Welcome to the Green Museums Wiki
11/3/09
Check out this blog: a research-in-progress blog by Rose Daly of Daly Conservation. She is working on energy consumption and collections management issues. Her bibliography is a gift to us all.

11/2/09
The Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities had a conference last June on Energy and Historic Sites. Here is a link to my talk...it starts out with a quiz about green knowledge and green practice (8 minutes or so) then moves on to the presentation but since the camera is trained on me, you can't see the PowerPoint for it. I can send the .pdf if you let me know: sarah at bmuse.net Free Lecture Forum - PBS


For those of us who missed the Smithsonian Institution's Climate Change conference a month ago - here are some of the talks. Worth having one with your cup of coffee as you start each day this week.

10/28/09
Denver Zoo: Gasification machine and LEED habitat - inspiration!

10/20/09
I've just posted a terrific link on the collections page - see link at right. Please feel encouraged to add more to keep it company.

One of my George Washington University Green Museum students sent this great link to a NYT article on zero waste - Yellowstone is mentioned. Good to see the National Park Service involved - though not at all surprising.

10/19/09
I just spent a great few days at the National Trust for Historic Preservation conference in Nashville. Here are som good links they shared for helping historic homes and houses be more energy-efficient:

www.PreservationNation.org/weatherization Tips on weatherization for historic houses.

www.PreservationNation.org/issues/sustainability The National Trust for Historic Preservation’s main link for sustainability issues and historic places and spaces

http://www.nps.gov/history/hps/tps/briefs/brief03.htm "Conserving Energy in History Buildings".

9/30/09
The World Comes to the Phipps Conservatory to see its 'greenness'. The State Department's website has great photos and descriptions.

7/10/09

Braden Paynter passed on this link to UK company making Welsh wool insulation for a green building material ...and other green restoration and building materials. Have a look - it will remind you to think outside the box for great solutions.

7/6/09

Two minimalist environmental control projects where the system treatment was specific to the particular issues for the buildings and collections within, at very low operating costs:

Humidity-controlled ventilation:
“Practical Solutions for Carriage Storage: The Stony Brook Shed Project,” paper presented at the 2000 annual meeting of American Institute for Conservation, with Ms. Merri Ferrell, Curator of Carriages, Museums at Stony Brook; and with Jonathan Taggart, Taggart Conservation.

A sealed and filtered unoccupied building:
Environmental Improvements for the Pinkney House at the Kern County Museum,” paper presented at the annual meeting of American Institute for Conservation, June 1991; AASLH Meeting September 1992; MAAM/NEMA Joint Annual Meeting, November 1992.


6/29/09
We get lots of questions about the tension between climate conrol and energy reducation in museums. the short answer is that each situation is different, so you need and engineer and a conservator/curator to help ou make decisions, but here, at least is some reading material to get you going:

From the Getty Conservation Institute Newsletter on Environmental Management you'll find some great articles.

From the onference proceedings of From Gray Areas to Green Areas: Developing Sustainable Practices in Preservation Environments you'll find lots more including Richard L. Kerschner's
Providing Safe and Practical Environments for Cultural Property in Historic Buildings...and Beyond
Check the list of .pdf's on the right-hand side.

And of course the National Park Service and Sharon Park are a GREAT resource: Preservation Brief 24: HVAC and Historic Buildings

6/19/09
Rethinking the Modern Zoo I got this from the FastCompany Daily Newsletter - link to Zoo with art installation's illustrating human impact and interference with the natural world. Very cool. Worth a peek and some thought about how this suggests a change in 'the way we've always done it'.


5/19/09
Hancock Shaker Village - in a tourism webisode promoting their green interpretation: http://www.berkshires.org/BerkshiresGreenandSustainableWebisode/tabid/745/Default.aspx


5/4/09
Great AAM conference. Not too many green sessions, but lots of green museum folks being busy about their good work. The committee of Philly Museums interested in greening museums put out a great wallet-promo on greening your museum. Let's hope the LA folks do as well. The Green PIC - AAM's Professional Interest Committee - picked up some momentum talking to the Accreditation Committee about the future of 'green' as part of accreditation.

