Salem To Host Climate Change Conference At Peabody Essex Museum

SALEM, MA — The fourth annual Preservation in a Changing Climate Conference in Salem will focus on mitigation and adaption strategies amid the impacts of climate change on historic buildings, landscapes and neighborhoods in coastal cities.

The conference is set for Sept. 18 at the Peabody Essex Museum Morse Auditorium.

The conference will include a full day of in-person events including a keynote from Massachusetts State Climate Chief Melissa Hoffer, case studies, conversations and panel discussions, lunch provided by PEM and closing remarks by National Park Service Superintendent Jennifer Hardin at the National Park Service Armory Visitor Center.

The conference will focus on nontraditional solutions and experimental approaches to making historic buildings and neighborhoods more resilient and sustainable.

"Salem is forward-looking and pro-active in managing the local impacts of climate change," Salem Mayor Dominick Pangallo. "As a historic community, we're especially thoughtful in planning and preparing for how these challenges impact our city. In Salem, we value our history not just because it's our past, but also because it's the foundation for where we're going in our future.

"Dialogues like the Preservation in a Changing Climate conference help ensure that that can continue to be the case for future generations of Salem residents and community members."

Salem Preservation Partners is a group of historic preservation organizations that gather bi-monthly to discuss issues and activities pertinent to the community.

Registration for this year's conference is $50 per person and includes the education sessions, light refreshments, lunch and a closing reception. Go here to register for the conference.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at [email protected]. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)