Katie Lund

Training and Engagement Coordinator

Connecticut National Estuarine Research Reserve

Professional experience

Katie’s training and engagement activities focus on bringing the Reserve’s information to “decision makers”.  These are individuals who work to manage coastal resources – like staff from nonprofits, municipal and state agencies, community-based organizations, tribes, and consultants. To do so, she leverages the expertise of our Reserve’s partners as “trainers” along with our own research, stewardship, and education staff who help lead workshops and provide technical assistance. Katie joined the Reserve in 2023 from her previous position at a UConn climate institute where she led engagement activities and managed municipal and research grant projects. She has worked for over 20 years on a variety of coastal management topics while at the Northeast Regional Ocean Council and the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Management. She also worked at a sustainability institute at the University of Michigan where she focused on climate, water resource, and urban sustainability assessments. Katie holds an M.S. in Marine Resource Management from Oregon State University.

What is your first memory of a CT Reserve site?

“One of my favorite memories of the Reserve is the first walk I did on Bluff Point with my kids when they were very young. I had heard about this state park after moving to CT, but had no idea how big it was. I kept pushing our little kids to walk to a point on the trail where we could get wide views of Long Island Sound, which was farther than I thought! After we’d gone a couple miles and they were ready to turn around, I saw a small side trail to the right and convinced them to try it. After a short trail, we popped out onto a beautiful beach…such a surprise – I had no idea there was such a BIG, quiet, and beautiful beach as part of Bluff Point. It was completely worth the effort (and whining) to get there. Over ten years later, I now work for the NERR and regularly get to visit this beach as part of our Reserve.”