NCPTT Leads in Linking Sustainability Science with Hands-On Education Nationwide
CASE STUDY
understand the impacts of sea level rise on the city and on individual properties, culminating in a preservation database of each property which the City can now use for planning. NCPTT is also working with Utah Valley State University to create a virtual 3D model of the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument in St. Augustine visualizing the site in future sea- level rise scenarios that may be used by site stewards as a planning tool. NCPTT also partnered with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of the Interior Environmental Response and Recovery Program, the Puerto Rico State Historic Preservation Office, Tulane University, and the Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico to teach a Heritage Risk & Resiliency Documentation course in Puerto Rico. This three-week program taught cultural heritage professionals digital documentation methods and documented a portion of the historic city of Cataño to identify properties at risk of flooding due to climate change. It also created digital tools for the Puerto Rico State Historic Preservation Office and local leaders to use for land use planning.
The National Park Service’s National Center for Preservation Technology and Training (NCPTT), part of the National Park Service’s National Center for Cultural Resources, seeks to preserve cultural resources through the use of science and technology. The NCPTT works with a variety of partners, including government agencies, academic institutions, and nonprofit organizations, to conduct research, develop and disseminate technical information, and provide training and education on preservation technologies and techniques. The NCPTT’s research and educational programs focus on a wide range of topics, including materials conservation, architectural conservation, archaeology, and cultural landscapes. In addition to its research and educational programs, the NCPTT administers the Preservation Technology and Training Grants program, which provides funding for projects that advance the use of science
and technology in the preservation of cultural resources. NCPTT was an early pioneer linking sustainability and historic preservation and continues to promote preservation as an important component of sustainable development. For example, a 2023 NCPTT grant funded Oklahoma State University’s efforts to study how to incorporate green infrastructure into historic landscapes to minimize the impacts of flood and erosion on historic sites. The project partners aim to find a historically appropriate and responsible solution to improve sustainability and resiliency in response to the changing climate. NCPTT grants are also helping to provide actionable information for the City of St. Augustine, Florida. NCPTT partnered with the University of Florida Preservation Program to digitally scan St. Augustine’s historic district and update its National Historic Landmark nomination. This assisted heritage professionals to better
The Castillo San Felipe del Morro was constructed in the 16th century to guard the Spanish settlement of San Juan on Puero Rico. The Santa María Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery outside the walls of the fort houses the resting places of many famous Puerto Ricans. (James Barry/NPS)
Top: A 3D scan of the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument in St. Augustine, FL, shows the impacts of unmitigated flooding. The scan was developed as part of an NCPTT grant awarded to Utah Valley State University. (Screen shot by Simeon Warren/ NPS; computer imagery created by Brent Fortenberry/Louisiana State University) Bottom: NCPTT workshop attendees clean and restore grave monuments at the Santa María Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery in the San Juan National Historic Site. (James Barry/NPS)
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IN A SPIRIT OF STEWARDSHIP: A Report on Federal Historic Properties • 2024 | 67
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