5/05/09
Hmm - Green and museums are finding a place on Twitter. Start by following me @greenmuseum and then lookout for the other green museum folks who 'follow'. SB

3/30/09
Proceedings from some of the presentations at From Gray Areas to Green Areas: Sustainability Practices in Preservation Environments in Texas last fall....wish I could have gone!

3/19/2009
Ice Energy storage video - installation of tanks.

1/13/09
Jennifer Madden of Heritage Museums & Gardens in Sandwich, MA, won the ExhibiTricks blog free copy of The Green Museum

1/13/09
The Green Museum: A Primer on Environmental Practice described in the National Trust blog on greening your historic site......check it out so you can take good advantage of their links and resources...and then support an historic site near you!

Cheers, SB

1/8/09
I visited President Lincoln's Cottage at the Soldiers' Home, a National Monument, two days ago, and stopped by the Richard H. Smith Visitor Education Center to see its LEED Certified green-ness. It's a gorgeous building, lovingly restored and greened. It has complex-green and simple-green components that are all something any existing building projects can and should consider.

The green is so appropriate that it's almost 'stealth' green: working transoms and windows, CFL's in the ceiling [but they aren't on because the natural light is enough], a cool roof in the spots where it's not yet time to replace the old roof, original fixtures OR additional new ones that look the same but take CFL's!, and a lovely laylight in the center has translucent glazing that lets in and diffuses light from the attic dormer that looks out over the front of the building. Of course, it helps that they started in a gorgeous old buidling, but then isn't that one major reason why historic preservation is so green?

SB

12/29/08
National Trust and Preservation is Green - I missed the chance to go to GreenBuild in Boston, which means I missed this speech by Richard Moe, leader of the National Trust. For those of you who also missed it, here is text for you. It talks about working with USGBC and the Clinton Climate Initiative, AND about creating a GreenLab on the West Coast that tests green and historic preservation issues.

As I went with folks on an energy audit at an historic site two weeks ago, we discussed blown-in insulation. Folks didn't feel they knew enough about the types and their longevity and unintended consequences to allow it in a house with a preservation easement. Does anyone have any comments?

Cheers, SB


12/23/08
Blower Test Video! This is a 1-minute video of a blower test in an historic house done as part of an energy audit. The negative air pressure created by blowing air out of the building creates a situation much like when the wind is blowing outside in winter...and with the hand held infrared reader, we could walk through the house and detect cold air leakage (aka heat escaping when the blower is off) around windows, doors, key holes, bulkheads, chimneys, uninsulated ceilings, etc. Notice when you watch the video, that the wreath's ribbon blows slightly....there's not enough wind to damage your objects though, so don't use that as an excuse to avoid doing a blower test. The team set up the door covering with the fan in the base. This test was conducted by greenewit.org. Enjoy! SB

12/18/08
I just wanted to let everyone know that Sarah is teaching a three-part webinar for AASLH in January for staff at any level working at history museums or historic sites. It’s an overview of green in US museums, an introduction to green concepts and types of practices, and then an in-depth look at hardware (building and property components, both existing and new, that contribute to sustainability), and software (the programs and practices we use at sites and museums to be more green). There’s even a walk-through of an energy audit at an historic site. The webinar is fast, inexpensive way to learn how to get started with green practices without much, if any, cost. It’s a great way to start the New Year: learning for yourself, your museum, and your visitors. To learn more, go to www.aaslh.org/GoingGreen. Bob Beatty


12/9/08
More on Recycling: This article in the NYT Back at Junk Value, Recyclables are Piling Up, the topic is the crashing sale price of basic recyclables - paper, plastic, aluminum. My opinion - stay the course ...the market for these will right itself, and in the meantime, it still reduces the use of virgin resources and delays the trip to the landfill. The good news - less of the recyclable stuff is being shipped to China - now THAT's progress! SB

11/25/08
About Compostable Plastics: Many of us use 'GreenWare', 'Nature Works' other compostable plastics, but we don't have a way to compost them. There's an asterisk on the 'compostable' description on the GreenWare webpage that refers to 'suitable facilities'. Well, if you want to have or find a suitable facility, you have to know what it is: Everything You Wanted to Learn About Serious Composting. Keep in mind, your local zoo or major botanical garden may have its own suitable facility and you can ask about working with them for the common good.

