GROWING STEWARDS – REIMAGINING A HISTORIC LANDSCAPE AS A VENUE FOR CLIMATE CHANGE AWARENESS THROUGH EDUCATION, ADAPTATION, AND PLAY

Abstract

Historic landscapes are an important part of our collective heritage. They provide a window to the past, offering narratives of our origins and how our relationships with nature have changed over time. Such landscapes receive historic treatments, including preservation, to ensure they are suspended in their period of significance. However, this static approach is no longer effective in protecting and communicating the heritage historic landscapes were intended to share: new approaches must be considered to contend with the dynamism of both nature and culture and ensure the health of these landscapes for generations to come. As climate change is the biggest threat to such landscapes, this thesis aims to explore how climate adaptive strategies can be responsive to both the historic and contemporary context of Meridian Hill Park: a cultural landscape that has been on the National Historic Register since 1994. It will focus specifically on providing meaningful experiences for children in the landscape, as a changing climate and environment is what they will inherit.