Robin Van Auken's Blog, page 4
February 3, 2019
Human Rights & Social Work Internships Abroad: Women’s Support, Law & More
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Are you ready to step up for gender equality, education, and basic rights for all? It takes a courageous activist to defend the others, especially in countries where basic human rights are mostly ignored. If you feel the call to build hope, wage for peace, and fight the scourge of disease, take a look at an international internship that places you on impactful program that supports and promotes the rights of others, particularly women and children.
When you accept the first step in a career that aids others, either through social work or empowerment of human rights, you join millions of other caring individuals who are striving to achieve the civil and political rights and responsibilities enumerated by the U.N. Universal Declaration of Human Rights and a growing body of public international law.
Looking to gain insight into a career in law or social advocacy? Maximo Nivel is one international organization that can connect you with outstanding programs that let you work with change agents and other social workers who are focused on empowerment, gender issues, and social justice. Or, join Intern Abroad HQ in South Africa, and work for women’s rights. As well, take a look at the opportunities offered by Volunteering Solutions, including one in war-torn Cambodia that allows you to assist NGOs as they rebuild an entire country, including its financial base.
If you’re well-organized, self-motivated, and reliable, and have a compassionate interest in international human rights, then keep reading and consider an internship with one of the trusted, featured partners below.
READ THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE BY ROBIN VAN AUKEN ON VOLUNTEER FOREVER…
Volunteer Forever is a comprehensive online resource that helps volunteers find and fund their volunteer opportunities. It advocates empowerment through information and resources. With Volunteer Forever, you can quickly create a profile and start fundraising right away. Volunteering abroad can be expensive, but it’s also a noble endeavor that your friends, loved ones, and communities will be happy to support. Learn more about Volunteer Forever here.
The post Human Rights & Social Work Internships Abroad: Women’s Support, Law & More appeared first on Hands on Heritage with Robin Van Auken.
January 28, 2019
Child-Friendly Volunteer Abroad Programs: Meaningful Trips for Families
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Are you time-poor, finding it difficult to juggle work with family life? Do you feel you’re on a hamster wheel, running in circles as your day flies by, a whirl of constant motion, from home to school to work to sports or other recreational activities?
You conjure visions of a relaxing vacation, imagining yourself on a beach, a cool beverage by your side, while your children frolic in the surf. This daydream seems perfect to many people, as a chance to unwind and spend quality time together.
In reality, many families separate into different interests – even when traveling – with children prone to avoiding family time in favor of playing video games or binge watching television. How can you prevent your kids from asking for the electronic devices you might rely on for screen time?
One solution is to combine a family vacation with meaningful social travel. When you challenge yourself – and your family – on a volunteer trip abroad, you learn new things about others, yourself, and each other, and you grow as a team.
You can lessen the barriers to travel when you choose a destination and a cause that interests you all, and plan your adventure together. Here are a few suggestions:
Environmental conservation: Explore a beautiful new country and see unique animals when you travel to New Zealand.
Construction and community development: Become part of the solution when you share concepts of sustainable construction and renewable energy with your children!
Teaching and childcare: Pick up a new language when you travel to Peru as a family and help teach conversational English to children.
Volunteering at the beach: Still hankering for that vacay at the beach? Focus on island conservation and community development when you travel to Indonesia!
The featured programs below offer child-friendly programs and housing, both with a host family or in your own, shared space.
READ THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE BY ROBIN VAN AUKEN ON VOLUNTEER FOREVER…
Volunteer Forever is a comprehensive online resource that helps volunteers find and fund their volunteer opportunities. It advocates empowerment through information and resources. With Volunteer Forever, you can quickly create a profile and start fundraising right away. Volunteering abroad can be expensive, but it’s also a noble endeavor that your friends, loved ones, and communities will be happy to support. Learn more about Volunteer Forever here.
The post Child-Friendly Volunteer Abroad Programs: Meaningful Trips for Families appeared first on Hands on Heritage with Robin Van Auken.
