Coastal Climate Summits
CAW hosts a biennial Coastal Climate Summit, featuring some of the latest research as well as adaptation projects taking place in coastal New Hampshire communities. Find details and resources from past Summits below.
Thank you to everyone who came to the 2026 NH Coastal Climate Summit! Resources from the event can be found below.
Since 2015, CAW has recognized one or two Community Champion Award winners at the NH Coastal Climate Summit. Find out more about the award winners here:
Resources from Past Climate Summits:
Coastal New Hampshire Climate Summit #12 (May 21, 2026)
Materials
- Program
- Resource Packet – Keynote speaker information, speakers’ and artists’ bios and contact information, presentation descriptions, and links to related resources
- 2026 NH Coastal Climate Summit page
- Participant Pop-up Session Notes
Presentation Slides
| Keynote: Elizabeth Rush | Elizabeth Rush (Nonfiction Author and Pulitzer Prize Finalist) | Blog post coming soon |
Session 1 – Plenary |
||
| Introducing the 2025 NH Coastal Flood Risk Science, Model, and A Neighbor’s Case Study | Lisa Wise (Strafford Regional Planning Commission), Kirsten Howard (NHDES), Kirk Bosma (Woods Hole Group), Alex Maxwell (Fuss & O’Neill), and Jayne Knott (HydroPredictions) | Slides |
| The Climate Case for Workforce Housing | Maeve Nolan (Workforce Housing Coalition of the Greater Seacoast) | Slides |
| Grey for Green: The Kings Highway Drainage Infrastructure Improvements | Jennifer Hale (Town of Hampton) | Slides |
| The Power of Participatory Science: Beach Profile Data for Understanding Coastal Change | Wells Costello (NH Sea Grant Extension) and Suzannah Buzzell (UNH) | Slides |
Session 2 – Concurrent Presentations |
||
|
Resilient Shorelines
|
|
All Slides |
|
Resilient Structures
|
|
All Slides |
|
Resilient People
|
|
All Slides |
| CAW Community Champion Award Presentations | Presented by Jay Diener and Rayann Dionne of the Seabrook-Hamptons Estuary Alliance | |
| Pop-up Session | Notes coming soon! | |
| Ahead of the Tide: Granite Goodness Presents Coastal Climate Visionaries |
|
Recording coming soon! |
Remarks from Our Federal Delegation
Coastal New Hampshire Climate Summit #11 (July 18, 2024)
Materials
- Program
- Resource Packet – Keynote speaker information, speakers’ and artists’ bios and contact information, presentation descriptions, and links to related resources
- Participant List
- 2024 Climate Summit page
Presentation Slides and Recordings
Playlist of recordings on Youtube – note there are four parts covering the whole program; see the caption of each part for clickable timestamps to jump ahead to particular presentations, or use the individual links below
| Keynote: What Does Equitable Changemaking Require of Us? | Kate O’Brien, Catalyst Collaboratives | Slides | Recording |
| Groundwater Modeling and Mapping in NH’s Coastal Zone with a Vulnerability Assessment in Portsmouth | Jayne Knott, JFK Environmental Services LLC (HydroPredictions) | Slides | Recording |
| Meadow Pond Neighborhood Flood Water Quality Sampling: A Collaborative Approach to Addressing Coastal Hazards | Aidan Barry, NHDES Coastal Program, and Tom Bassett, Coastal Hazards Adaptation Team | Slides | Recording |
| Expanding the Seabrook-Hampton Coastal Resilience Toolbox: The Economy and Flood Vulnerability for Hampton, Hampton Falls, & Seabrook, NH | Jay Diener and Rayann Dionne, Seabrook-Hamptons Estuary Alliance | Slides | Recording |
| Municipal Land Conservation Planning for Flood Resilience in NH’s Coastal Watershed | Michal Zahorik, UNH | Slides | Recording |
| Art x Science Panel | Jo Field, Billy Karugira, and Elise Sullivan | Recording | |
| CAW Community Champion Award Presentations | Facilitated by Julia Peterson, NH Sea Grant Extension | Recording | |
| Pop-up Session | Facilitated by Jackson Kaspari, City of Dover | Recording | |
| Historic Preservation Meets Resilience: Finding the Balance | Rodney Rowland, Strawbery Banke Museum | Slides | Recording |
| Rising Seas and Rising to the Opportunity on Cape Ann: From Living Seawalls at Marine Stations to Floodable Coastal Parks with Working Waterfronts | Alex Maxwell and Chelsea Zakas, Fuss and O’Neill Inc. | Slides | Recording |
| Recording New Hampshire’s Vulnerable Coastal Indigenous History | Meghan Howey & Paul Pouliot (Sag8mo) and Denise Pouliot (Sag8moskwa) | Slides | Recording |
