Every Share Helps!

How many of you wanted to be archaeologists or paleontologists when you were kids? I totally wanted to be both—I was raised on Jurassic Park and my mum actually is an archaeologist. So then I grew up to um…build websites and stuff.

But! If you’re like me, you can take solace in the fact that there are volunteer groups that will let you live out your dream of playing in dirt* and throwing around words like “land bridge” and “Late Glacial Maximum.”

Let’s take a look at a few of them, shall we?

Concordia International Volunteers

While Concordia currently offers three different archaeology projects, we’ll focus on the one in Finland. Seven volunteer slots are available for this program in Yli-li, with accommodation provided in local houses and at a base camp at Kierikki Stone Age Centre.

Volunteers test their survival skills in the Finnish wilderness, learning to fish and handcraft tools needed for daily living. The project focuses on the ancient nomadic way of life; volunteers learn about Stone Age tools, technologies, and hunting and agricultural techniques.

More information about Concordia International Volunteers can be found here.

Passport in Time

Operated by the USDA Forest Service, Passport in Time (PIT) is an archaeological and historic preservation program working throughout the United States. Volunteer programs focus on “archaeological survey and excavation, rock art restoration, survey, archival research, historic structure restoration, oral history gathering, and analysis and curation of artifacts.”

PIT’s Historic Preservation of the Old Clay Mine project in Colorado actively involves volunteers in restoration of the mine for interpretation and educational purposes. Volunteers must be 18 or older, and in good health. Accommodations are provided on a campsite, though volunteers also are welcome to stay in town at a hotel or bed-and-breakfast.

For more information about Passport in Time, click here.

Wyoming State Archaeologist

Volunteers are welcome to work with Wyoming State Archaeologist’s summer field sessions. Professional archaeologists lead volunteers on excavations and surveys that uncover and study human life in Wyoming going back 13,000 years.

For more information about volunteering with Wyoming State Archaeologist, click here.

Wyoming Dinosaur Center

There are two ways to volunteer with the Wyoming Dinosaur Center—the Dig for a Day program and the Volunteer program. Dig for a Day is great for families and groups; volunteers help with excavation, mapping, and documentation. The Volunteer program is for those who have already participated in Dig for a Day and developed the skills necessary to assist with more delicate, long-term work. Volunteers are trained by paleontologists and work regularly with staff.

Click here to learn more about the Wyoming Dinosaur Center.

Images courtesy of Vicky S. and Erik Marr.

*Ok, maybe not playing in dirt. But that’s what we all pictured as kids, right?