November 15, 2018
TEFL Certification and English Teaching Programs in Latin America
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Leverage your native English-speaking skills for the benefit of others with an international career teaching English as a foreign language! The demand for TEFL teachers is an all-time high as nearly 2 billion people worldwide are learning English. This means there are literally thousands of employment opportunities for English teachers, even those without prior teaching experience.
Latin America is a great place to launch your English teaching career, or even prep for it. There are 33 countries in this region, from South America to Central America and Mexico, and including some islands of the Caribbean. As the “New World,” whose people shared the experience of conquest and colonization by the Spaniards and Portuguese starting in the 15th century, it’s also one of the most interesting regions on the planet. In addition to Latin American culture – both high culture (literature and high art) and popular culture (music, folk art, and dance) – Latin America is enriched by the Africans who survived the Transatlantic slave trade, bringing with them influences in music, cuisine, and religion. It’s also a fusion of Asian cultures, due to immigration and indentured laborers who arrived late in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Spanish is the primary language spoken throughout Latin America, with Portuguese spoken in Brazil, and French in parts of the Caribbean and French Guiana, but English is highly sought after by those entering the workforce. In fact, it’s vitally important that people all across the world have access to quality English education.
When you complete a TEFL certification program in Latin America, you’ll be able to teach English to learners of all ages and skill levels even if you don’t have any prior experience as a teacher. More importantly, TEFL certification opens up new job opportunities and paid internships globally.
Take a look at some of the top TEFL and teach abroad opportunities you can sign up for in Latin America!
READ THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE BY ROBIN VAN AUKEN ON VOLUNTEER FOREVER…
Volunteer Forever is a comprehensive online resource that helps volunteers find and fund their volunteer opportunities. It advocates empowerment through information and resources. With Volunteer Forever, you can quickly create a profile and start fundraising right away. Volunteering abroad can be expensive, but it’s also a noble endeavor that your friends, loved ones, and communities will be happy to support. Learn more about Volunteer Forever here.
The post TEFL Certification and English Teaching Programs in Latin America appeared first on Hands on Heritage with Robin Van Auken.
October 25, 2018
Travel for Self-Improvement: Combine Volunteering with Yoga, Scuba & More
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What do you want to learn today? Is there a skill you’d like to improve, an experience you want to gain, or a physical challenge you’ve been dreaming about?
When you take your personal development into your own hands, you become proactive. Rather than waiting for good things to happen to you, you’re out there making them happen. When you invest in yourself, you not only change your mind, but you change your mindset. This change helps to improve your self-awareness, sense of direction, focus and clarity, motivation, resilience, and your relationships.
If you’re at a point in your life where you think you could benefit from self-improvement (and isn’t everyone?), then take a look at these travel opportunities that combine personal growth with volunteering abroad. We’ve selected some of the best projects from around the world that will help you become a better, more-rounded person, capable of helping others, and in turn, helping yourself!
READ THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE BY ROBIN VAN AUKEN ON VOLUNTEER FOREVER…
Volunteer Forever is a comprehensive online resource that helps volunteers find and fund their volunteer opportunities. It advocates empowerment through information and resources. With Volunteer Forever, you can quickly create a profile and start fundraising right away. Volunteering abroad can be expensive, but it’s also a noble endeavor that your friends, loved ones, and communities will be happy to support. Learn more about Volunteer Forever here.
The post Travel for Self-Improvement: Combine Volunteering with Yoga, Scuba & More appeared first on Hands on Heritage with Robin Van Auken.
October 11, 2018
Amazing Volunteer Programs for Travelers Who Love to Hike, Run, & Swim
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Do you have itchy travel feet? Are you more comfortable in boots than sandals?
Hikers know that a long, solo walk is the easiest and quickest way to lose yourself and your cares in the beauty of nature. Hiking is great for mood, and this Stanford University study proves that it also decreases your anxiety and improves your memory. Another study found that long walks help battle depression, so if you’ve been sad for a while, trekking in nature may help. Or, if you want to increase your attention span and creative problem-solving skills, going into the wild can help it by as much as 50 percent!