The NatureWorks company has done some research for you by providing a list of suitable composting facilities for such plastics. around the country. If there isn't a place close-enough, talk with your municipality about spearheading such a program for the benefit of multiple institutions in your area. You never know - it may be on their 'to-do' list, and all they need is a nudge.

Go green and prosper, SB

11/4/08
I get a lot of questions about how to 'convince' someone who doesn't believe in global warming or believe that there's enough of an issue to be a problem...someone who thinks the green wave is a fad. Here are some ideas:

This Chart of C02 increases on flickr should give you some ammunition.

And

The great new exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History gives us a great tool for explaining why a cool summer can happen during global warming : Weather vs. Climate

While you're at the AMNH's website, check this out too: Sustainable Practices Facts. They've been thinking green for 10 years already.

Cheers, SB


11/3/08
During a visit to Quebec I met the leader of the green team for Zoo Granby and he and his team have produced a great, great downloadable resource: Green Book/Green Zoo Granby. My copy is in French, (which I cherish) but the website has an English version (which I can actually read well!).

9/26/08 As I listen to Eco Elvis' Compost Hotel (www.ecoelvis.com) I am distracted yet again from traditional work and am addressing green museum issues. Compost Hotel talks about giving 'trash a second life'...and that reminds me of Second Life and its application for museums, and its encouragement of us museum folks to think outside our desks and into the future. Elizabeth and I are working on our next Museum article: Water, Energy and the Future of Collections Care. We're talking to a technology forecaster, authors, museum professionals, engineers, and dreamers to think about museums 100 years from now - that's three generations. It's an excellent mental exercise that adds new meaning to strategic planning. We're also going to participate in the SuperStruct game with AAM. You can join a facebook group for Superstruct if you like. But then of course...we should all be working.......

Cheers, SB


9/23/08 A short - very short - and Loud - very loud...but then heat wheels are loud, and this video is short since you have to get back to work! SB

9/22/08

After a day at the National Museum of the Marine Corps in a green museums workshop for the Virginia Association of Museums...it seemed only fitting to share a highliight with the rest of you - a heat recovery wheel! I'm working on uploading video.

We discussed a lot of green options; here are some great basic ideas:

• --- wait to turn on the museum lights until someone is actually visiting the museum! Just because you have arrived in the morning doesn't mean the whole building needs to be lit
• ---- shut off the AC and lights in conference rooms you use only once in awhile

---- put all your office equipment on a powerstrip -- at desk level - and turn it off when you leave...if your charger's light is on, it's drawing power, if something's plugged in, it's drawing power. ---- take out the lights in your vending machine...people will still find it ---- and everybody who is anybody is using both sides of the paper. When you can't, save the unused half to use as draft paper for internal use.

Green doesn't have to be hard, expensive, new or complicated...just thoughtful.
SB

8/6/08
BREAKING NEWS! The Green Museum: A Primer on Environmental Practice, by Sarah Brophy and Elizabeth Wylie, is finally in print.

7/20/08
The Maryland Historical Society and a 'paperless' venture: Members received well-crafted this message....of course I opted in!

MdHS’s commitment to preserving the past extends as well to conserving for the future. As a historical society and a charitable organization, the Society has a responsibility to demonstrate respect for our community and the environment and to thoughtfully use our resources.

In order to reduce our impact on the environment, maximize available resources, and increase online programming, MdHS will now offer our members an electronic version of the Maryland Historical Magazine (MHM), our quarterly academic journal highlighting the newest research in Maryland history, instead of the traditional paper version. This change will allow the MdHS to both reduce paper consumption and to realize a savings in printing and postage costs.
SB

Museums and Sustainability in the UK
7/14/2007
From Javier Pez at Museums Association (UK), here are great links to information about what they're doing to encourage museums to think more sustainably in the UK - see www.museumsassociation.org/sustainability andwww.museumsassociation.org/asset_arena/text/al/sustainability_web_final.pdf

6/19/08
The Worcester Art Museum has just started a GREEN membership program. Check out this Worcester Telegram article.
SB

6/18/08
Cool online tool:GreenMatrix. I heard about it from Holly Lennihan, R.A., LEED, of Hickok Cole Architects, when she gave a talk at the Foundation Center Library in DC. This matrix helps us think about the timing of components for planning and installation, when going green. Whether you're in schematic design phase or construction, you can see what issues/deliverables come into play for a particular category, say 'water efficiency'. Try it...just hover over a blank square and see what list comes up. You can use it for an existing building, too, when you're planning upgrades. Charts are a great way to corral all the information in a way that helps you address issues on many fronts at a time.