| Historical Use Revealed by Salt Marsh Impairments Informs New Restoration Approaches | David Burdick, Jackson Estuarine Laboratory in the School of Marine Science and Ocean Engineering at UNH | Slides | Recording |
| The Tide is Rising & So Are We: Choosing Hope in Hard Times | Julie Wormser, Resilient Mystic Watershed Alliance | Slides | Recording |
| A Framework for Flood Ready Neighborhoods: How We Are Unlearning Everything We Thought We Knew About Providing Technical Assistance | Alyson Eberhardt, NH Sea Grant Extension, and Kirsten Howard, NHDES Coastal Program | Slides | Recording |
| Updating New Hampshire’s Coastal Flood Risk Science and Guidance | Jennifer Gilbert, NHDES Coastal Program, and Lisa Wise, NH Sea Grant Extension | Slides | Recording |
| Evolve Our Practice Panel | Facilitated by Lucy Perkins, NHDES Coastal Program | Recording |
Artist statements
Remarks from Our Federal Delegation
- Senator Hassan
- Senator Shaheen
Coastal New Hampshire Climate Summit #10 (September 28-29, 2022)
Summary
Materials
- Agenda
- Resources List – including speaker bios, presentation descriptions, and links to relevant resources
- Participant List
Presentations
- Welcome from CAW Co-Chairs | Nathalie DiGeronimo, NHDES Coastal Program, and Abigail Lyon, Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership
- Keynote Address – Lead with Listening | Kristin Marcell, Climigration Network
- 2021 New Hampshire Climate Assessment | Cameron Wake and Mary Stampone, University of New Hampshire
- FEMA Region 1 Coastal Erosion Hazard Study | Brian Caufield, CDM Smith, and Kerry Bogdan, FEMA
- Frequency of High Tide Flooding in Hampton, NH | Kirsten Howard, NHDES Coastal Program
- Transportation Agencies and Municipalities: A Necessary Collaboration to Achieve Climate Resilience | Jeff Malloy, HNTB Corporation
- All-Boards Climate Forums and Coastal Flood Risk Guidance Workshops | Lisa Wise, NH Sea Grant Extension
- Hampton Coastal Hazards and Adaptation Team | Jay Diener, Seabrook-Hamptons Estuary Alliance
- Dover Ad Hoc Committee to Study Stormwater and Resilience Funding | Gretchen Young, City of Dover
- Building Resilience by Building Equity in Dover | Autumn Scott, Strafford Regional Planning Commission
- Seacoast Transportation Corridor Vulnerability Assessment | Dave Walker, Rockingham Planning Commission, and Jo Sias, UNH
- Comprehensive Plan for Resilient Salt Marshes | Cory Riley, Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
- Alternative Analyses and Preliminary Designs for Priority Tidal Culvert Replacements | Kevin Lucey, NHDES Coastal Program
- Conceptual Designs to Improve Resilience of the Route 1A Coastal Revetment | Michael Gardner, GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc.
- Lessons Learned from the Great Bay Living Shorelines Project | Lynn Vaccaro, Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
- Durham Groundwater Rise Vulnerability and Planning Study | Kyle Pimental, Strafford Regional Planning Commission
- Central Business District Street Tree Plan for Dover, NH | Liz Durfee, EF | Design & Planning, LLC
- Integrating Climate and Coastal Resilience into Municipal Planning | Jenn Rowden, Rockingham Planning Commission
- Transformational Resilience Workshop | Semra Aytur, University of New Hampshire, and Tye Thompson, UNH Northeast Passage
Letters from Our Federal Delegation
Coastal New Hampshire Climate Summit #9 (May 26-27, 2021)
Summary
Materials
Presentations
- Day 1 Welcome from CAW Co-Chair | Sherry Godlewski, NH Department of Environmental Services
- 2019-2020 NH Coastal Flood Risk Summary | Nathalie DiGeronimo, NHDES Coastal Program
- Keynote Address – Managed Retreat, Why and How | A.R. Siders, Assistant Professor, University of Delaware
- Seacoast Transportation Corridor Vulnerability Assessment | Julie LaBranche, Rockingham Planning Commission
- Hampton Flood Mitigation Study | Jennifer Hale, Town of Hampton
- Climate Resilience in the Prescott Park Master Plan | Cheri Ruane, Weston & Sampson
- Forward-Looking Floodplain Mapping in Lee, NH | Kyle Pimental, Strafford Regional Planning Commission
- Lessons Learned from Community-Based Programs | Alyson Eberhardt, NH Sea Grant and UNH Extension
- Portsmouth Extended Flood Hazard Area | Peter Britz, City of Portsmouth