Did you know that hiking is also a great addition to your volunteer trip abroad?
If you want to combine a trekking adventure with a meaningful trip abroad, there are numerous organizations that offer affordable excursions. Take a look at the suggestions below – each designed to give you a spectacular and unforgettable outdoor experience while having a positive impact on a community in need!
READ THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE BY ROBIN VAN AUKEN ON VOLUNTEER FOREVER…
Volunteer Forever is a comprehensive online resource that helps volunteers find and fund their volunteer opportunities. It advocates empowerment through information and resources. With Volunteer Forever, you can quickly create a profile and start fundraising right away. Volunteering abroad can be expensive, but it’s also a noble endeavor that your friends, loved ones, and communities will be happy to support. Learn more about Volunteer Forever here.
The post Amazing Volunteer Programs for Travelers Who Love to Hike, Run, & Swim appeared first on Hands on Heritage with Robin Van Auken.
October 5, 2018
Adventure and Outdoor Guides Training Abroad
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Combine your passion for conservation with the excitement of discovery as an adventure guide – a unique career that promises to keep you outdoors, helping wildlife and introducing visitors to exotic locales!
It’s a professional development choice few people think about, but definitely a thrilling one! Imagine sleeping in a tent under a canopy of stars, then waking every morning in the bush, searching for lion tracks or monitoring elephant herd movements. Or if you prefer the rainforests of Latin America, you can pursue a career in ecotourism and guiding in the Amazon. Another professional adventure pro takes visitors beneath the sea, teaching them how to safely scuba dive on coral reefs.
The one thing each of these paths have in common is that they’re uncommon!
They Said It Best
Participating in an extreme endeavor can be difficult, but can it alter your life?
Calley joined Fronteering on a jungle expedition and was exhilarated with the experience: “The survival course is one of those personal challenges you simply have to do – an opportunity to extend yourself both mentally and physically. It’s deeply satisfying to look back and think ‘I did that – I survived!’”
Martin said his internship with GVI in Fiji cemented his career: “I had been considering pursuing a career in the diving industry for some time so when I got the chance to join the project it seemed natural to pick the internship. It’s now my intention to train as an open water scuba instructor and to return to the resort at which I sat my internship work placement, where I’ve been offered the resorts instructor position after the completion of my course.”
Tom traveled with Frontier, and he still can’t believe how great it was: “Definitely the best thing I’ve ever done! Also it will end up being a pretty big influence on how my life goes. It’s helped convince me I want to do conservation in the future, and I am now doing Zoology with Conservation at university because of that.”
Sarah participated in a Field Guide Association of Southern Africa course with Naturally Africa Volunteers that changed her life: “The instructors were excellent! Never had better teachers who are genuinely passionate about what they are teaching. We always received good feedback and suggestions and endless patience. The variety was perfect. I wish the course was longer. I never want to leave! The course was amazing and honestly changed my life (thanks to the instructors). I’ll be back.”
Learn more about the thrilling opportunities that await you as an adventure or outdoor guide – here are just a few of the extreme experiences you can sign up for today!
READ THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE BY ROBIN VAN AUKEN ON VOLUNTEER FOREVER…
Volunteer Forever is a comprehensive online resource that helps volunteers find and fund their volunteer opportunities. It advocates empowerment through information and resources. With Volunteer Forever, you can quickly create a profile and start fundraising right away. Volunteering abroad can be expensive, but it’s also a noble endeavor that your friends, loved ones, and communities will be happy to support. Learn more about Volunteer Forever here.
The post Adventure and Outdoor Guides Training Abroad appeared first on Hands on Heritage with Robin Van Auken.
September 19, 2018
Internships that Build a Professional Career: Science, Engineering Opportunities
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Don’t visit West Africa for big game or majestic ruins – instead, focus on the amazing variety of people you’ll meet there, and take time to learn their history, their customs, and share your own.
