The Tennessee Valley area is rich with wildlife, nature, and sites of historical and archeological significance. To keep these areas in good condition, the Tennessee Valley Authority founded an outreach program that allows members of the community to aid in the preservation of these public lands.
The Thousand Eyes Stewardship program was founded in 2014 by the Tennessee Valley Authority. Its main goal is to train community members on how to monitor archeological/historical sites for environmental damages, vandalism, and looting. Thousand Eyes stewards act as the 'eyes' of the scientists working on this land while they are off site. The training program spans over seven states and thus far, there are around 30 volunteers.
Land Between the Lakes archeologist, Erin Pritchard, visited Sounds Good to discuss the stewardship program and how WKMS listeners can get involved. Members of the Thousand Eyes Stewardship should enjoy the outdoors, history, and/or archeology.
The deadline to sign up for the next training session, which takes place on April 14th and 15th, was originally today (Friday, March 30th). However, the deadline has been extended to April 4th to encourage more participation. For more information on how to become a Thousand Eyes steward, e-mail Erin Pritchard at culturalresources@tva.gov or visit the Tennessee Valley Authority website.