Relative Humidity: Reuniting the Disciplines of Museological and Ecological Conservation.

The article examines the intertwined histories and practices of museological (cultural) and ecological (nature) conservation, using the mechanical hygrothermograph—a device measuring relative humidity via bundled human hairs—as a metaphor for their shared origins and ongoing entanglement. It traces how conservation emerged alongside Enlightenment ideals, evolving into two professionalized but overlapping fields that both ultimately serve human interests by maintaining valued objects, ecosystems, or species. Through case studies such as Robert Smithson's Spiral Jetty earthwork and North American bison herds, the article highlights the fluidity between cultural and ecological conservation, arguing for a spectrum rather than a strict binary distinction. It emphasizes that conservation is a continuous, human-centered labor of maintenance shaped by social values, and suggests that recognizing the inseparability of nature and culture could foster more integrated and effective conservation approaches.