From Nigeria to Senegal, West Africa is home to an estimated 362 million people. It’s an area of many cultures, but they don’t clash. In fact, there’s a great deal of similarities in dress, food, and music and songs, and it’s thanks to the long history of cultural exchange in this region.
Even the homes are similar – if not in style, then in function. The traditional West African home is a built within a compound, a cluster of buildings that serves to keep families connected. Sometimes these buildings are even connected, joined around an open area.
West Africans enjoy free-flowing and embroidered clothing, with elaborate stitching on their shirts, tunics, and jackets. The formal attire includes a knee-to-ankle Boubou robe, sometimes called a kaftan. These loose-fitted robes have their origins in the royal families of the 12th century, along with another popular item – a large square of cloth draped around the shoulder called the Kente cloth, made by the Akan people of Ghana and the Ivory Coast, that is the most well-known and a source of ethnic pride.
READ THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE BY ROBIN VAN AUKEN ON VOLUNTEER FOREVER…
Volunteer Forever is a comprehensive online resource that helps volunteers find and fund their volunteer opportunities. It advocates empowerment through information and resources. With Volunteer Forever, you can quickly create a profile and start fundraising right away. Volunteering abroad can be expensive, but it’s also a noble endeavor that your friends, loved ones, and communities will be happy to support. Learn more about Volunteer Forever here.
The post Internships that Build a Professional Career: Science, Engineering Opportunities appeared first on Hands on Heritage with Robin Van Auken.
July 12, 2018
The Road to Williamsport
The road to Williamsport is heavily traveled, despite the fact that this small city in northcentral Pennsylvania is home to only 29,000 people. That’s because Williamsport is home to the annual Little League Baseball World Series, which attracts more than 40,000 people to its final game, and millions of viewers to all 32 of its televised games on ESPN and ABC. The series, and its storied history, is the subject of the newly updated book, “Play Ball! The Story of Little League Baseball,” by Lance and Robin Van Auken, and printed by The Omnibus Publishing.
The Little League Baseball season begins on a spring evening, when 300,000 children on 10,000 diamonds in every U.S. state and 80 other countries, take to the field. The next day, a new group of 300,000 play the game. This continues for several weeks until mid-summer, when hundreds of thousands of players begin the International Tournament — the largest youths sports tournament in the world. In less than two months, most of the 7,000 teams that started the tournament are eliminated from competition.
Only 16 teams remain by the time the World Series begins: eight from international regions and eight from U.S. regions. The international teams come from Asia-Pacific, Australia, Canada, Caribbean, Europe-Africa, Japan, Latin America, and Mexico. The U.S. teams are from states in the following eight regions: Great Lakes, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, New England, Northwest, Southwest, Southeast, and the West.
The players and their coaches converge in Williamsport, arriving by airplane, chartered bus, and automobile, for the world’s best-known sports event: The Little League World Series. Sometimes, they arrive only a day or two before the hours before the World Series begins.
If they’re flying into the Williamsport Regional Airport, they’re in for a surprise. Commercial arrivals and departures are by jet, a recent upgrade over a prop plane, with two or three scheduled flights by American Airlines. The small airport has two gates, but only one is open. Baggage is collected from a corner after a set of garage doors are opened, usually by the same person who directed the jet to its stop near the terminal. Personnel at the airport are pulling double, often triple duty. They’re marshalling the plane in, using batons, and then walking the wings to make sure all is well, unloading the baggage, and then refueling the jet.
If a team is heading into Williamsport from a larger airport, say Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia or Harrisburg, then they’re most likely using the Susquehanna Trailways motorcoach, chartered by Little League International. This is a third-generation, family-owned motorcoach company based in the nearby town of Avis (population 1,484). Sometimes these buses arrive late at night, pulling alongside Dr. Creighton J. Hale International Grove around 2 a.m., the sleepy ballplayers yawning and stretching as they pile out of the large Prevost bus.
Some World Series players are close enough that their families arrive by car. They decorate their minivans and cars with white paint and flags, sometimes forming a caravan as they file into the city.
