Preservation Power! Ways to Get Involved Part 1!

So, how can you get involved preservation-wise? A lot of folks wonder that and how they can make a difference. With Week One down of Preservation Month, here’s Part One of things you can do to make historic preservation a regular part of your life!

The Louisa County Historical Society building

Support your local historic organization
Support your local preservation organization, historical society or local library/historical record repository. Those places are great! Their archivists, curators, and researchers really know their stuff and can help you find the info that you are looking for.

Who Are the People in Your Neighborhood?
Get to know yours better by talking to neighbors and community leaders about how you can help. Chat up your local business owners. Preservation is about community!

Ocean City Life Saving Station, built in 1891.

Hippo, SHPO!
Get in contact with your local or state historic preservation office (SHPO–pronounced like “hippo” with a “S”). What’s that? Every U.S. state, territory and Washington, D.C. has one and they are responsible for preservation efforts in your area. The National Park Service has a great list to help you find yours! There are also regional and local historic preservation offices as well. These are usually affiliated with the planning offices and officers can help inform you about upcoming projects or how you can help.

Volunteers are Valued
It goes without saying that volunteers can really make a difference by the donation of something very valuable: their time. Contact your local preservation or historic organization to ask them how you can help out.

Spread the word!
Did you visit a historic site that you liked? Or saw a cool building or one that needs a little TLC? Let everyone know. Social media is a great tool for letting others know about preservation efforts or related info. Not to mention…who doesn’t love photos?

You can also visit the National Trust for Historic Preservation for other ideas about how you can help! Do you have other ideas? Let me know! Check back again soon for Part 2!

2 responses to “Preservation Power! Ways to Get Involved Part 1!”

You can also check out Adventures in Preservation for a chance to learn preservation skills while you help a community restore one of its significant historic buildings. Check them out at http://www.adventuresinpreservation.org. Happy Preservation Month!