Dr. Christine Baumann Feurt is the Coastal Training Program Director for the Reserve. Dr. Feurt is also a Research Associate with the School of Marine and Environmental Programs at the University of New England in Biddeford, Maine. Her interdisciplinary work uses Collaborative Learning to engage partners working on shared goals for clean water, diverse habitats and resilient coastal ecosystems.
During 2020 Chris served on the Marine and Coastal Working Group of Maine's Climate Council to develop the four year Climate Action Plan, "Maine Won't Wait." She also worked with over a dozen National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) professionals to develop the "Resilience Dialogues" training course for people who facilitate collaborative research to benefit coastal communities and ecosystem resilience.
Beginning in 2021, Dr. Feurt will work with a national team of NERR scientists looking at climate change impacts in tidal marshes to develop science-based best management approaches and communication tools. She will also be working with the partners of the Saco Watershed Collaborative, hosted by the University of New England, to implement action plan strategies to protect drinking water and build resilience to climate change impacts in this largest watershed in southern Maine.
Education
Chris's Ph.D. in Environmental Studies is from Antioch University New England. Her interdisciplinary research examined the multiple ways people value water and watersheds, and how those values influence decision-making, policy, and action.
For her master's degree in Biology from William and Mary, Chris studied the response of barrier island habitats to sea level rise on the Virginia coast.