The Nantucket Historical Association Partners with the National Park Service and International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property to Host a Climate Change Symposium on Nantucket
Three-Day Event will be held at the Whaling Museum, December 6–8, 2022
The Nantucket Historical Association (NHA), in partnership with the National Park Service (NPS) and the Rome-based International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property, will host a three-day symposium at the NHA’s Whaling Museum, December 6–8, 2022, to explore the latest climate change research and develop strategies for advancing climate conservation and protection. The symposium will include working meetings with climate change experts on December 6 and 7 and a community forum on December 8, which will be open to the public and free of charge, as well as live-streamed on Zoom.Nantucket, an island 30 miles off the coast of Massachusetts, was a global whaling capital from the late-eighteenth century until the mid-nineteenth century. Today, the island and town comprise one of the largest National Historic Landmark Districts on the nation’s east coast, with more than 800 structures built before 1850. The historical sites and cultural resources that comprise Nantucket’s National Historic Landmark District are threatened by coastal flooding, erosion, and other climate change-related risks.“With the impact of rising sea levels threatening our iconic historic structures, the NHA is engaging with leading experts to examine how we might respond to this issue, protect our cultural resources, and help to create modes that could be useful for other communities and organizations,” says NHA Gosnell Executive Director, Niles Parker.
Anticipated outcomes from the symposium include the development of a strategic framework to inform future research and actions and adopting a formal declaration of the climate change challenges facing cultural heritage locations globally, including Nantucket. In addition, the NHA will be exploring specific protections for the NHA’s properties.
To register to attend the public forum in person, click here.
The workshop and symposium are supported by the Osceola Foundation, Inc. (Walter Beinecke, Jr. family), the ReMain Nantucket Fund managed by the Community Foundation for Nantucket, and Michelle Kolb, Kolb Architects.
Learn more and see who the experts are here.
About the Nantucket Historical AssociationThe Nantucket Historical Association’s mission is to preserve and interpret the history of Nantucket through its programs, collections, and properties, to promote the island’s significance, and foster an appreciation of it among all audiences. To learn more about the NHA’s program offerings, visit www.NHA.org.
About the National Park Service
The National Park Service preserves unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations. The Park Service cooperates with partners to extend the benefits of natural and cultural resource conservation and outdoor recreation throughout this country and the world.About the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property
The International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM) is an intergovernmental organization working in service of the UNESCO World Heritage Member States (i.e., countries) to promote the conservation of all forms of cultural heritage, in every region of the world.