A S S O C I A T I O N O F C H I L D R E N ’ S M U S E U M S

Sustainability embraces and trumps all other health issues, mostly because the majority of health issues facing children today can be traced back to the degradation of our environment and to our fast-paced, unsustainable lifestyles. While we’re treating the illnesses, we should also tackle the root cause. Obesity, asthma, childhood cancers, diabetes, ADD, which are all on the rise, have profound links to the environment. As such, sustainability should be at the very core of our operating practices and our institutional health initiatives.

s luck would have it, I re- lifestyles. While we’re treating the read The Lorax and A Sand illnesses, we should also tackle the County Almanac in tan- root cause. Obesity, asthma, child- A dem recently, as part of hood cancers, diabetes, ADD, separate community celebrations which are all on the rise, have pro- honoring the authors of two of my found links to the environment. As favorite books. At first glance, one such, sustainability should be at might think that the Sneetch in- the very core of our operating prac- ventor and zany word maker-up- tices and our institutional health per might have little in common initiatives. with Aldo Leopold, the revered naturalist, whose keen observa- What Would Leopold and tions of the natural world make Seuss Think? you feel like you’re there, mouth agape, touching, smelling and see- Predicted increases in world ing the earth for the first time. population over the next century, While Dr. Seuss is considered by along with the attainment of peak many children to be the most be- oil production and the increasing loved author and illustrator of all demands that we’re putting on our time, Leopold, who wrote A Sand ecosystem, will provide our chil-

Coutresy of the Springfield Museums, Springfield, of the SpringfieldCoutresy Museums, MA County Almanac between 1941 and Archives Leopold Foundation Courtesy of the Aldo dren with challenges far beyond 1947, is considered the father of the scope of anything we have en- the United States wilderness sys- Aldo Leopold at the “Shack” in Sculpture of the Lorax by Lark Grey Dimond-Cates, countered in human history. Since tem and one of the most influen- Baraboo, Wisconsin, circa 1940. stepdaughter of Theodor Geisel, in the Dr. Seuss 2005 ranked as the hottest year on Memorial Sculpture Garden, Springfield, Massachusetts. tial conservation thinkers of the record, there is little debate within twentieth century. the scientific community about In his vivid descriptions of his the impending impacts of global family’s restoration of an old shack Learning from Leopold and Seuss warming. The number one chal- and its surrounding land, Brenda Baker, Guest Editor lenge that will face the children we Leopold, the perennial philoso- Madison Children’s Museum currently serve as they enter adult- pher, gets at the heart of all things hood will be how to reconcile the wild with deep respect, love and passion. He calls upon meeting the needs of the current generation without com- impact of their daily lives with the limitations of our glo- the reader to get to know the land, love the land and promising the needs of future generations, is about taking bal ecosystems. ultimately, conserve the land. In The Lorax, the greedy the long view, seeing the world as interconnected, think- What would Seuss and Leopold make of this pre- Once-ler begins chopping truffula trees faster and faster ing carefully about the choices we make and their impacts dicament? How can one person, one institution, or one to make “Thneeds,” something, it turns out, no one re- and recognizing that healthy children are the natural out- field make a difference? Seuss’s Lorax would say as he ally needs. Before long, all of the trees and animals are come of a healthy biotic community. It’s a complex sub- passes off the last truffula seed, “UNLESS someone like gone, the Thneed factory closes and only one truffula seed ject requiring new awareness of the earth’s integrated natu- you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get bet- remains in the desecrated land. Seuss calls upon the reader ral systems, the delicate balance between individual and ter. It’s not.” And Leopold, nodding in agreement, might to take that seed, plant it with love and nourish it in hope collective actions and the ways those choices will affect say that “it’s only individuals, taking responsibility for that someday the truffula trees and animals will return. our children and our environment. their part of the larger community, upon which our sur- Despite their wildly different styles, I couldn’t help but In the spirit of this year’s InterActivity theme “Grow- vival depends.” Seuss would blurt out in rhyming verse join Dr. Seuss and Aldo Leopold at the hip, imagine them ing Healthy Kids, Museums and Communities,” the As- that we should stop making Thneeds, though it’s some- in conversation, and begin seeing their parallel messages sociation of Children’s Museums has developed a confer- thing we think everyone needs. And Leopold would sub- of hope, individual responsibility, ethics and preservation ence program that explores the critical role that physical tly add that it’s only in getting rid of our Thneeds, that of our biotic community as one and the same. It’s a mes- and emotional health plays in growing healthy children, we can actually see the beauty of the world around us. sage that has urgency and relevance in my own life and healthy museums and healthy communities. This issue of They would talk some more and both wind up with the work, and I believe, to the children’s museum field at large. Hand to Hand will highlight how sustainability practices same conclusion: that you can only make ethical deci- When I look around me, I am inspired by many are part of a growing movement within our field to ad- sions in relation to something that you love, see, feel, children’s museums around the country following in step dress these interrelated health issues through the way we respect, admire, understand and have faith in (Leopold with Seuss and Leopold, dishing up creative and varied work. Sustainability embraces and trumps all other health 1949). If, as a field, we can weave ecological design work in the spirit of respecting children of future genera- issues, mostly because the majority of health issues facing through everything we do, we can reconnect kids to the tions, and in the name of sustainable, “green” or “eco- children today can be traced back to the degradation of earth so that they too have compassion, love and respect, logical” design. Sustainability, which can be defined as our environment and to our fast-paced, unsustainable the core ingredients for becoming stewards of the land.

