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 from December 6 to 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 from 9 am to 12:15 pm and from 2 to 5 pm.
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 historic 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, visit NHA.org on or after Monday, November 7. Capacity is limited, and registration is required.
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.
The Nantucket Historical Association’s mission is to preserve and interpret the history of Nantucket through its programs, collections, and properties, in order 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 NHA.org.
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.
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.