Caribbean Volunteers Expeditions

CARIBBEAN VOLUNTEER EXPEDITIONS
Preservation in Paradise

Box 388, Corning, N.Y. 14830
T (607) 962-7846 - F (607) 936-1153

Caribbean Volunteer Expeditions started in 1990 with a project for the US Virgin Islands National Park Service, documenting the slave village at Annaberg. After that, CVE began advertising for volunteers to work on preservation projects and also interested members of the CVE team, began contacting Caribbean agencies to find other needs. In 1995, CVE became a non profit 501 C 3 corporation, and has a Board of Directors. In the past 15 years, CVE volunteers have worked on over 100 projects throughout the Caribbean. Each year we have new agencies contacting us for help. In 1998, our first Elderhostel volunteers joined us- helping us with additional volunteers to accomplish our mission.

MISSION STATEMENT
Throughout the Caribbean, historic structures representing each island’s rich and unique heritage suffer due to natural and man made threats ranging from tropical storms to tourism related development. Caribbean Volunteer Expeditions exists to support local efforts to record and document historic the architecturally valuable resources. We seek to contribute to the broader base of information about the Caribbean styles and stylistic influences, history, and the architecture of the Caribbean, and to share this information through our trips and publications. We also offer architectural services and historic preservation planning assistance in an effort to encourage the economically viable preservation of significant examples of the region’s architectural and cultural heritage.

THE NEED
Preservation is especially difficult in the Caribbean, where often the advantages of saving the past are not appreciated. CVE volunteers work on projects that generally would be neglected. And, we act as an advocate for the local preservation agencies.

VOLUNTEERS
CVE accomplishes it’s mission by recruiting volunteers from the US and Canada. These people are often architects, architectural historians, people in the preservation field, or people generally interested in preservation. The CVE volunteer is a person who enjoys the Caribbean, but also wants to contribute and be involved in an island’s culture. Our volunteers meet the preservationists, scholars, and historians involved with Caribbean preservation.

FUNDING AND ADMINISTRATION
Volunteers pay for their own costs including airfare, room and board. Much of the administrative tasks are done on a voluntary basis by Board members, as well as by other CVE volunteers.

LOCAL PARTNERS
CVE works with local Caribbean agencies, such as National Trusts, museums, universities, historical societies, etc. involved in the preservation field. These agencies identify the projects where they need outside help, and CVE assesses how we might assist with their goals.

TYPES OF PROJECTS
Historic Building Surveys, Cemetery Surveys, Drawings of Sites and Buildings, Recommendations for Restoration of Historic Buildings or Sites, Adaptive Re-use Plans, Reports and Guidelines for Preservation Development, Archaeological Projects, and Preservation Construction.

COUNTRIES AND AGENCIES SERVED
US Virgin Islands National Park, St Croix Landmarks Society, Bahamas Archive Department, National Museum of Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica National Trust, St. Lucia National Trust, Barbados National Trust, BVI National Trust, NPS: San Juan Historic Site, Capucine Heritage Site, Dominica, St Vincent National Trust, Grenada National Trust, Nevis Historical and Conservation Society, St. Kitts Heritage Society, Museum of Antigua and Barbuda, University of Turkeyen, Guyana.

Caribbean Volunteer Expeditions
Box 388, Corning, N.Y. 14830
T (607) 962-7846 F (607) 936-1153
Anne Hersh AHershCVE@aol.com