VOLUME 20 NUMBER 1 SPRING 2006 2

Our Greening Field tution, a field and a community. Sharon Klotz, Director Green Design + Sustainability of Exhibits at Brooklyn Children’s Museum (BCM), takes The leaders in the our field’s sustainable design move- you on a whirlwind tour of the process and decision mak- I N T H I S I S S U E ment are stretching Seuss and Leopold’s hopeful vision in ing strategies that were employed by BCM as they’ve un- Brenda Baker, Guest Editor inventive and thoughtful ways, taking it upon themselves dertaken New York City’s first green museum. In her ar- to make sweeping changes within their organizations, up- ticle, “Growing Up Green,” Sharon highlights green fea- Learning from Leopold and Seuss holding high ethical standards to create healthier futures tures of Brooklyn’s new building and exhibits and exam- Brenda Baker, Madison Children’s Museum ...... 1 for children of all species. With a deep respect and love for ines how the design team gauged and weighed choices Green Buildings, Green Kids children at the core of their work, children’s museums, about sustainability. Neil Gordon’s article “Green Build- Neil Gordon, Boston Children’s Museum ...... 3 along with nature centers, have already taken the lead ings, Green Kids” shows how the Boston Children’s Mu- New Case Studies: Children’s Discovery Museum, Normal, IL; within the larger museum field, and comprise the large seum is using its green expansion project as a way to do Discovery Center Museum, Rockford, IL; Strong Museum, majority of recent and current sustainable design projects something larger than simply “greening” the institution. Rochester, NY; Shenandoah Valley Discovery Museum, (Guarinello 2005). By capturing, treating and reusing storm water on the Winchester, VA ...... 4 This issue of Hand to Hand highlights aspects of these site, BCM’s project will simultaneously help keep Fort Case Study Updates: inspiring green design projects, processes and ideas, and Point Channel clean, demonstrate stewardship of the en- Growing Up Green, Sharon Klotz, Brooklyn Children’s Museum; supplements the www.greenexhibits.org Web site and vironment, educate kids and teachers about Boston har- Go Green and Get Real, Jane Werner, toolkit that was developed last year by Madison Children’s bor, and complement a whole set of community and pro- Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh; Museum as part of its MetLife Foundation and ACM grammatic goals. Green Unseen, Dave Judy, Promising Practice Replication Award Jane Werner, executive director Kohl Children’s Museum of Greater Chicago ...... 6 for sustainable design. The Web site, of the Children’s Museum of Pitts- Promising Practice Award 2005 Honorable Mentions: an online resource guide for museums Whether it’s starting a worm/ burgh, gives you an overview of Fathers and Families, Betty Brinn Children’s Museum; interested in starting sustainable de- what it’s like to keep the momen- Unified Community, Brooklyn Children’s Museum; sign projects, includes a compendium composting bin in the staff tum up once the doors to a green Project Accelerate, The Children’s Museum of Houston. . . 8 of work by children’s museums in the kitchen, switching to no-VOC building are open, with practical field to date, a host of information (volatile organic chemicals) paint, tips regarding ongoing sustainability about getting started and a compre- or undertaking a fifty million efforts. Her article discusses clean- hensive index of where to find alter- ing, community programs related to dollar capital campaign for a The Association of Children’s Museums native building supplies. The Web site green initiatives, community part- (ACM) is a professional service organization was developed with a sense of com- green building, it is the nerships and incentives for employ- that endeavors to expand the capacity and munity in mind, and we welcome intention that matters most. ees, and it discusses the sometimes further the vision of children’s museums. your contributions. If you haven’t difficult trade-offs that need to be ACM’s mission is to build the capacity of Sustainability isn’t about getting taken a look yet, the resources and made regarding sustainability. Dave children’s museums to serve as town squares it all right. It’s about starting— where play inspires creativity and lifelong links you find will help you get started Judy of Kohl Children’s Museum of learning. Membership is primarily children’s on greening your museum, with doing something. Greater Chicago lays bare the chal- museums, but includes other museums with projects large and small. lenges of calling attention to green an interest in both child and family audiences, While the vast majority of cur- processes in a building where many individuals and corporate members. rent green projects around the coun- of the green features are virtually un- try involve new construction or build- seen. Association of Children’s Museums ing renovation, there are many oth- In separate Case Studies, we’ll 1300 L Street N.W., Suite 975 ers that focus on green exhibit design see highlights of new sustainable Washington, D.C. 20005 Phone (202) 898-1080 and construction, tackling indoor air design projects from four children’s Fax (202) 898-1086 quality, forging partnerships with museums around the country, in- E-mail: [email protected] green organizations, instituting green cluding Children’s Discovery Mu- Web site: www.childrensmuseums.org incentives for employees, working