![]() Unfortunately, the 2008 recession forced the museum to focus almost exclusively on shoring up finances and building our audience. Two years later, in 2009, a new Master Plan for Campus Expansion included a concept for building a new Environmental Discovery Museum featuring photovoltaic panels, a windmill, a composting area, and an aquifer recharge zone. Asserting that “we are keenly aware of the interrelationships of humans and the natural world and our obligations to be good stewards of that world,” the organization adopted a vision statement to become “a premier community museum that embodies discovery learning and environmental stewardship.” Formal goals included becoming a “green” organization and encouraging others to take responsibility for the environment. Connecting kids and families with nature and operating sustainably have long been important goals for us.ĭiscovery Museum first articulated its commitment to environmental sustainability in 2007. The museum has a strong focus on science and nature, with 4.5 acres of accessible, outdoor exhibit space adjacent to 180 acres of town-owned, wooded trails that we program. Over the last decade, we have grown from two small museums into one large museum with pre-pandemic attendance over 200,000 and a $2.7 million budget. This year we are celebrating Discovery Museum’s fortieth year. Building on a Foundation of Environmental Focus I share the experience of the Discovery Museum in the hope that any insights it yields will help us all take more action and inspire our visitors to do the same. And hope, Fraser says, “is a targeted way of seeing the future and taking steps to get to that future.”Ĭhildren’s museums are all about hope for the future, but actions to fight climate change that are environmentally positive have not been a focus for many of them. In the face of it all, how do we create hope? John Fraser, noted conservation psychologist, has stated that a focus on solutions and actions can reduce fear and increase hope. The news about climate change, the environment, and the state of our planet is frightening and discouraging. This article is part of the “Children’s Museums and Climate Change” issue of Hand to Hand.Ĭlick here to read other articles in the issue. ![]()
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