Enacting Change

A Call To Action

The experience of the Strawbery Banke Museum staff and visitors over the past several years is evidence that water management is a pressing issue for the museum. Water is causing damage to both the landscape and historic resources that the museum is charged with preserving. This report has outlined the many ways in which stormwater can be better managed on the Strawbery Banke Museum campus. Embracing the adaptive strategies outlined in this Plan must be incorporated into the museum’s preservation mission going forward.

INCREMENTAL ADAPTATION: PROJECTS AND BEST PRACTICES

The concepts outlined in this report are just that: concepts that intend to address the adverse conditions and move the museum towards long-term resilience. Each project will need to be reviewed and the designs advanced according to priorities of the museum and available funding. The following Action Plan outlines a high-level approach to project implementation. Techniques for implementing the museum’s long-terms stormwater management goals should be reviewed as part of the standard process for design and construction projects of any nature going forward. Each project the museum undertakes can incorporate some piece of the overall stormwater management plan, ever moving closer to the long-term goals.

Measuring Success

Success can be measured by monitoring the plan on an annual basis, to celebrate any projects realized and incorporate new projects into ongoing maintenance or capital planning budgets. Several short-term goals should be accomplished by the end of 2025, and as a result adverse conditions should improve. The off-campus projects should address pathway erosion and decrease the overall amount of stormwater flowing through campus. Rain events should continue to be documented and measured, so that progress can be perceived and celebrated. Partnerships with the City of Portsmouth and the implementation of the Prescott Park Master Plan will be essential to success in this regard.