Once in town, they’re greeted with outstanding opportunities for fun and adventure, small-town style. Williamsport has a Grand Slam Parade at the beginning of the series, with floats that even include the Little League World Series teams, and the volunteer umpires! As if the parade wasn’t enough, near the end of the series, Williamsport Welcomes the World with a massive street festival. Both events are managed by the Lycoming County Visitors’ Bureau.
Where to Stay, Where to Eat, What do Do?
Finding a spot at the World Series is as easy as it comes.
Dugout Dances at the Little League World Series
Admission to the Little League World Series, despite annual attendance of 300,000 or more, has always been free. Parking is free in the municipal lots near the stadium, and concessions are reasonably priced. In fact, no ticket is required for most of the games, and seating on the famed terraced hill beyond the outfield fence is never ticketed. All you have to do is show up. All the info on schedules, admissions, etc., is available on the Little League website.
What’s not so easy, at times, is finding a hotel room nearby. Because of the last-minute team entries and the fact that there are two local colleges (Lycoming College and the Pennsylvania College of Technology) that have students arriving at the same week, prices are generally higher, and accommodations are more scarce.
The Genetti Hotel in downtown Williamsport is a favorite for long-time visitors, especially since it’s the oldest hotel in continual existence and is used by Little League International for banquets and award events during the series. It’s also the tallest building in Williamsport, at 12 stories high! As the tallest building, it’s been used to raise Peregrine Falcons for reintroduction into the wild.
There are other chain hotels in the area, and during the month of August “Hotels in Williamsport PA” is probably a major Google Search term, but a memorable choice for the discerning traveler is the Peter Herdic Inn. This lovely bed-and-breakfast is a Victorian mansion that is next to its sister business, the Peter Herdic House Restaurant. These two properties are located on Millionaire’s Row, a historic section of the city with unique and beautiful architecture. Williamsport’s heyday was during the late 1800s during the lumber era, and Peter Herdic, the original owner of the property, was THE lumber baron of Williamsport.
The Herdic duo is a five-star combo, but there are other local favorites dining spots in Williamsport. Franco’s Lounge is another five-star restaurant that serves Italian food with flair. Check out that amazing venue for lunch and dinner, as well as occasional music nights. If you’re looking for a great breakfast with fantastic coffee, the Sawhorse Cafe highlights the offerings of local farms whenever possible, using only fresh ingredients. Downtown’s Alabaster Coffee Roaster & Tea Co. is a premier specialty coffee bar and roasterie, but it doesn’t serve the premium brunch you’ll find at the Sawhorse.
The Moon and Raven is another downtown favorite, specializing in Irish pub food, but our hearts are captured by Ozzie and Mae’s Hacienda, which serves fresh, authentic Mexican food. And even though Williamsport is well north of the Mason-Dixon Line, Acme Barbecue is a great place for ribs, brisket, and all things Southern. The Brickyard Restaurant and Ale House has some of the best burgers in town, and great for a late-night snack.
But back to where to stay while in Williamsport. In addition to chain hotels, there are online booking sites, such as AirBnB, that are popular alternatives for families looking to stay together while their Little Leaguer is at the series. VRBO, or Vacation Rentals By Owner, is another online choice for travelers looking for a residential option. There are camping outlets also, for visitors who want to enjoy the gorgeous natural beauty, but pack your tents, campers, or RVs. Riverside Campground is situated along the West Branch of the Susquehanna, and is a peaceful, relaxing option. It includes a children’s playground, a skateboard park, soccer field, and a large pavilion available for special events.
Local Highlights
The 10,000-square-foot World of Little League Museum, recently completely renovated for $4.5 million, is on the same complex as the World Series stadiums, and is open every day. It features the tales and artifacts of the program’s storied past, but also has a running track, a reaction time exhibit, and a jumping wall for those young and young-at-heart. There’s also a Babe Ruth uniform on display, the most complete, game-used uniform worn by The Bambino, plus two theaters, a fun touch table, and more. The Official Store includes a great selection of souvenirs and gifts for those back home.
