Project Portal
Evolve Our Practice - Project Portal
Evolve Our Practice was a collaborative project designed to help the NH Coastal Adaptation Workgroup (CAW) build shared competencies, skills, and resources to support and advance equitable climate adaptation. Supported by the Strafford Regional Planning Commission, Rockingham Planning Commission, and Catalyst Collaboratives, this effort began with indicators of vulnerability in the NH coastal watershed for populations that are disproportionately impacted by climate change due to social, economic, or environmental conditions that heighten exposure or reduce capacity to respond. The data and maps produced are tools to help us see where vulnerabilities and resilience assets intersect—one piece of a larger picture that will continue to evolve as CAW learns, grows, and strengthens our relationships with the communities we serve.
Project Lead
Abigail Lyon, Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership
Funding
Great Bay 2030, NH Charitable Foundation
Time Frame
Start: April 2024
End: April 2026
This work emerged from CAW’s Five-Year Intentions and Guiding Principles, a collective commitment to embedding equity and inclusion in all that we do. Evolve Our Practice gives us a framework to connect data with values—using data, local knowledge, and social context to inform more equitable adaptation planning. But data alone is not enough. The indicators shared in the resources below offer a starting point, not a conclusion. They are meant to guide conversation, reflection, and collaboration, not replace them. Listening to community members and the organizations that support them remains the most essential part of understanding how climate impacts show up in daily life and how we, as technical assistance providers, can respond meaningfully.
Ultimately, this project invites CAW members to use these insights as a springboard for deeper engagement. By exploring who is missing in our current outreach and decision-making processes, we can begin to identify barriers, illuminate inequities, and co-create spaces where everyone feels welcome and supported. When we design programs and partnerships that center those most affected by climate change and social inequity, we build systems that serve our entire community. The data presented here help point us in that direction—toward a more inclusive, resilient, and connected future for NH’s coastal watershed.
Evolve Our Practice was supported by funding from the NH Charitable Foundation through the Great Bay 2030 partnership. This work was made possible through the collaboration and dedication of the Strafford Regional Planning Commission, Rockingham Planning Commission, and Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership whose teams compiled and present the data contained within these resources. PREP and the NH Coastal Adaptation Workgroup extend deep appreciation to Catalyst Collaboratives for their guidance in identifying meaningful indicators, emphasizing the importance of data collection and application, and encouraging the NH Coastal Adaptation Workgroup to move beyond individual learning toward implementing accessible and inclusive practices that create welcoming spaces for those most affected by social inequity and climate change.