• The Alliance for Weedon Island Archaeological Research and Education (AWIARE) is a non-profit organization (501C3) that has as its goal to promote and facilitate long-term archaeological research, scientific exploration and public education at the Weedon Island Preserve and the gulf coast region. Our Officers and Advisory Board include professional archaeologists and lay persons who all share an interest in our mission. We have a reputation for sponsoring and facilitating significant archaeological research on the Weedon Island Preserve (WIP) by providing opportunities for scholars and students to pursue sustained scientific investigations of past human occupation.

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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.

HELP US MEET OUR FUNDRAISING GOAL

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 are reaching out to you because you have expressed interest in supporting our mission.  We hope you agree that investigating the earliest human occupation of Florida and its ancient environment is a worthwhile and significant scientific endeavor. 

We hope you will consider a tax-deductible donation to help support “The Search For Tampa Bay’s Earliest People”.

HOW TO DONATE

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





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NEWS & EVENTS

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.