The history of the area can be found at two outstanding museums: The Thomas T. Taber Museum, and the Muncy Historical Society and Museum of History. And there’s no better way to learn about the lumber era than spending a relaxing afternoon or evening than aboard the Hiawatha Paddlewheel Riverboat. While the boat leisurely is plying the waters of the West Branch of the Susquehanna River, listen to the audio that describes the innovative lumber boom – a system of cribs and chains that captured millions of harvested logs as they floated down the river.
Historic Marker at Original League
Another don’t-miss historical place is Carl E. Stotz Memorial Field at Original League, the site of the first 12 Little League Baseball World Series tournaments before it moved to its larger, current location. The field and clubhouse have been lovingly restored to their 1950s grandeur. Across Fourth Street is Historic Bowman Field, home of the Class A Minor League Williamsport Crosscutters. The small stadium is the second-oldest Minor League ballpark in the country.
Fundraising for the Big Trip
It’s a difficult and expensive process to follow a team on the Road to Williamsport. Each player and coach/manager has travel expenses paid for by Little League International. Family members want to attend the games and cheer on their son or daughter, sister or brother, niece or nephew, grandson or granddaughter, are on their own. Thanks to social media sites, individuals are able to fundraise for the trip to youth baseball mecca. Even if they’re not heading to the series, some teams are using Facebook and GoFundMe to offset expenses to regional championship games, like this Seminole Little League 9/10/11 Softball All Stars team.
A Bit of History and Why Little League Is Beloved
Carl Stotz and the first Little League team.
There are several world series played, but it’s this event that features 11- and 12-year-olds that captures the hearts and minds of the world in mid-August. Why? It’s the oldest of all the various Little League tournaments, dating back to 1947.
Every conceivable human emotion is possible on a Little League Baseball field. From its tragedies to its triumphs, Little League is the story of every son, daughter, mother, father, neighbor, and friend. It’s where everyone involved learns the lessons of teamwork, sportsmanship, and fair play, whether they become astronauts aboard the International Space Station, Pulitzer Prize–winning columnists, Olympic athletes, rock ’n’ roll singers, professional baseball players, or just ordinary people. In turn, they teach their own children those same lessons.
The games of the Little League World Series are played on the Kentucky bluegrass of Howard J. Lamade Stadium, and nearby, smaller, Volunteer Stadium. Athletic-field experts lend their time year-round to help maintain the playing surface, which rivals most professional diamonds. With permanent seating for about 3,000 spectators, Lamade Stadium includes terraced hills beyond the outfield fence that accommodate 40,000 more spectators on blankets, lawn chairs, and grass.
Little League World Series participants play on a global stage. Upon arrival in Williamsport, a Little League official reminds them that their actions—how they react to good fortune as well as to adversity—will help determine the world’s opinion of their hometown. Twenty-eight nations or territories have sent teams to the Little League World Series, and some have welcomed the young ambassadors home with ceremonies befitting war heroes—whether they won or lost in Williamsport. For most of the young players, it will be their first time on television, and they will be watched by more than 10 million people.
Despite its apple-pie image, the story of Little League is not without controversy, even upheaval. During the decades since the first Little League was formed in 1939, Little League survived its own civil war of sorts, and has played a role in race relations, the cold war, gender equity, and easing ethnic tensions in Bosnia.
World of Little League
Little League has grown in scope far beyond anything its founder, Carl Stotz, or anyone else in 1939, could have imagined. In some ways, and in thousands of communities, it closely resembles the league that founder Carl Stotz and his followers had envisioned. But in many other ways it is far different.
The story of Little League Baseball is more than a sports story. It is also the story of Little League’s phenomenal growth, from thirty players and a few volunteers in a sleepy Pennsylvania town, to the largest organized children’s sports program in the world; the story of detractors and benefactors; and the story of how Little League has reflected—and affected—American society.
