Field Archaeology at the Austin Water Quality Protection Lands:
This project began in the fall of 2003 out of the need to give archaeological field experience to students in my Introduction to Archaeology class at the University of Texas. I trained the students in archaeological field survey and we did weekend pro bono work making sure that a new bike trail didn’t harm any archaeology on the Slaughter Creek Management Unit of the City owned Water Quality Protection Lands. The project took about a year and we finished the field-work with the help of Middle School Students from St. Stephen’s Episcopal School. The partnership between St. Stephen’s and the City of Austin has continued with 5th – 8th graders doing archaeological survey on lands after controlled burns clear the way for healthy grasses. The students learn about prehistoric archaeology, range management, and ecology.
The Woodsies Class:
The Woodsies is an after-school club that evolved out of a Human Ecology Project that I taught within a 6th grade Geography class at TMI in San Antonio. The same semester I was coincidentally teaching a High School Environmental Science Class in which we read Aldo Leopold’s A Sand County Almanac. The book gave me the idea that in order for students to understand geography and ecology they must go outside and study the earth and its most minute subtle and beautiful details. Every student was given a circular piece of land 10 feet in diameter to study, map resources, and alter using the local resources. The kids loved the activity so much, working together to build gardens and shelters and trading resources and I have continued the project at St. Stephens with the Woodsies. The Woodsies are a group of 15 to 20 students that weekly gather at a wooded resource area to learn about the local natural resources and about how to work together to use those resources for food and shelter. The Woodsies curriculum is entirely outside, using walks, games, and directed play.
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