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The necessity to address Easton’s flooding problems has inspired proposals for a new Flood Museum and Resource Center in downtown Easton. The museum would be devoted to educating the public on the causes and effects of floods and how communities can work together to prevent flooding and relieve flood damage.
Plans for the museum include its housing in Easton’s four-story VWF building at 516 Northampton Street, which has been donated by Nature Nurture Foundation (NNF). NNF is a non profit corporation dedicated to resolving the worldwide conflict between environmental protection and economic sustainability through sustainable development.
NNF is restoring the building, which includes renovating its interior rooms, two store fronts, a fully equipped commercial kitchen, plus the addition of audio-visual equipment for showing movies, simulcast, or video feeds. The estimated $3 million project will be completed by NNF at no cost to the museum through a grant and various donations.
The museum portion would carry a combination of displays, interactive exhibits, and multimedia presentations designed to educate about the flooding problem. The resource center would provide additional information on the same subject in other forms, such as meetings, conferences, educational programs, mailings, and a website.
Dru Germanoski, Van Artsdalen professor and head of geology and environmental geosciences, and David Brandes, associate professor and acting head of civil and environmental engineering, are offering their expertise to the vision for the museum.
“People can only adequately adjust to flood hazards if they understand how rivers function,” Germanoski explains. “I see the flood museum as an educational [facility] where people can learn about these natural hazards and how our behavior can change the hydrology of a watershed and facilitate flooding.”
So far, Germanoski has “provided some ideas for displays that illustrate watershed hydrology, how rivers function and how flooding is part of the natural behavior of rivers.
“Floodplains are part of the river environment and people need to recognize that,” he continues. “Likewise, people need to understand that some flood control efforts work better than others and that many popular solutions may not be the best solutions.”
NNF has also recruited the help of Projects for Public Spaces (PPS) to ensure that the gift is being put to good use as the Easton community sees fit. PPS will find complimentary uses for the building that will attract a diversity of people to the museum year-round and contribute to the revitalization of downtown Easton. PPS’s mission is to create common ground for diverse cross-sections of people within communities by providing them with places, such as parks and community centers, where all the positive functions of daily life can be carried out.
“I think the flood museum fits in nicely with other educational and recreational opportunities, such as the Canal Museum and the Crayola Factory in downtown Easton,” comments Germanoski.
Among NNF’s visions for the museum are a facility that assesses flooding through education and as a source of income for the flood initiative. With that, it envisions a center alive with excitement that stimulates thinking, nurtures the culture of downtown Easton, attracts numerous visitors, and fosters a sense of pride and cohesiveness among community members.
Upon the museum’s completion, Germanoski plans to continue his involvement as “a scientific advisor to the project and as someone who would contribute to the educational program by giving presentations on river behavior and hydrology.”
He also hopes to involve Lafayette students in developing concepts and displays for the museum, as well as contributing and assembling data.
The public can find out more about the proposed museum and resource center, make donations, and provide feedback through a blog, at the museum’s web site.