Little League’s history is told with great detail at the World of Little League Museum, but if you can’t visit the site in person, learn more about Little League and its humble beginnings in Williamsport, in “Play Ball! The Story of Little League Baseball” by Lance and Robin Van Auken, and available through The Omnibus Publishing company.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
The post The Road to Williamsport appeared first on Robin Van Auken.
June 15, 2018
Stargazing at Cherry Springs State Park
I visited Cherry Springs State Park (Coudersport, PA) once again, this time staying the full night in the campground. The first time I visited was October 2018 with my sisters Susan Ward and Sharon Tracy. We stopped, on a whim, after a day trip to Niagara Falls, Canada side. It was quite a haul, driving to Canada and back, and including a side trip atop a mountain, and we arrived home around 2 a.m., but what an amazing sightseeing trip it was.
Susan was so impressed she wanted to share the night sky, and its impressive vista of the Milky Way, with her daughter, Jennifer, and granddaughter, Mikayla. So the three flew into Washington, D.C., from their Tampa Bay home, and drove up to Pennsylvania.
Did I mention that Sue loves to drive? She must, the miles she puts on her car.
She’d been planning for this trip for months, drop shipping air mattresses and tents to my house. I have some camping gear, so we packed it all into the small rental car and headed north to Cherry Springs. Should have added more blankets, despite the crowded conditions of the car. Nothing quite like trying to sleep in temperatures that drop to the mid-40s in the middle of the night. Bottom line: You don’t sleep. You curl in a ball and close your eyes and pray that morning comes soon. When it does, you’ve finally fallen asleep because of exhaustion, but the rising sun and the dawn chorus won’t let you stay that way.
Panoramic view of the park, left to right: astronomy bulletin board, CCC-built picnic pavilion, pumphouse, Astronomy Field, sky shed and three astronomy observation domes, information display, modern latrines, amphitheater, and CCC-built replica of the Cherry Springs Tavern (log cabin across Pennsylvania Route 44)
Photograph by Ruhrfisch: Photographed, stitched and cropped it myself,
originally 13 horizontal photos, about 340 degrees.
This panoramic image was created with Autostitch
(stitched images may differ from reality)., CC BY-SA 3.0,
The Darkest Sky East of the Mississippi
According to Wikipedia, “Cherry Springs State Park is an 82-acre Pennsylvania state park in Potter County, Pennsylvania, United States. The park was created from land within the Susquehannock State Forest, and is on Pennsylvania Route 44 in West Branch Township. Cherry Springs, named for a large stand of Black Cherry trees in the park, is atop the dissected Allegheny Plateau at an elevation of 2,300 feet (701 m). It is popular with astronomers and stargazers for having “some of the darkest night skies on the east coast” of the United States, and was chosen by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) and its Bureau of Parks as one of “25 Must-See Pennsylvania State Parks”.
“The earliest recorded inhabitants of the area were the Susquehannocks, followed by the Seneca nation, who hunted there. The first settlement within the park was a log tavern built in 1818 along a trail; the trail became a turnpike by 1834 and a hotel replaced the tavern in 1874, then burned in 1897. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries the old-growth forests were clearcut; the state forest was established in 1901 and contains second growth woodlands. “Cherry Springs Scenic Drive” was established in 1922, and the Civilian Conservation Corps built much of Cherry Springs State Park during the Great Depression, including a picnic pavilion listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). An annual “Woodsmen’s Show” has been held in the park each August since 1952.”
“Cherry Springs State Park was named Pennsylvania’s first dark sky park by the DCNR in 2000. The adjoining Cherry Springs Airport, built in 1935, was closed and its land was added to the park in 2006, to expand its stargazing area. On June 11, 2007, the International Dark-Sky Association named it the second “International Dark Sky Park”; under optimum conditions the Milky Way casts a discernible shadow. Cherry Springs has received national press coverage and hosts two star parties a year, which attract hundreds of astronomers. There are regular stargazing and educational programs for the public at the park, and the Woodsmen’s Show attracts thousands each summer. Cherry Springs also offers rustic camping, picnic facilities, and trails for mountain biking, hiking, and snowmobiling. The surrounding state forest and park are home to a variety of flora and fauna.”
