Volunteering
Tempted to get your hands dirty and try your skills as an archaeologist?
Throughout 2010, the Coastal Heritage Project will be undertaking fieldwork in the marine and inter-tidal zone of the New Forest. We are looking for willing volunteers with an interest in the outdoors, archaeology or local history to join our team of volunteers for a season of fieldwork both above and below the waterline. This will involve site surveys, excavations, monitoring and recording using contracted professional archaeologists. We are providing ‘you’ the opportunity to work alongside them. As well as archaeological experience we will be offering various training sessions so that you can learn some new archaeological skills or refresh some old forgotten ones.
We are also looking for diving volunteers currently qualified to a CMAS 2* level equivalent to PADI Rescue Diver or BSAC Sports Diver. Our diving volunteers will have the opportunity to take part in archaeological underwater surveys, recording and monitoring of sites throughout the year.
Do not be disappointed if you are not quite to this level. The New Forest National Park Coastal Heritage Project will be providing the opportunity for some volunteers with a real interest to be trained from PADI Open and Advanced Open Water levels or BSAC Ocean Diver to PADI Rescue Diver level. Training costs will be met by the project; as a result there will be an interview process for these places and a commitment from the successful applicants to a set number of volunteer dive days during summer 2010.
If you are interested in volunteering with the project, please fill in the form below and return to archaeology@newforestnpa.gov.uk or our postal address and you will be added to our volunteer database.
Coastal Heritage project volunteer expression of interest form (111 KB)
As a volunteer on our database, you will be kept updated with project developments, training opportunities and fieldwork opportunities. Once on the database there are no set expectations; you can volunteer as little or as much as you want, though we hope that it will be the later once we have given you a taste of archaeology.
Coastal Heritage Policy
We are committed to giving our volunteers the best experience possible. Here's a summary of what we expect from our volunteers and what you can expect from us.
