Field Trip: Protecting Strawbery Banke and Portsmouth from Sea-level Rise

Explore the sea-level rise impacts at the Strawberry Banke Museum and see progress being made to understand and mitigate these impacts. Leave with actions steps to help make a difference in protecting our history and our planet. A walking tour of the Strawberry Banke museum will provide a brief overview of the site history, visit impact sites as related to surface and groundwater flooding, and discuss the early stages of stormwater master planning and groundwater studies. The tour will also include a visit to the gallery exhibit Water Has a Memory: Preserving Strawbery Banke Museum and the City of Portsmouth from Sea Level Rise.

Rodney Rowland, Strawberry Banke Museum rrowland@sbmuseum.org

Rodney Rowland is Director of Facilities and Environmental Sustainability at Strawbery Banke Museum and is currently responsible for the 37 buildings on the 9-acre site, overseeing the Facilities, Restoration and Landscape Departments and is the project manager for various projects. One ongoing project is the museum’s Sea Level Rise Initiative, a three-part project exploring how predicted sea level rise will affect the museum’s campus and and historic structures. With the City of Portsmouth as a key partner, this initiative will plan and protect this important site from the approaching flood waters.