- Rye Climate Adaptation and Resilience Standards | Kim Reed, Town of Rye
- Sawyer Mill Dam Removal from a Flood Perspective | Kevin Lucey, NHDES Coastal Program
- Virtual Field Trip to Wagon Hill Farm Presentation | Virtual Field Trip to Wagon Hill Farm Video | Tom Ballestero, University of New Hampshire
- Comprehensive Plan for Resilient Salt Marsh | Cory Riley, Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
- Drought Status and Outlook for Coastal NH | Tom O’Donovan, NH Department of Environmental Services
- Snow Cover, Vernal Windows, and Winter Whiplash | Elizabeth Burakowski, University of New Hampshire
- Design Snow Water Equivalent and Snowmelt | Jennifer Jacobs, University of New Hampshire
Coastal New Hampshire Climate Summit #8 (December 4, 2019)
Materials
Presentations
- Welcome | Steve Miller, Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (GBNERR)
- Setting the Stage | Cameron Wake, University of New Hampshire
- How it Really Feels: Municipal Perspective | Todd Selig, Town of Durham, NH
- Overview and Use of Hazard Mitigation Assistance Programs | Whitney Welch, HSEM
- Overview of NH Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF): Your Partner in Building Resilience | Beth Malcolm, NH Department of Environmental Services (NHDES)
- Using CWSRF for Groundwater Rise Vulnerability Assessment and Planning in Durham, NH | Kyle Pimental, Strafford Regional Planning
- Overview of NH Aquatic Resources Mitigation (ARM) Fund | Lori Sommer, NHDES
- Using ARM funds for Lubberland Creek Culvert Replacement in Newmarket, NH | Steve Fournier, Town of Newmarket, NH
- Introduction to Stormwater Utilities in NH | Deb Loiselle, NHDES
- Stormwater Service Charge Success Story in Portland, ME | Ed Suslovic, City of Portland, ME
- Dual Purpose Stormwater and Flood Control Utility in Northampton, MA | Ben Sweeney, NOAA Coastal Management Fellow
- Stormwater Utility Feasibility Study and Lessons Learned in Dover, NH | Chris Parker, City of Dover, NH
- Managing Severe Weather Events within Municipal Budgets | Stephen Buckley, NH Municipal Association
- Transfer of Development Rights and Tax Increment Financing in Dover, NH | Chris Parker, City of Dover, NH
- RSA 79-E Community Revitalization Tax Relief Incentive in Exeter, NH | Darren Winham, Town of Exeter, NH
- Innovating the Day to Day in Portsmouth, NH | Peter Britz, City of Portsmouth, NH
Summary
Coastal New Hampshire Climate Summit #7 (June 20, 2018)
Materials
- Agenda
- Speaker bios
- Participant List
- Resources list
- Letter from Senator Hassan
- Letter from Senator Shaheen
- Letter from Congresswoman Shea-Porter
Presentations
- The Latest Science on Sea-Level Rise and High Tide Flooding Trends and Projections | Betsy Nicholson and Jamie Carter, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- Local Panel – Hampton on the Front Lines: A Focus on Nuisance Flooding | Kirsten Howard, NHDES Coastal Program
- Nuisance Flooding and Pavement Impacts | Jennifer Jacobs, University of New Hampshire (UNH)
- Coastal Flooding in the US: A New Report from the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) | Roger Stephenson, UCS
- Climate and Land Cover Change: Impacts to Ecosystem Services in Great Bay | Wil Wollheim, UNH
- Sea-Level Rise Impacts on Drinking Water: A Groundwater Modeling Study in Newmarket | Jayne Knott, UNH
- The Piscataqua River Currents with Sea-Level Rise | Tom Lippmann, UNH
- Nor’easter Impacts to NH Beaches and Dunes: Answers from Citizen Science | Alyson Eberhardt, NH Sea Grant
- Living Shorelines: State of the Practice, NH Edition | Kirsten Howard, NHDES Coastal Program
- A Hidden Impact of Rising Sea Levels: Rising Groundwater Video | Rodney Rowland, Strawbery Banke, Portsmouth
- Portsmouth Historic Vulnerability Assessment | Peter Britz, City of Portsmouth
- Implementing the CRHC – State and Local Successes | Nathalie Morison, NHDES Coastal Program
- Exeter Resilience Initiatives:
- Climate Adaptation Policy, Water Trail, Lincoln Street Stormwater BMPs | Julie LaBranche, Rockingham Planning Commission & Rob Roseen, Waterstone Engineering
- Wastewater Treatment Facility Upgrades | Jennifer Perry, Town of Exeter
Summary
Coastal New Hampshire Climate Summit #6 (May 25, 2017)
Materials
Presentations
