Phipps Conservatory And Botanical Gardens Inc

TAS::89 0321::TAS NEW CONGRESSIONALLY-DIRECTED PROJECT TRACKING #194.1 WITH PHIPPS CONSERVATORY AND BOTANICAL GARDENS - PROJECT WILL INSTALL GEOTHERM

RESTORING PHIPPS LANDMARK: GROWING PLANT-BASED HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCE PROGRAMMING [TO GROW PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN PHIPPS CONSERVATORY AND BOTANICAL GARDENS FOR INNOVATIVE PLANT-FOCUSED HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES PROGRAMMING BY RESTORING PRIZED EXHIBITORY SPACE.]

THE PHIPPS CONSERVATORY AND BOTANICAL GARDENS WILL DEVELOP A CLIMATE EDUCATION CURRICULUM AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR MUSEUM PROFESSIONALS IN RESPONSE TO THE NEED FOR TOOLS THAT EMPOWER CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS TO ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE. IN COLLABORATION WITH THE WILD CENTER AND A TEAM OF ADVISORS, THE PROJECT TEAM WILL SELECT TWO COHORTS, EACH COMPRISED OF THREE STAFF FROM FIVE MUSEUMS, TO PARTICIPATE IN A YEAR-LONG PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM INCLUDING A TWO-DAY IN-PERSON RETREAT, MONTHLY VIRTUAL MEETINGS, AND TEAM WORK ON STRATEGIC INITIATIVES TO IMPLEMENT IN THEIR HOME INSTITUTIONS AND COMMUNITIES. HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE STUDENTS WHO ARE INVOLVED IN CLIMATE ACTION AT PHIPPS AND THE WILD CENTER WILL SHARE THEIR EXPERTISE ABOUT INVOLVING YOUTH IN CLIMATE ACTION BY PARTICIPATING IN THE RETREAT AND COHORT MEETINGS. THIS PROJECT WILL RESULT IN A SUITE OF RESOURCES, A CROSS-SECTOR NETWORK OF MUSEUM PROFESSIONALS AND INSTITUTIONS ACCELERATING CLIMATE ACTION, AND A REPLICABLE MODEL OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT THAT CAN BE WIDELY USED, ADAPTED AND SCALED BY MUSEUMS ACROSS THE FIELD.

HOMEGROWN: EDIBLE GARDEN INSTALLATION

THE PHIPPS CONSERVATORY WILL PRESERVE STAFF POSITIONS THREATENED DUE TO PANDEMIC-RELATED REVENUE LOSSES WHILE MITIGATING COMMUNITY INEQUALITY IN WELL-BEING AND FOOD-SECURITY THROUGH THE DIGITIZATION OF PLANT-BASED SCIENCE AND HUMANITIES OUTREACH PROGRAMMING. THE CONSERVATORY WILL BUILD A FRAMEWORK FOR DIGITAL LEARNING AND ARCHIVE MATERIALS FOR FUTURE USE BY STUDENTS AND RESEARCHERS THROUGH ITS HORTICULTURE REFERENCE LIBRARY. THE PROJECT WILL EXTEND MORE THAN 300 NEW PUBLIC DIGITAL OPPORTUNITIES AND ENGAGE HOMEGROWN NETWORKS OF 300 HOUSEHOLD RAISED-BED VEGETABLE GARDENERS IN URBAN FOOD-DESERT NEIGHBORHOODS AS A VITAL COMMUNITY FOOD SUPPLY OF GARDEN-FRESH PRODUCE AND COMMUNITY BEAUTIFICATION, WHILE INCREASING PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS' SOCIAL AND KNOWLEDGE CAPITAL. THE CONSERVATORY WILL ALSO TRAIN UP TO 40 OF ITS STAFF AND MORE THAN 150 OTHER BOTANIC GARDEN AND MUSEUM EDUCATORS BY EXCHANGING KNOWLEDGE IN ONSITE AND ONLINE WORKSHOPS FOR BEST PRACTICES IN COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND E-LEARNING.

PHIPPS CONSERVATORY AND BOTANICAL GARDENS HAS BEEN A CULTURAL CENTERPIECE IN THE PITTSBURGH REGION FOR THE PAST 130 YEARS. PHIPPS’ COMMITMENTS TO HORTICULTURAL DISPLAY AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION HAVE SECURED ITS PLACE AS A TOP GARDEN EXPERIENCE. IN THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, LEADERSHIP HAS CATALYZED AN ORGANIZATIONAL TRANSFORMATION OF PHIPPS INTO A LOCAL RESOURCE AND INTERNATIONALLY KNOWN SUSTAINABILITY LEADER THROUGH THE INTRODUCTION OF REVOLUTIONARY PROJECTS AND PRACTICES. THROUGHOUT THIS JOURNEY, THEY HAVE CONTINUOUSLY TRIED TO EVOLVE, SEEING BEING “GREEN” AS AN ONGOING PROCESS, NOT AN END TARGET. AS AN EXAMPLE, PHIPPS DEVELOPED THE CLIMATE TOOLKIT, A COLLABORATIVE OPPORTUNITY FOR MUSEUMS, GARDENS, AND ZOOS WHO WANT TO LEARN HOW TO ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE WITHIN THEIR OWN ORGANIZATIONS AND INSPIRE THE COMMUNITIES THEY SERVE TO FOLLOW THEIR LEAD.