Imagine this.
On the slopes of the Randell Mound at Pineland, an archaeologist stands at the top of a deep excavation unit. Below her, a mechanic and a dentist point out a dark stain just beginning to appear in the bottom of the unit. Beside the excavation, a family of first-time visitors pores over the contents of a screen. A docent, an old hand at Pineland excavations, helps them identify shells, pottery, and animal bone from the excavation. Under a large tent emblazoned with the words Florida Museum of Natural History, people of all ages gather at long tables. There they carry out the all-important task of cleaning, labeling, and recording everything that comes out of the excavation. Out in the pasture, a group of rambunctious schoolchildren races along the path of an ancient canal, peppering their tour guide with shouted questions about the canal, the Calusa, and the shell mounds. At the summit of Brown's Mound, a young couple stands silently, gazing out over Pine Island Sound and enjoying a moment of escape from the modern world.
Much of this imagined day at Pineland has happened before, during the Year of the Indian project. Now it can happen again. But before it does, we must raise $800,000. This amount will be matched by the State Matching Gifts Trust Fund at the rate of $50,000 for every $100,000 we raise. With $1.2 million dollars as a permanent endowment fund, we can hire personnel to coordinate research, develop education programs, and manage the site complex. That's when the gates to the Randell Research Center at Pineland will open to the public on a daily basis.
We have a five-year plan to raise the money. In 1996 we need to raise $160,000. And for that we need your help. Every dollar you give takes us a step closer to making the scene above an ongoing reality. Please give as much as you can.
Make your check payable to U.F. Foundation.
Mail to:
Randell Research Center at Pineland
P.O. Box 117800
Gainesville, FL
32611-7800