Newswise — Gardeners and Green Thumbs are invited to join Earthwatch research projects located in the U.S. this summer. Two of the projects are within driving distance of Washington D.C., one near San Francisco, and one project in New Orleans will be great fodder for What I Did This Summer tales.
"¢ In Washington, D.C.,Earthwatch volunteers can go behind the scenes at the world-famous Smithsonian Institution to search through plant samples at the U. S. National Herbarium. This ethno-botany project reconstructs uses of plants"whether medicinal, ceremonial or material-over the past 200 years. Among the nearly five million plant specimens are some species used by Native Americans. The Earthwatch project, led by Rusty Russell and John Kress, takes advantage of Smithsonian resources "both unparalleled and untapped." Results of this research will be made available to anyone interested in science and culture, and become part of a larger project sponsored by the National Museum of Natural History entitled "Plants and People."
While most Earthwatch projects take people off the beaten path, into rainforests, deserts, and underwater, this project is located in Washington, D.C.'s National Mall, alongside many other Smithsonian Museums, all with free admission, and within walking distance. Also on the Mall are the National Gallery of Art, the Washington Monument, the US Botanic Garden and the impressive Capitol Building. Because the Earthwatch research project is only five days long, volunteers participating in this Earthwatch project can add a couple of days' stay to further explore the nation's capital, with its excellent underground Metro for transportation.
"¢ Not far from the capital, in the heart of Virginia's historic piedmont region, Earthwatch volunteers can dig into the nation's past, unearthing details of James Madison's Montpelier estate.
How apt to explore the home of this founding father, who insisted the phrase "an informed citizenry" be included in the constitution. Informed citizens are the hallmark of the Earthwatch Institute, founded 35 years ago to support scientific projects by recruiting citizen scientists, who in turn gain hands-on education. At Madison's estate, Earthwatch volunteers will help excavate, sort and identify artifacts and botanical remains from the front yard of James and Dolly Madison's estate. "Our research on the mansion landscape represents some of the most exciting archaeology carried out at Montpelier to date," explains Dr. Matthew Reeves; "On the Montpelier expedition, you will be among a staff of highly trained and motivated archaeologists and have a chance to work on one of the best preserved sites of the founding fathers." By retracing the fourth U.S. president's experiments in landscaping, travelers can point with pride that their research provided information that will help restore the estate.
Earthwatch volunteers need not be master gardeners; enthusiasm and an interest in learning are far more important qualifications. Founded 35 years ago, the mission of this unique volunteer organization is to engage people worldwide in scientific field research and education and promote the understanding and action necessary for a sustainable environment.
Other Earthwatch projects that do not require international flights:
"¢ San Francisco: study sea otters and bottlenose dolphins near Monterey Bay.
Help Dr. Daniela Maldini and Dr. Thomas Jefferson gather data on these species to monitor their environment, and to contribute to sound management strategies for the rich coastal ecosystem of Monterey Bay. Your days will be spent cruising the channels of Elkhorn Slough, the second largest wetland along the California coast, looking for sea otters. In Monterey Bay's blue waters, look for bottlenose dolphins and other marine mammals, including humpback whales.
Not far from Detroit, Earthwatch has a Wolf & Moose project that takes fuel economy a step further, with no electricity at the camp.
"¢ Hike through the most remote national park in the lower 48 with an Earthwatch team on Isle Royale National Park, located in Lake Superior, about 17 miles southeast of Grand Portage, Minnesota and about 45 miles north of Copper Harbor, Michigan.
Established in 1931, Isle Royale is the least-visited National Park in the US outside of Alaska. Working on an Earthwatch project led by Dr. Rolf Peterson, Earthwatch volunteers sleep in tents and do not have access to electrical power during the expedition. Wildlife includes moose, beaver, red fox, river otter, a wide variety of northern warblers, thrushes, osprey and bald eagle. Wolves are avoided, but all signs of wolves (and their howlings) are closely monitored, and moose bones are collected by volunteers as part of the research. Results of this ground-breaking research, focusing on the predator prey dynamics of wolves and moose, helped turn around attitudes towards wolves.
This project is for the physically fit, but rewards include stumbling across splendid orchid species, and listening to loons on the lake. Despite the rough going, one volunteer, Lynda Thompson, has signed up for this particular Earthwatch project four times in ten years. "I love the place, the people, the project, the learning, the gifts," Thompson reflects; "The leaving gets harder every time."
For more information http://www.earthwatch.org
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