Alliance for Weedon Island Archaeological Research and Education (AWIARE) is a non-profit organization.

Alliance for Weedon Island Archaeological Research and Education (AWIARE)
is a non-profit organization.

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Discovering Weedon Island’s Ancient Past - Adult Archaeology Camp March 23 - 27, 2026

Experience hands-on archaeology at Weedon Island Preserve, one of Florida’s preeminent archaeological sites. Work with professional archaeologists and researchers to uncover clues about the culture and lifeways of the early people who inhabited the Tampa Bay region.

You will be part of a small group limited to eight participants each week. Participants will rotate daily between field work and lab analysis. Introductory lectures will be given by archaeologists, Dr. Robert Austin and Dr. John Arthur.

You will contribute by; 1) Assisting AWIARE researchers in excavation, recording data, screening sediment, and collecting artifacts, bone, and samples, 2) Helping to analyze artifacts and process findings in the lab.

LEARN MORE AND SIGN UP TODAY

THE SEARCH FOR TAMPA BAY'S EARLIEST PEOPLE

AWIARE, in cooperation with the University of South Florida (USF), intends to conduct a multi-year, multi-institutional project to discover archaeological evidence of the earliest occupation of Florida’s west coast from submerged landscapes within Tampa Bay.

A $12,500 grant from the Felburn Foundation and $5000 in private donations have brought us well over two-thirds of the way towards our goal of $20,000, which we intend to use to underwrite the first phase of research: to compile existing data related to now-submerged landscapes of Tampa Bay and use these data to identify locations with high preservation potential for intact archaeological deposits and important paleoenvironmental features.   The results of this initial study will lay the foundation for the next phase: to conduct remote sensing surveys and coring of potential site locations, leading, eventually, to the excavation of submerged sites.

We hope you agree that investigating the earliest human occupation of Florida and its ancient environment is a worthwhile and significant scientific endeavor, and you will consider a tax-deductible donation to help support “The Search For Tampa Bay’s Earliest People”.

HELP US MEET OUR FUNDRAISING GOAL

If you are interested in donating to AWIARE, please use the button below, or mail a check to:
Alliance for Weedon Island Archaeological Research and Education
c/o Weedon Island Preserve Cultural and Natural History Center
1500 Weedon Drive NE
St. Petersburg, FL 33702





AWIARE ENDOWMENT FUND

BE A PART
As we continue our quest to become a premiere research facility fostering scientific knowledge of our past requires expansion and growth of our current programs and facilities.

BE AN ADVOCATE 
Become part of a living time capsule.  From an individual donation to an endowment.  Each gift connects people to nature, to history, and to Tampa Bay's legacy.  A gift to the AWIARE Endowment Fund will help achieve our financial goal and support our mission of discovery, research, and education.  All gifts will grow in value through the Pinellas Community Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization.

See How What You Give Becomes Something We All Can Keep
Endowed funds provide a lasting source of support for AWIARE. Donors may give either outright or defer gifts to establish these funds.

The AWIARE Endowment Fund can be accessed via this QR code
or at pinellascf.org/AWIARE

 

SPECIAL VIDEO PRESENTATION

Weedon Island Preserve, at approximately 3,700 acres, is an ecological jewel within an urban landscape on the shores of Old Tampa Bay in St. Petersburg, Florida. A refuge for native flora and fauna, Weedon Island is also one of Florida's most important cultural resources. Discover the rich human history of the Island that began thousands of years ago and witness how the environment and people support and shaped each other to produce the Preserve we know today.

This production was made possible through the support of the Friends of Weedon Island, an organization dedicated to the continuing education, protection, and preservation of the Weedon Island Preserve. 

FLORIDA'S WATERY REALMS

The Weedon Island Canoe is featured in a new book by University Press of Florida, Iconography and Wetsite Archaeology of Florida’s Watery Realms. The book includes a chapter written by Phyllis Kolianos and titled, “Wood Preservation Dilemmas of Florida’s Prehistoric Saltwater Sites: Key Marco and Weedon Island” which details the preservation of the canoe. This book edited by Ryan Wheeler and Joanna Ostapkowicz is part of the Ripley P. Bullen series, and explores new discoveries and reexamines existing artifacts to reveal the influential role of water in the daily lives of Florida’s early inhabitants.

To order a copy visit: www.upf.com