- Welcome and Charge | Steve Miller, Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
- Engaged Scholarship Panel: Dover Progression | Steve Miller, Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
- Engaged Scholarship Panel: Coastal Climate Assessments | Julie LaBranche, Rockingham Planning Commission
- Engaged Scholarship Panel: Wagon Hill Farm | Kirsten Howard, NH Department of Environmental Services Coastal Program
- What We’ve Learned: Municipal Needs | Julia Peterson, NH Sea Grant
- What We’ve Learned: Researcher Interests | Cameron Wake, University of New Hampshire
- Evolving Research for Stormwater Management | Jamie Houle, University of New Hampshire Stormwater Center
Coastal New Hampshire Climate Summit #5 (May 13, 2016)
Materials
- Agenda
- Background resources: references, speaker bios
- Participant List
- Letter from Senator Shaheen
- Letter from Senator Ayotte
- Letter from Representative Guinta
Presentations
- The Living Shoreline Approach as an Alternative to Shoreline Hardening: Using Science to Inform Coastal Management Policy | Rachel Gittman, Ph.D., Northeastern University
- Sea Level Rise: What’s Happening with the Polar Ice Sheets and Warming Global Temperature? | Cameron Wake, Ph.D., University of New Hampshire
- New Hampshire’s Armor: What Does the State’s Shoreline Actually Look Like? | Hannah Blondin, NHDES Coastal Program
- Update on the NH Coastal Risks and Hazards Commission | Peter C. Kinner, NH Coastal Risk and Hazards Commission
- Climate Change in the NH Wildlife Action Plan | Emily Preston, New Hampshire Fish and Game
- Tides to Storms: A Coastal Vulnerability Assessment | Julie LaBranche, Rockingham Planning Commission
- Modeling the Effects of Sea-Level Rise on Groundwater Levels in Coastal New Hampshire | Jayne Knott, Ph.D. Candidate, University of New Hampshire
- Collaborative Research on Changing New England Winters Impacts on Low Volume Roads | Jennifer M. Jacobs, Ph.D., University of New Hampshire
- Addressing a Perched, Flood-Prone Crossing for Coastal Resilience in Newmarket | Pete Steckler, The Nature Conservancy
- Fisheries and Climate Change in the Gulf of Maine: Challenges and Opportunities for Fishing Communities | Erik Chapman, Ph.D., UNH Cooperative Extension and NH Sea Grant
- The Business Case for Resilience: Highlights from the NH Weathering Change Business Forum | Roger Stephenson, Stephenson Strategic Communications | Presentation available upon request
- Why the Community Rating System is Important for Resilience as Communities Prepare for Climate Change | Kim Reed, CFM, Town of Rye
- Restoring Natural Dunes and Protecting People: Community Based Sand Dune Restoration in Hampton and Seabrook | Alyson Eberhardt, UNH Cooperative Extension and NH Sea Grant
- The Use of Sea Level Rise Projections in Dover’s Waterfront Redevelopment | Steve Bird, City of Dover
Coastal New Hampshire Climate Summit #4 (June 19, 2015)
Materials
- Agenda
- Resource List
- Speaker Bios
- Participant List
- Letter from Senator Shaheen
- Letter from Senator Ayotte
- Solar definitions
Presentations
- NH Coastal Climate Summit #4 Introduction: Science to Support Action | Steve Miller, Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
- NH Coastal Risks and Hazards Commission Update | Senator David Watters, Senator Nancy Stiles, & Cliff Sinnott, NH Coastal Risks & Hazards Commission
- Keynote: Capitalizing on Coastal Blue Carbon | Tonna-Marie Surgeon Rogers, Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
- What Can Our Salt Marshes Tell Us About Climate Change and Sea-level Rise? | David Burdick, P.h.D., University of New Hampshire
- Sea Level Affecting Marshes Model for NH | Katie Callahan, NH Fish & Game Department
- Setting Priorities for Nature-Based Solutions | Hande Caliskan-McCaw, P.E., GZA
- NH Coastal Viewer: A mapping tool for professionals and decision-makers | Fay Rubin, GRANIT, University of New Hampshire
- PREPAring for Climate Change: Piscataqua Region Environmental Planning Assessment | Abigail Gronberg, Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership
- Alternative Land Cover Scenarios for Coastal NH & Potential Impacts on Ecosystem Services | Cameron Wake, P.h.D., University of New Hampshire
- Coastal Change Analysis Using Airborne LiDAR Data and Historic Aerial Photographs | Neil Olson, NH Geological Survey
