Cahokia Mounds State Historic and World Heritage Site has entered the 2011 This Place Matters Community Challenge sponsored by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The Community Challenge offers historic sites the opportunity to win a cash prize of up to $25,000 to help protect their site.
Why does Cahokia Mounds Matter? Cahokia Mounds was the center of the elaborate Mississippian culture that spanned from as far south as Florida, to as far north as Wisconsin. Because of this cultural significance UNESCO has designated Cahokia Mounds one of the 21 World Heritage Sites in the United States. This Place Matters because Cahokia Mounds preserves the remains of a complex culture, including residential and religious centers. 1,600 acres of the original city of Cahokia fall outside of Cahokia Mounds’ state property lines. These 1,600 acres of unprotected land are under constant threat from modern destructive forces. If this land goes unprotected, new archaeological information may be lost. If Cahokia Mounds wins the Community Challenge, the prize money would go to acquiring a portion of these 1,600 acres. Cahokia Mounds is currently 10th place in the Community Challenge standings and we need your help. To vote, please visit http://www.preservationnation.org/communitychallenge. The process takes about two minutes. An email address is needed, as all voters must be registered. There is an option to opt out of future contact from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. There is also a limit of one vote per email address, however if you have multiple email addresses, you may register those as well.
For future Community Challenges, your site may submit an application to the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Cahokia Mounds was chosen from over 250 plus applications to participate in the top 100 sites.
Every vote counts. Please visit http://www.preservationnation.org/communitychallenge to vote. This contest runs until 5 pm on June 30th. This Place Matters.