Smithsonian receives $10 million donation for climate research

Gift will fund new research, programming and recommendations for climate resilience at the Smithsonian’s Tropical Research Institute in Panama.

I am pleased to share that the Smithsonian has received a $10 million donation from business leader and philanthropist Adrienne Arsht to advance climate resilience research and education. The donation will launch the Adrienne Arsht Community-Based Resilience Solutions Initiative, a multi-year program to research tropical resilience and educate the public about the role resilience—the ability to prepare for and respond to global change—plays in shaping the world around us.

The donation will fund the establishment of a center for resilience and sustainability within the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama. This center will study the resilience and sustainability connecting complex tropical systems, such as rainforests, and the people who depend on these systems. In addition, the center will build from resilience found in natural systems, working with partners and communities, to devise and field-test solutions. Program areas will include scaling up of Smithsonian programs that restore and rewild natural rainforest communities, and encourage more environmentally conscious fishing practices, and work to understand the risks, triggers, and tipping points in tropical forests and reefs.

STRI also will develop a suite of bilingual educational and outreach tools focused on resilience. With the support of staff scientists, fellows, students, and partners, STRI will develop a collection of socio-ecological teaching case studies that can be used to develop courses for policy makers and field practitioners, aimed at improving the integration of rapidly evolving science findings in decision-making.

This gift marks the first time Arsht has made a substantial donation to the Smithsonian. Arsht, Chair Emerita of TotalBank in Florida, has long supported the arts with donations to cultural organizations such as the Kennedy Center and Lincoln Center in New York. In addition, she has funded research centers focused on Latin America and climate resilience at the Atlantic Council, a non-partisan think tank based in Washington, D.C.

Other new programs funded by this donation include the Smithsonian’s 15-stop virtual resilience tour, which will partner the Smithsonian’s science units with its arts and culture museums and programs to explore different interpretations of resilience. Another key component of this initiative is the Smithsonian Resilience Fund, an Institution-wide competitive grant program to foster and elevate resilience work across all Smithsonian museums and centers.

Arsht’s gift to the Smithsonian is part of the Smithsonian Campaign for Our Shared Future, which will secure funds for all Smithsonian museums and centers in support of a single, bold vision: to build a better future for all. The campaign will provide a foundation for critical research to ensure people and nature thrive together, build unparalleled education programs with families and partners, document the present while reflecting on the past, and reimagine the visitor experience both in-person and online.

            People and communities around the world are increasingly threatened by changing climates, and Adrienne Arsht’s generous donation will serve as a catalyst for promoting and conducting climate resilience research in Latin America and beyond, as well as create new opportunities to educate our children about the importance of sustainability, resilience and conservation.

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