Cape Cod Cooperative Extension Welcomes Coastal Resilience Specialist Rachael Hamilton
The Marine and Aquaculture team at Cape Cod Cooperative Extension, in partnership with Woods Hole Sea Grant, is pleased to welcome Rachael Hamilton as Coastal Resilience Specialist.
Originally from Gloucester, Rachael brings experience in coastal planning, community engagement, and helping communities prepare for the impacts of storms, flooding, and shoreline change.
She earned a Master’s degree in Urban Planning and Community Development from the School for the Environment at the University of Massachusetts Boston.
What Is Coastal Resilience?
Coastal resilience focuses on helping coastal communities prepare for and adapt to challenges such as coastal flooding, stronger storms, and shoreline erosion.
This work often involves helping towns plan for future conditions, sharing science-based information with communities, and supporting solutions that protect homes, infrastructure, natural habitats, and local economies.
On Cape Cod, coastal resilience efforts can include:
- Understanding and planning for coastal flooding and storm impacts
- Helping communities prepare for changing coastal conditions
- Protecting and restoring natural systems such as salt marshes and coastal habitats
- Providing information that helps towns make decisions about coastal infrastructure and land use
Experience Supporting Coastal Communities
Rachael has experience supporting coastal communities through outreach and applied research. Her previous work includes community engagement with Black Earth Compost and serving as a research assistant on a project funded through the Sea Grant American Lobster Initiative.
Her coastal resilience experience also includes working as a NOAA Coastal Management Fellow, where she helped identify community needs and coordinate a natural hazards technical assistance program for the State of Maine. She also supported the Maine Climate Council’s Community Resilience Working Group as it updated the state’s Climate Action Plan.
Most recently, Rachael worked as a land use planner for the City of Santa Fe, New Mexico. While she enjoyed the work, she missed coastal New England and the ocean.
Now back in Massachusetts, Rachael will support coastal resilience efforts through research, outreach, and partnerships with Cape Cod communities.
Cape Cod Cooperative Extension and Woods Hole Sea Grant look forward to the experience and perspective she brings to the team.
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