds in the immediate vicinity, tent or RV camping, potable water and vault toilets; motels, restaurants, and grocery stores in Twain Harte, Sonora, and Jamestown, resources also in smaller communities along the Highway 108
Nearest towns: Twain Harte, 14 miles; Sonora, 25 miles; Jamestown, 30 miles
Applications due: June 2, 2008
CA-3741
June 16–20, 2008
Must commit to full session
Located at 6,200 feet in the Sierra Nevadas, Baker Station, built by the California Department of Transportation in 1930 as a remote maintenance station, included a bunkhouse, social hall, worker’s cabin, foreman’s cabin, supervisor’s cabin, a cookhouse, men’s bath house, woman’s bath house, generator house (blacksmith), and a water heater building. Baker Station is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the historic buildings now serve as the High Sierra Learning Institute in partnership with the Yosemite Community College District.
The buildings are in need of some tender loving care to preserve their historic nature. We need your help to prepare, prime, and paint eight buildings in an effort to return them to their historic colors. After the day’s work, participants will be treated to talks and other activities highlighting the history of the area.
Number of openings: 20
Special skills: Experience removing old paint, climbing ladders, and painting with rollers and brushes helpful but not required
Minimum age: 18 years old
Facilities: Accommodations for up to 18 at the historic Baker Station barracks, full kitchen, bathroom with showers; others will camp on-site and have access to the station for kitchen and bathroom facilities; volunteers responsible for personal camping gear including bedding for the barracks, and food
Nearest towns: Strawberry, 23 miles
Applications due: April 14, 2008