Are conservators “tree huggers”?
Conservators may be tree huggers, but the term Conservation, as used in museums, refers to the care of collections. With extensive holdings in Archaeology, Ethnology, Life Sciences and Earth Sciences, the Royal Saskatchewan Museum houses millions of specimens and artifacts. The RSMs Conservator is responsible for ensuring these collections are around for future generations to see. This is accomplished through the application of high standards for storage conditions, display techniques, and cleaning and treating the artifacts when necessary. One of the conservator’s most important jobs is keeping bugs, such as carpet beetles, at bay. Beetles and moths love to get into old furs and skins, and once in there, they chew and destroy the specimens. The conservator is involved in something called Integrated Pest Management, a method of controlling insects before the damage occurs.
