Additional Volunteer Opportunities
In addition to volunteer tour docents and petroglyph recorders, MPPP has numerous other activities that volunteers help to support. Our Volunteer Coordinator interacts with our volunteers and helps to guide them to the activities that interest and best suit them. You can reach our coordinator with questions here: volunteer@mesaprietapetroglyphs.org
Volunteers Helping with Project Activities
Volunteers regularly help with Project activities such as fund raisers, MPP Talks presentations, selling of project merchandise at events or just where extra hands are needed. To contact us about additional volunteer activities, please click MORE
Award-Winning Summer Youth Intern Program
Each June, twelve students, aged thirteen to nineteen, are chosen from applicants to be trained as petroglyph recorders in the same way as adult volunteer recorders are trained. They receive a small stipend for their work. At the end of the program, they are taught how to enter their data into the GIS database at the Northern New Mexico University. Program dates for 2021 TBA.
Adult volunteer mentors are an essential component for this national award winning program. Volunteers assist with preparation and distribution of applications to representatives at Valley schools and assist in preparing recording packs and materials for the youth teams. Adult volunteers also play a key role during the two-week program, mentoring the youth in the field and in data base entry techniques. The first day is a full-day youth and adult mentor recorder powerpoint training. Field mentoring is for eight weekdays starting at 8am, ending about 1pm. The last day is spent in the computer labs at Northern New Mexico College where the young people are trained in Geographical Information System by Environmental Sciences Professor Joaquin Gallegos. No prior archaeological experience is necessary, as adults are trained along with the youth. Good physical condition is important as adults will climb up on Mesa Prieta with the youth teams in search of petroglyphs and other archaeological features. Preference is given to mentors who can attend the full two weeks. MORE APPLY HERE
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4th - 7th Grade School Curriculum - "Discovering Mesa Prieta"
Volunteers are trained to interface with teachers presenting the curriculum in their classrooms. Each teacher using the curriculum is provided with an educational resource trunk containing 50-60 items including photographs, maps, posters, books, art and cultural materials that support the lesson plans. Volunteers supply the trunks and resupply them when returned to the office prior to being reissued. Volunteers also assist with preparing other teaching materials. MORE
Volunteers in the Mesa Prieta Office
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Day-to-day office duties and activities to support the project are performed by volunteers working with the Project Director. Tasks include answering phone calls and emails, data entry, responding to recorder, surveyor and docent needs, collecting mail, conducting supportive tasks associated with curriculum and youth programs, working in the resource library, filling and mailing merchandise orders as well as numerous other tasks. Office volunteers may work from once a week to once a month and perform tasks they are familiar with and comfortable in doing. |
Aileen Cruz, a veteran Summer Youth Program Intern and Young Adult Mentor with the summer program, volunteers in the Mesa Prieta office entering BLM recording data. Aileen is from Ohkay Owingeh and is the first Pueblo Miss NMSU Native American. |
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MPPP Board of Directors
About a dozen volunteers serve on the MPPP Board of Directors to plan, implement and oversee all of the MPPP activities as well as manage the Wells Petroglyph Preserve. For current officers and board members please see: MORE
Major committees are Petroglyph Recording, Tours, Technical Processes, Fundraising, Education including School Curriculum Program and Summer Youth Intern Program, National Monument. MORE
Terrain Management on the Wells Petroglyph Preserve
Maintenance and upgrades are conducted regularly on each of the six Wells Petroglyph Preserve trails. Volunteers pitch in with rakes, shovels, chainsaws, pruners, wattles, straw bales and other implements to make the trails safer and to reduce erosion on the Preserve that results from natural elements and tour traffic. Approximately 100 docent-led tours are given each year on the Preserve and the traffic contributes to wear and tear on the fragile terrain resulting in erosion and possible boulder movement. Remediation is conducted during regularly scheduled trail maintenance work days. Volunteers bring their own tools and donations of trail stabilization materials are greatly appreciated.
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New Mexico Site Watch on the Wells Petroglyph Preserve
About ten volunteers are trained by New Mexico Site Watch to monitor their assigned areas monthly on the Wells Petroglyph Preserve. Volunteers receive training from the State NM Site Watch Program, then are oriented to sites on the Preserve to monitor monthly. Unfortunately vandalism has occurred on the Preserve and is a continuing concern.
MPPP Annual Volunteer Appreciation Picnic
Each year, the project sponsors a Volunteer Appreciation Picnic on or near the mesa for more than 100 volunteers with the project. Various volunteer recognition awards are given as well as other tokens of appreciation. The Project values each and every volunteer and strives to thank them for the many hours worked, miles driven and other contributions they make to the project.
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If you are interested in any of these activities, please complete our
Volunteer Application form HERE
