How can coastal communities stay safe as sea levels rise—and what happens when protecting place means rethinking where we live?
Speaker: Emma Gildesgame, Climate Adaptation Director, The Nature Conservancy
Date: Thursday, March 5, 2026
Time: 7:00 PM (Doors open at 6:30 PM for snacks and socializing)
Location: Newburyport Senior/Community Center
Cost: Free and open to the public
About the Talk
As sea levels rise and coastal storms intensify, communities across Massachusetts are facing urgent questions about safety, housing, and planning for a rapidly changing coastline.
Join The Nature Conservancy’s Climate Adaptation Director, Emma Gildesgame, for a timely and thoughtful conversation about how communities are preparing for coastal change. This presentation will explore coastal relocation as one tool within a broader climate adaptation toolkit, helping communities understand when and why it may make sense to make space for water rather than fight it.
What You’ll Learn
• What coastal relocation looks like in practice, including voluntary buyouts, easements, and zoning tools
• Why relocation conversations focus on community choice—not displacement
• How historic development patterns shaped today’s flood risks
• Lessons from community listening sessions in coastal towns across eastern Massachusetts
• Updates on emerging state programs, including a Massachusetts statewide buyout program being explored by MEMA
Why This Matters for Newburyport
Flood risk affects neighborhoods across our community—from Plum Island to the downtown Merrimack River area. This program offers an opportunity to learn from one of Massachusetts’ leading climate adaptation practitioners and to explore what long-term coastal resilience could look like locally.
Emma’s work blends science, community collaboration, and compassion, with a focus on working with nature to help keep people safer from climate change.
Learn More Before the Talk
Watch: TNC’s coastal relocation video series and community survey
Read: Proactive Relocation Away from Rising Waters — TNC feature story
Listen: TNC’s “Nature is the Solution” podcast episode on coastal relocation — Listen here
Explore: Interactive storymap on proactive coastal relocation — ArcGIS StoryMap
About the Speaker
Emma Gildesgame is the Climate Adaptation Director at The Nature Conservancy in Massachusetts. She works with municipalities, nonprofits, and state agencies to develop equitable, nature-based climate solutions that support both people and ecosystems.
Emma co-convened the Proactive Coastal Relocation Network, which now includes more than 170 members, and leads community listening sessions across eastern Massachusetts to help residents better understand coastal risks and planning options.
Her current work—supported by the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management—focuses on building a statewide peer learning network, hosting public engagement events, and developing tools to help communities navigate coastal change. In 2025, she organized the first Massachusetts Coastal Relocation Workshop, bringing together more than 70 coastal resilience professionals.
Emma holds a Master of Environmental Management from the Yale School of the Environment and a B.A. in Environmental Science from Colby College. Prior to joining The Nature Conservancy, she worked on regional water quality and estuarine restoration initiatives.
Join the Conversation
Reserve your seat and be part of an important community conversation about Newburyport’s coastal future.