Partner Highlight: Finding Success in Virtual Sustainability Programming
Nich Weller, Arizona State University
Efforts to incorporate and promote sustainability in the age of COVID might look a bit different from previous years, but that hasn’t slowed the progress and ideas of some dedicated museum professionals. In September, the third cohort of NISE Network's Sustainability Fellowship Program shared their progress implementing a sustainability project at their museums. Below are just a few highlights.
Darcie Cook of the Cape Fear Museum used a social media campaign to show how to reduce or eliminate plastic waste.
Kathryn Semmens of the Nurture Nature Center in Easton, Pennsylvania with Keri and Tom Maxfield designed a virtual tour of the Center’s “Living Local Mural” to highlight local environmental issues in the region. The Nurture Nature Center also hosted a virtual youth
At the Cape Fear Museum in Wilmington, North Carolina, Darcie Cook created a Plastic Free July social media campaign and hosted two teen conversations about sustainability. Her Plastic Free July programming was highlighted by TerraCycle, a company that recycles hard-to-recycle materials.
Niles Parker connected with local conservation groups to pilot a podcast and digital show series about environmental issues in Bangor, Maine, home to the Maine Discovery Museum.
Anjuli Grantham with the Alaska State Museum has created partnerships with the Alaska Electric Vehicle Association to work towards installing electrical vehicle charging stations at museums across Alaska.
The projects highlight the diversity of pathways organizations can take towards sustainability and the hard work and passion that many museum professionals hold for sustainability efforts. The fellowship is part of NISE Network’s Sustainability and Museums efforts funded by the Rob and Melani Walton Foundation. Many of the resources and tools from the fellowship are available for others to use, including public programs and activities and professional development resources.