6/13/08
Struggling with green technology questions and e-waste issues? Check out the TechSoup Green Tech site to get some good help.

The Erie Canal is experiencing a resurgence: Green Transportation a la canal barge. Certainly historic sites and history museums along the canal should take full advantage of this opportunity to interpret green history.

5/30/08
!!!!! Check this out: Sustainability: Victory Gardens @ Churchill Museums The combination of a public space for community gardens, with the interpretation of the homefront experienceduring WWII , how people learned to make do and mend, is a sustainability masterpiece for this museum. I've been to the Churchill War Rooms and they're terrific to begin with, but this extension is great. Maybe they can re-run the terrific BBC series of life on the homefront during WWII. I've been saying quietly that we should reinvigorate victory gardens...not just local food...as a way to involve more people intentionally in a different way of life. I hope this idea spreads to the US.

And this one too: Green Message in Walker Art Center Mini Golf show Artists and the Walker Art Center have put together an outdoor mini-golf course with a green message. The mini-golf concept is being renewed from its 2004 debut at the Center. It is a VERY popular public theme. The green part is a terrific way to send an important message in an engaging way.

5/29/08
Mystic Seaport just scored a big one: A Solar America Award. That means the Department of Energy will give them technical help with their 1 MW photovoltaic installation! Congratulations. If you're interested - follow the link and consider applying by June 12th. Remember though - it's for technical support, not installation funding....sigh.

5/7/08
We had 102 people sign up for the Professional Interest Committee of AAM on Green Museum. It's called PIC Green...get it: "pick green"... Elizabeth Wylie tagged it perfectly.

60+ people signed up to volunteer on committees within the PIC, so we expect to make great strides in our first year - starting with changing the Accreditation expectations!

We've come up with a number of new sources for green research and innovation. I"ve asked them to post their findings. Look for lots of updates here.

4/9/08
As we prepare for AAM in Denver, we hear that 90+ folks have signed up for the first formal meeting of the Professional Interest Committee on Green Museums! That's exciting. And the number of green presentations at AAM has grown significantly.

For the times in between meetings, we hope to find a way to create a shared workspace and learning space for green teams at museums. As soon as we sort it out, we'll let you know.

The Christian Science Monitor has an article on Grand Rapids Art Museum and the Phipps Conservatory. It quotes one source a bit much, methinks, but it gives the museums great coverage.


3/6/08

We've been hearing from folks about how the UC Davis site is so terrific (see link below). Please be sure to check it out if you have any exhibit responsibilities or influence. (see 2/4/08).

We've just received this link to a Monograph on Sustainability and Global Warming. We recommend it to you for perspective on the educational efforts of European museums: In mid-2007, Sciencenter (Ithaca, NY) executive director, Charlie Trautmann, traveled to Europe and surveyed a wide variety of science museums, centers, and other informal educational organizations to learn how they are communicating about sustainability and global warming to the public. His report includes a new tool, called the "Museum Sustainability Index," which museums can use to assess their own progress in becoming more sustainable organizations and communicating the science of sustainability to the public. Download his report (2.9 MB): A Change in the Weather

- Cheers, SB

2/4/08
When you see this you'll know you've died and gone to heaven: UCDavis Design Museum Green Exhibits Wiki.
Spread the word. Tim McNeil and his students are the most amazing resource!

And this: Greendrinks. There may be one in a city near you. It's a great, easy way to find other green folks. You may find great collaborators, advisors, funders or promoters in the group. You may find just what you need to help you green you museum more easily, completely, and effectively. I am about to co-start one in my town with Rob Forloney of the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. If there isn't one in yours, what are you waiting for! Start your own for Pete's sake!

Now don't be shy - if YOU have something to add, please join the wiki and let us know.

- Sarah Brophy