Phipps Conservatory Receives Making an Impact Award at Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums (MAAM) Conference

Garden Honored for Community Impact Through Climate Toolkit Initiative

Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens is proud to be awarded with the Making an Impact Award by the Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums (MAAM) at their annual conference held Oct. 28 – 30 in Pittsburgh, PA. This conference is dedicated to fostering excellence in museums while providing networking and professional development opportunities. The Making an Impact Award honors museums and institutions for developing either a program, exhibition, or special project that displays responsiveness and resourcefulness and have resulted in creative change for their organizations and a positive impact on their communities.

Since 1893, Phipps has connected people to nature, and over the past two decades, the Conservatory has grown into a widely recognized leader in sustainability and regenerative practices. In 2020, Phipps created the Climate Toolkit, a network for cultural institutions to learn how to address climate change within their institutions and inspire the communities they serve. To date, 248 institutions from 30 countries serving more than 120,400,000 annual visitors have joined the Climate Toolkit Initiative, making a profound impact in environmental stewardship. Just prior to receipt of the award, Phipps hosted the inaugural Climate Toolkit Symposium, bringing representatives from more than 50 member institutions together for two days of learning and networking in Pittsburgh.

“In everything we do, we strive to be a resource for people to learn and find ways to connect with nature. Our work with the Climate Toolkit has extended our reach even further globally, creating a network for so many institutions to share, mentor and learn from one another. With this, we continue to work towards making a positive impact on both our local community and across the world on advancing efforts surrounding climate change,” said Phipps President and CEO Richard Piacentini, who received the award at the MAAM Awards Ceremony on Oct. 29.

Phipps is honored to be recognized by The Mid-Atlantic Association of museums for their leadership, career achievements, creativity, and best practices. To learn more about Phipps efforts to support human and environmental health, visit https://www.phipps.conservatory.org/green-innovation/at-phipps.

About the Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums: The Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums (MAAM) is a not-for-profit membership organization founded in 1947 to represent museum professionals, organizations, institutions, museum service providers, and industry partners in Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.

MAAM brings together the resources and leaders of the Mid-Atlantic’s museum community through conferences, symposia, and workshops to spark dialogue among industry professionals. While it always focuses on building sustainable and inclusive museums for their communities, MAAM’s programming evolves with the needs of the field. The Annual Meeting is a member-driven forum that allows opportunities to network and share ideas. MAAM’s Building Museums™ Symposium is unique among museum conferences in offering programming tailored for those who plan or implement new construction, renovation, or expansion projects for museums.

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.

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.

See more: here