Learning the ropes: lessons gleaned from 30 + years of site stewardship programs and the urgent need to collaborate on climate change

Navigating the climate crisis is every archaeologist’s responsibility. However, knowing where to start may be difficult for some. This persuasive article provides archaeologists with a starting point in augmenting their climate heritage practice. Some of the ways archaeologists can expand their archaeological practice to further climate heritage efforts are through revisiting state and national site stewardship programs, joining research collaboratives including transdisciplinary projects, undertaking international and national committee work, and participating in regional and state conferences. This article describes work done through the Partners for Archaeological Site Stewardship, stewardship programs in Nevada and Florida, the North American Heritage at Risk (NAHAR) research collaborative, transdisciplinary efforts on climate change and sustainability, and international and national archaeology organizations, with a focus on the Society for Historical Archaeology’s (SHA) Heritage at Risk Committee (HARC) and its climate change initiative. Steps for participating in or starting groups such as these are provided herein in hopes of expanding climate heritage opportunities for all Southeastern Archaeological Conference (SEAC) members.