“Cherry Springs began attracting stargazers in the early 1990s. In 1999 the “Dark Sky Fund” was established and continues “to enhance the stargazing and astronomy experience” by funding improvements at the park. In 2000 Cherry Springs was officially named a “Dark Sky Park” by the DCNR, and that same year it became part of the Hills Creek State Park complex, an administrative grouping of eight state parks in Potter and Tioga counties. The headquarters for Cherry Springs are at nearby Lyman Run State Park. The National Public Observatory picked it “as the pilot for the Stars-n-Parks program” in April 2001. The DCNR acquired the Cherry Springs Airport in 2006 “to expand the overall Dark Sky observation area and allow for increased programming opportunities” at the park, and closed it in 2007. On June 11, 2008, the International Dark-Sky Association named Cherry Springs State Park the second “International Dark Sky Park”. (The first was Natural Bridges National Monument in Utah.)”
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June 13, 2018
Volunteer Abroad at a UNESCO World Heritage Site
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There are few things that people agree upon, but protecting special places and things is one of them. Deciding exactly what makes a landmark or area important because of its cultural, historical, or scientific significance is the quest of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, also known as UNESCO.
Since 1972, UNESCO has been charged with the task of judging whether a place is worthy of its World Heritage Site classification. There are three types: natural, cultural, and mixed sites that are of outstanding universal value, and there are 1,037 of these sites designated by UNESCO.
In addition to being of universal value, a site must meet at least one of 10 criteria. These are:
To represent a masterpiece of human creative genius
To exhibit an important interchange of human values, over a span of time or within a cultural area of the world, on developments in architecture or technology, monumental arts, town-planning or landscape design
To bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization which is living or which has disappeared
To be an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates (a) significant stage(s) in human history
To be an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement, land-use, or sea-use which is representative of a culture (or cultures), or human interaction with the environment especially when it has become vulnerable under the impact of irreversible change
To be directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas, or with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance. (The Committee considers that this criterion should preferably be used in conjunction with other criteria)
To contain superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance
To be outstanding examples representing major stages of earth’s history, including the record of life, significant ongoing geological processes in the development of landforms, or significant geomorphic or physiographic features
To be outstanding examples representing significant ongoing ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of terrestrial, freshwater, coastal and marine ecosystems and communities of plants and animals
To contain the most important and significant natural habitats for in-situ conservation of biological diversity, including those containing threatened species of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation
A cultural site can be ancient ruins, historical structures, buildings, cities, monumental sculptures, and even paintings. Natural sites include places such as deserts, forests, islands, lakes, monuments, mountains, and wilderness areas. These are designated as World Heritage Sites for the collective interests of humanity.
But, World Heritage Sites aren’t only cultural achievements or natural places – they can be mixed accomplishments of humanity, or evidence of our intellectual history. For example, Mexican food is so loved by the world that it is a cultural treasure and has been added to UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. That’s right – tacos are that important!
If you’re a list maker, then you’ve probably already started a list of spectacular places you want to visit, but are these places World Heritage Sites? Now that you know how important they are, and how difficult the criteria is to nominate one, perhaps you’ll add a World Heritage Site to your “To Visit” list. While you’re at it, do something meaningful while you’re there.
Consider volunteering on a conservation project that helps protect a World Heritage Site for future generations. Or that helps to interpret its history. Sign up for an English teaching program that places you with indigenous people at a World Heritage Site and preserve their culture, while helping them to develop sustainable livelihoods in ecotourism. Intern with an NGO and create a buzz about a place. Or, simply visit Mexico on a gap year and enjoy the enchiladas.
With more than 1,000 World Heritage Sites (and examples of Intangible Cultural Heritage), chances are you can find a perfect spot for enriching your mind and soul. Take a look at the sampling of awesome projects at amazing places and select one to visit today!
READ THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE BY ROBIN VAN AUKEN ON VOLUNTEER FOREVER…
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