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Pittsburgh, PA – Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens is excited to announce that The Climate Toolkit is now open to field stations and nature centers. The Toolkit was started by Phipps in 2020 as a collaborative opportunity for museums, gardens and zoos to aggressively address climate change within their own organizations and inspire the communities they serve to follow their lead. With this key expansion, the Toolkit seeks to leverage the knowledge and experience of these important research, teaching and engagement spaces worldwide — many of which are focused on the observation and collection of data on environmental change and engaging the public in developing a deeper understanding of their ecosystems.
Coinciding with this new expansion, The Climate Toolkit has officially partnered with the Organization of Biological Field Stations (OBFS), an all-volunteer run U.S.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit composed of field stations and marine labs from around the globe. According to OBFS President Rhonda Struminger, “OBFS is dedicated to supporting environmental research, education, and public understanding of science at our member stations and beyond. Climate change is impacting all of our work and the Toolkit provides key resources we need to reduce our carbon footprint.” Within the first week of this partnership, various field stations have joined from areas as diverse as the Northwest Territories (Inuvik), Canada; Hidalgo, Mexico; and Austin, Texas. To date, 211 institutions from 25 countries serving more than 102,500,000 annual visitors have joined the Climate Toolkit initiative.
Field stations are centers of outdoor-learning and teaching that support researchers doing place-based science. At field stations, scientists, educators and staff aim to better understand the earth's processes, biodiversity and the role of humans in environmental changes. Nature centers are organizations with a physical presence, usually in a protected open space, which seek to educate visitors about nature and ecology. Both institution types provide ample opportunity to engage the public on matters involving climate and the environment.
“A huge benefit of participating in the Climate Toolkit is that each institution can share what they are doing, facilitate mentoring and learn new ways of addressing climate change from other institutions,” says Phipps President and CEO Richard Piacentini. “We are excited to widen the scope of institutions to field stations and nature centers and look forward to addressing climate change together.”
Currently, the Climate Toolkit embraces 33 goals across nine focus areas for addressing climate change which include buildings and energy, water, food service, transportation, transportation, waste, landscapes and horticulture, investments, internal and external engagement, and research. With the addition of field stations and nature centers, many of which are currently conducting cutting-edge climate studies, will provide a wealth of knowledge to toolkit participants.
To learn more, visit climatetoolkit.org.
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About Phipps: Founded in 1893, Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Pittsburgh, PA is a globally recognized green leader with a mission to inspire and educate all with the beauty and importance of plants; to advance sustainability and promote human and environmental well-being through action and research; and to celebrate its historic glasshouse. Encompassing 15 acres including a historic 14-room glasshouse, 23 distinct indoor and outdoor gardens and industry-leading sustainable architecture and operations, Phipps attracts more than half a million visitors annually from around the world. Learn more at phipps.conservatory.org.
Phipps is proud to be a 2024 recipient of the National Medal for Museum and Library Service, the nation’s highest honor given to museums and libraries that make significant and exceptional contributions to their communities.
Watch TEDx: What We Can Learn From an Old Glasshouse: A look at the evolving way we connect people to nature at Phipps, demonstrate how human and environmental health are inextricably connected, and show that to age gracefully, we must continually reinvent ourselves to evolve with the rest of the world.
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