Outreach and Engagement for Coastal Resilience Efforts
Engaging communities to strengthen buy-in and impact
Have you ever faced any of these common project challenges?
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- A need to accommodate multiple, sometimes conflicting uses at a single site.
- Lack of community understanding of coastal resilience benefits.
- Difficulties finding effective ways to interact with local communities.
How can you tackle these challenges?
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Outreach and Engagement
- Informs people about the need for the project and its benefits.
- Ensures communities have a voice in the project.
- Empowers community members to serve as long-term environmental stewards.
See how NFWF grantees have used outreach and engagement:
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- Cleveland Metroparks:
Restored an urban waterfront to meet community needs. - Vida Marina at the University of Puerto Rico:
Implemented a community-based dune restoration project. - The Water Institute of the Gulf:
Worked with local stakeholders to identify nature-based solutions in coastal Louisiana.
Learn their strategies for success – Strategy 1:
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Encourage community involvement during all project phases.
- Learn about community needs and concerns at the project onset.
- Look for ways to apply community knowledge during the project.
Learn their strategies for success – Strategy 2:
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Use multiple communication methods to connect with communities.
- Tailor your approaches to accommodate the ways people prefer to get information.
- Consider videos, signage, community town halls, virtual meetings, and social media posts.
- Translate information for non-English speaking communities.
Learn their strategies for success – Strategy 3:
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Think outside the box.
Use interactive virtual and in-person methods like site visits, walking tours, participatory modeling, and scavenger hunts.
Want to learn more?
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To see examples of how NFWF grantees have used outreach and education to strengthen their efforts, visit:
For more information, visit Coastal Resilience Success Stories.