Enabled museums to implement sustainability initiatives.
Challenge
The Balboa Park Cultural Partnership (BPCP) advanced a long-term initiative to make Balboa Park one of the greenest public parks in the world. This effort included ten LEED-certified buildings and park-wide sustainability programs focused on energy, water conservation, transportation, and responsible operations.
To extend the impact of these initiatives, BPCP needed practical tools that would enable museum staff and volunteers to actively implement and sustain environmentally responsible practices across diverse organizations.
Approach
I assessed existing sustainability programs already operating successfully within the park, including the San Diego Zoo’s Green Purchasing Program, which provided proven, transferable best practices.
Working closely with the BPCP Green Team, I identified opportunities to standardize and scale these efforts across institutions. We aligned on creating a practical, workbook-style resource that would assist park employees and volunteers with implementing sustainability best practices.
Solution
I led the development of The Green Impact Guide, a hands-on sustainability workbook designed for arts and cultural organizations.
- Framework Design: Structured the guide to help teams assess current practices and identify high-impact opportunities.
- Content Development: Curated and created tools, templates, and resources drawn from successful park-wide initiatives.
- Operational Enablement: Focused on actionable guidance that staff and volunteers could apply without specialized expertise.
- Scalability: Designed the framework to be adaptable for use beyond Balboa Park by similar organizations.
Results
The Green Impact Guide equipped museums and cultural institutions with a clear, repeatable framework to evaluate, improve, and manage their environmental practices.
By translating sustainability goals into practical, day-to-day actions, the guide empowered staff and volunteers to drive measurable environmental impact supporting BPCP’s broader vision of park-wide sustainability leadership.
Collaborators
Balboa Park Green Team
San Diego State University Students from the College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts
San Diego Green Building Council