Greening Initiative

We Are Taking Action to Become an Environmentally Sustainable Organization in Keeping with Thomas Cole’s Early Environmentalist Values

We know that every little bit counts, that’s why we are re-imagining our everyday practices to reduce our harm to the earth.

“A few short years!—These valleys, greenly clad, these slumbering mountains, resting in our arms, shall naked glare beneath the scorching sun.”

Thomas Cole, from his poem, ‘Lament of the Forest,’ 1838

ACTIONS COMPLETED

Reduce Air Toxins and General Chemical Use

  • Plant growth on visitor walking paths are controlled with environmentally friendly methods.
  • We installed a public dual EV charger for local community and visitors.
  • Grass is mowed less frequently to reduce the amount of toxins in the air.
  • We reduced the amount of areas regularly mowed.
  • We use only environmentally friendly soaps, paper products, and cleaning products in all visitor and staff restrooms, kitchens, and offices.

Reduce use of single-use plastics

  • We use an under-the-sink filtration system for drinking water in office building, rather than plastic water jugs.
  • Our desk areas do not utilize personal waste baskets, in favor of centralized trash cans to cut down on bags.

Increased Use of Compostable Materials

  • We use only compostable waste bags in visitor and staff areas.
  • We use cleaning products concentrates with recyclable or compostable packaging.
  • A composting system is utilized at the Cole Fellows’ residence. Compost is used in Site’s gardens.

Reduce waste materials 

  • Exhibition cases are regularly re-used, rather than build new cases each year.
  • Printer toner cartridges and all possible recyclable waste are properly recycled.
  • We switched from non-recyclable coffee pods to refillable pod/filters and pour-over methods with compostable filters.

Reduce Waste of Natural Resources

  • Only 100% recycled paper is used for office printing.
  • We now use only unbleached, bamboo paper towels and toilet paper in visitor use areas.
  • We are decreasing the amount of office printing, reusing scrap paper, and printing double sided when able.
  • Majority of historic site and office electricity now obtained through renewable resources.
  • Three recent publications are printed on paper made from sustainably harvested forest products using renewable wind/solar energy.
  • Membership correspondence/materials is now 80% digital.
  • Donation acknowledgements are 80% digital.

Encourage Biodiversity

  • Grass is mowed less frequently and at a height of ~4 inches in order to support healthy soil and provide essential habitats for pollinators.
  • We continue to plant pollinator-friendly plants.
  • We developed and maintain pocket meadows. Read more here.
  • We joined the Pollinator Pathway Northeast project.

I cannot but express my sorrow that the beauty of such landscapes are quickly passing away–the ravages of the axe are daily increasing – the most noble scenes are made desolate, and oftentimes with a wantonness and barbarism scarcely credible in a civilized nation. The wayside is becoming shadeless, and another generation will behold spots, now rife with beauty, desecrated by what is called improvement. […] Nature has spread for us a rich and delightful banquet – shall we turn from it? We are still in Eden; the wall that shuts us out of the garden is our own ignorance and folly.

Thomas Cole, Essay on American Scenery, 1835

The EV charging station was made possible by a gift from Sara and Tom de Swardt.

Photo by Margaret DiStefano | Drone photography by Alon Koppel

Sustain Environmental Action

Help support the increased costs to the museum operating budget to sustain these environmental actions.

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Jennifer GreimGreening Initiative