seum, in Normal, Illinois, which BOARD OF DIRECTORS with the local community to tackle just opened as our country’s first environmental and social problems PRESIDENT BOARD MEMBERS (2004-2006) LEED certified and silver-rated Beth Fitzgerald Julia Bland and creating more green space as part children’s museum. Other impres- The Magic House, St. Louis Louisiana Children’s Museum of their mission. Whether it’s start- Manske Sue sive new green building case stud- Children’s Museum Peter England ing a worm/composting bin in the ies include Strong Museum in VICE PRESIDENT OF Chicago Children’s Museum staff kitchen, switching to no-VOC Rochester, New York; Discovery GOVERNANCE Lindy Hoyer (volatile organic chemicals) paint, or undertaking a fifty Center Museum of Rockford, Illinois; and the Jeffrey Patchen Omaha Children’s Museum The Children’s Museum of million dollar capital campaign for a green building, it is Shenandoah Valley Discovery Museum in Winchester, Indianapolis BOARD MEMBERS (2005-2007) the intention that matters most. Sustainability isn’t about Virginia. VICE PRESIDENT OF Carol Enseki getting it all right. It’s about starting—doing something. As all of these projects will demonstrate, PROGRAMS Brooklyn Children’s Museum The children’s museums you’ll read about in this is- sustainability can be a rallying force within an organiza- Lynn McMaster Neil Gordon sue all have one thing in common: they are all taking a tion, and working locally will only enhance the Canadian Children’s Museum Boston Children’s Museum (Hull, Quebec) strategically “local” approach to ecological design, using community’s commitment. Carmen Vega VICE PRESIDENT OF local resources, local materials and local knowledge to sup- I’m beginning to think that maybe “local” is really El Museo del Niño de Puerto Rico port their museums and communities. This isn’t to say MARKETING (San Juan) the next logical progression, the next mantra for our field. Laura Foster that everything is being built from scratch in museums’ Charlie Walter It supports the town square concept, but pushes it fur- PleaseTouch Museum® Fort Worth Museum of basements or that museums should disconnect from larger ther in this age of importation. As the effects of global- (Philadelphia) Science & History support systems, but that by working locally, they’re short- ization are eventually understood, socially, environmen- TREASURER ening supply lines, a key ingredient to being sustainable. tally and economically, maybe self-reliance, the idea of Henry Schulson EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR At Madison Children’s Museum, we are taking steps blooming where you’re planted, and working within our Creative Discovery Museum Janet Rice Elman (Chattanooga) in our current building and practices, while we work on bioregions will be the truffula seed that sticks. SECRETARY our green expansion project. which will open in four years. Connie Martinez Aside from continuing and expanding our green design Brenda Baker has overseen Madison Children’s Museum’s Children’s Discovery Museum and fabrication practices, we’ve offered a discussion course exhibit department for the past sixteen years. She’s an avid of San Jose for employees and community members called “Healthy bicycle commuter and athlete, artist, environmentalist and PAST PRESIDENT Children, Healthy Planet.” The museum has also joined mother of two young boys. When she’s not tending to one of Nan Miller Community Car, a member-based car sharing program, those occupations, she pulls weeds in her family’s overgrown Science Museum of Virginia so staff members can bike to work and still have access to garden or works on remodeling their 120-year-old house Hand to Hand, a news journal for children’s museum professionals a vehicle when needed. We’ve continued updating with reclaimed building materials, including a former and others interested in children, families and informal learning, is www.greenexhibits.org, and actively solicited local contrac- high school basketball floor in the kitchen. published on a quarterly basis by the Association of Children’s tors, arming them with our ecological requirements, so Museums. Unsolicited manuscripts, letters to the editor, artwork and they’re ready when we need them. But mostly we’re dream- REFERENCES photographs are welcome. Hand to Hand is a benefit of membership Guarinello, Elena. “Why We All Should Care: in the Association of Children’s Museums. ing and scheming about our “new” 1929 Montgomery Ward building and how we can take it further and have Building A Case for Sustainable Design in Museums.” Opinions expressed in this journal are those of the authors and do not George Washington University, October 26, 2005. necessarily reflect the position of ACM. more beneficial impact on kids’ lives with less impact on the planet. Leopold, Aldo. A Sand County Almanac. New York: EDITOR & DESIGNER In the articles included in this issue, you’ll learn how Oxford University Press, Inc., 1949. Mary Maher a green agenda can be a galvanizing force within an insti- Dr. Seuss. The Lorax. New York: Random House, 609 East Market Street, Suite 102A 1971. Charlottesville, Virginia 22902 Phone (434) 295-7603 Fax (434) 295-5045 E-mail: [email protected]

© 2006 Association of Children’s Museums. All rights reserved. All of the articles that appear in this issue of Hand to Hand Reproduction without permission prohibited. will be available as downloadable pdf’s at www.greenexhibits.org after InterActivity.