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Homer Museum

Located in Homer, known as the halibut capital of the world, this project takes place on the beautiful bank of Kachemak Bay, a sheltered arm of lower Cook Inlet, and is easily accessible by land, air or sea. Homer is surrounded by snowcapped mountains reaching thousands of feet into the sky with glaciers winding their way to the ocean below. An abundance of native salmon and trout swim in the crystal waters while eagles and seabirds search for food along the miles of beaches. Everything from adventure to the small town experience can be taken advantage of in Homer. There are many trails to hike on, kayaks to rent, a ferry will take you to Kodiak Island, a small Cessna to Seldovia, or just a quiet evening on the spit watching the sun go down.

The museum option will give the volunteer an opportunity to work with the Pratt Museum in downtown Homer. The Pratt Museum is the only natural history museum in the 25,600-square-mile area of the Kenai Peninsula. It serves a regional population of over 40,000 and hosts around 30,000 visitors each year. Indoor exhibits focus on art, natural history, native cultures, homesteading, fishing, marine ecology and the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Additional attractions are Alaskan wildlife dioramas, salt-water aquaria and a fine Museum store. Outdoor exhibits include the historic Harrington homestead cabin with period furnishings, botanical garden, and forest nature trail, enlivened by summer and permanent art installations. The volunteer will be working at the Pratt Museum five days out of the week where the work includes, but is not limited to:

Assisting in marine aquaria maintenance and collections
Leading museum and botanical tours
Making presentations about special interest topics related to the gallery
Assisting with remote-feed bear and gull observation cameras
Working with museum educators and trainers, guide museum and botanical tours and give presentations about special-interest topics related to the gallery

Project Duration

Two volunteer positions are available in one to three month projects beginning June 1st through August 31st 2008.

Accommodation

The volunteer will be accommodated in a hostel in the center of town, making it easy to access coffee shops, galleries, museums, etc. and it is within walking distance of the Pratt Museum.

Volunteer Requirements

must be 18 years of age
physically fit
desire to gain skills in the environmental education field
interested in working with a community/school environmental monitoring program
possess an interest in working on small grassroots projects and on museum work
possess a positive attitude!

Project Cost

US $1,697.00 per month.

Cost includes all accommodation and food for the duration of the program as well as airport pickup upon arrival, the first night’s stay in Anchorage, and transport to the program.