SALEM — With climate change increasing water temperatures and raising sea levels, historians are faced with a new challenge.
Coastal cities and towns will have to worry about ensuring that relics of the past are kept safe. And, considering that the founding of the Witch City predates the American Revolution, there is a lot to protect.
The City of Salem and the Salem Preservation Partners have joined with Keeping History Above Water, a national initiative of the Newport Restoration Foundation to host a two-day workshop to address the impacts of climate change on historical resources.
Keeping History Above Water has conferences in coastal communities throughout the United States to focus on “the increasing and varied risks posed by sea level rise to historic coastal communities and their built environments.”
The events, according to the organization’s website, zero in on “what preservationists, engineers, city planners, legislators, insurers, historic-home owners and other decision-makers need to know about climate change” with sea-level rise as their primary focus.
Event organizers hope to raise awareness and discuss strategies to address climate change impacts on historical buildings, landscapes, and neighborhoods. The list of speakers includes representatives from Salem State University, the Peabody Essex Museum, Salem Sound Coastwatch and Boston’s Climate Change & Environmental Planning Department.
Erin Minnigan, director of preservation at the Preservation Society of Charleston, S.C., is the keynote speaker of the event and will discuss how the southern city had developed adaptation strategies for local history.
“I’m very grateful to the Newport Restoration Foundation and Salem’s own Preservation Partners collaborative for making this important event possible,” said Mayor Kimberley Driscoll. “As a historic community, especially, we want to be intentional and thoughtful in how we plan and prepare for these challenges. In Salem, we treasure our history because it has laid the foundation for our values and our hopes today.
“Dialogues like Keeping History Above Water will help ensure that that can continue to be the case for future generations of Salem residents.”
The event will take place on Sept. 13 and 14 at the Morse Auditorium at the Peabody Essex Museum and will include both in-person and live-streamed events.
