September has arrived. It’s the time of year when many people return to classrooms and get ready for the school year ahead. It’s also a great time to reflect on ongoing educational partnerships and the year-round learning that takes place out of the classroom.
Beginning in summer of 2018, students from the University of Mary Washington participated in a field school to document two cultural landscapes at Prince William Forest Park, Cabin Camp 2 and Cabin Camp 4. The Cabin Camps at Prince William Forest Park were developed in the 1930s as part of the Recreation Demonstration Area program.
The typical four-person sleeping cabin in Cabin Camp 2 at Prince William Forest Park (NPS).
Over several weeks, the students documented existing conditions of landscape features. In addition to the hands-on experience, their documentation will be used to complete Cultural Landscape Inventory (CLI) reports, which are an important tool for the continued management of park cultural landscapes.
The outcomes and lessons learned by the National Park Service, UMW faculty, and students helped shape the 2019 field season and will serve as a model for future iterations of the field school.
Learn more about this educational partnership to document these cultural landscapes and the history of the cabin camps in our latest article: Field School at Prince William Forest Park
More about Prince William Forest Park
Historic Preservation at University of Mary Washington
What are cultural landscapes?
(Thanks to colleagues in the National Capital area for assistance with this article!)
The Heritage Documentation Programs (HABS/HAER/HALS) seeks applications from qualified students for 2018 summer employment documenting historic sites and structures of architectural, landscape, and technological significance throughout the country.
Example of Historic American Landscapes Survey (HALS) documentation, showing the landscape plan and major plantings at John Bartram House & Garden in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Library of Congress, HALS PA-1).
Duties may involve on-site field work, preparation of measured and interpretive drawings, and written historical reports for the HABS/HAER/HALS Collections at the Prints and Photographs Division of the Library of Congress. Projects last 12 weeks, beginning in late-May or early-June.
Applications are due March 16, 2018.
For details about how to apply: Student Summer Employment