- Sustaining Champions of Climate Adaptation in Coastal Communities: A Northern New England Study | Alexandra Philip, New Hampshire Sea Grant
- Building Resilient Landscapes at the Grass Roots | Jillian McCarthy, SOAK Up the Rain, NH Department of Environmental Services
- From Tides to Storms: Preparing for New Hampshire’s Future Coast | Julie LaBranche, Rockingham Planning Commission
- Hydrologic Response to Climate Change in New Hampshire | David M. Bjerklie, USGS New England Water Science Center
- Flooded Pavement Assessment and Adaptation in Coastal NH | Jo Sias Daniels, P.h.D., University of New Hampshire
Solar Panel Presentations
- The Solar Panel | Sherry Godlewski, NH Department of Environmental Services
- Developing NH’s Largest Solar Array | Joe Harrison, NH Community Development Finance Authority
- Solar Development: Community Solar Gardens | Andrew Kellar, NhSolarGarden
- Context | Clay Mitchell, P.h.D., Esq., University of New Hampshire
Coastal New Hampshire Climate Summit #3 (April 10, 2014)
Presentations
- The Climate Action Plan 5th Anniversary and State Updates | Sherry Godlewski, NH Department of Environmental Services
- The NH Coastal Risk and Hazard Commission | Cliff Sinnott, Rockingham Planning Commission
- Year in Review: Media and Federal Policy Attention to Local Adaptation | Roger Stephenson, Stephenson Strategic Communications
- Plenary: The Economics of Coastal Vulnerability and Adaptation: Asking the Right Questions | Robert Johnston, P.h.D., Clark University
- Climate Change and Sea Level Rise Impacts on Pavement and Road Design | Jennifer Jacobs, P.h.D,, University of New Hampshire
- Salt Marshes Are Responding To Sea Level Rise, Can We? | Dave Burdick, P.h.D., University of New Hampshire
- Climate Change and Conservation of Saltmarsh Birds | Adrienne Kovach, P.h.D, University of New Hampshire
- Coastal Dune Creation – Benefits for Wildlife and People | Brendan Clifford, NH Fish and Game
- N.H. Coastal FEMA Preliminary Floodplain Maps | Jennifer Gilbert, N.H. Office of Energy and Planning
- Audience Needs Assessment – Keypad Polling Results
- Choices on the Road(trip) to Climate Adaptation | Kirsten Howard, N.H. Coastal Program, NH Department of Environmental Services
- Assessing the Social Landscape for Adaptation: Lessons Learned from the New England Climate Adaptation Project | Danya Rumore, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Coastal New Hampshire Climate Summit #2 (April 12, 2013)
Materials
Presentations
- Reality and Perceptions about Climate Change in New Hampshire | Cameron Wake, P.h.D., University of New Hampshire
- Public Perceptions of Climate Change in New Hampshire | Larry Hamilton. P.h.D., University of New Hampshire
- New Hampshire Ecosystems and Wildlife Climate Adaptation Plan | Emily Preston, New Hampshire Fish and Game
- The Coastal Inundation Forecasting System for Hampton and Seabrook | Ru Morrison, NERACOOS
- New Hampshire Climate Collaborative Adaptation Toolbox for N.H. | Sherry Godlewski, N.H. Department of Environmental Services
- Community Engagement Strategies | Roger Stephenson, Stephenson Strategic Communications
- Speaking of Climate Change…Ins and Outs of Climate Change Communication | Kristen Grant, Maine Sea Grant and UM Cooperative Extension
- Grist for the Mill: Essential Ingredients that Support Communities in Adaptation | Chris Keeley, Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, UNH Cooperative Extension and New Hampshire Sea Grant
Coastal New Hampshire Climate Summit #1 (December 2, 2011)
Materials
Presentations
- 2011 King Tide Photo Contest Slideshow | Jill Farrell, Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership
- Northeast Needs Assessment | Christa Koehler, Clean Air Cool Planet
- The Climate Action Plan: How Far Have We Come? | Sherry Godlewski, N.H. Department of Environmental Services
- Panel: Ecosystems and Resources at Risk from a Changing Climate | Paul Stacey, Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
- The COAST Approach to Climate Change Adaptation Finance | Samuel B. Merrill, P.h.D., University of Southern Maine
- Sea-Level Rise Effects on Salt Marshes | Rachel Stevens, Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
- A Local and Regional Perspective on Planning for Climate Change | Julie LaBranche, Rockingham Planning Commission