Article by Nikki Pirtel Contact Juliana Barrett, Associate Extension Educator, CT Sea Grant, Groton, CT 860-405-9106 juliana.barrett@uconn.edu climate.uconn.edu Nikki Pirtel was a 2017 summer intern for the Climate Corps project. The UConn Climate Corps brings together undergraduates enrolled in the environmental majors with town officials, to the benefit of both groups. The shoreline community of Westbrook, Connecticut, situated halfway between New Haven and New London, is home to approximately 7,000 residents while supporting seasonal tourists with numerous beaches and shopping stores in the town’s outlet. It is also the municipality I was assigned to research and create a vulnerability assessment for during my time at the UConn Extension Office Internship in partnership with the UConn Climate Corps. Through the internship I achieved the Extension Office’s mission of using scientific research to engage with members of the public and municipali- ties, breaking down complex problems and developing easy to understand solutions that may help inform policy in the future. Using the town’s Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan and various mapping services, I compiled a list of assets that I determined to have some level of vulner- ability to climate hazards (such as flooding, sea level rise, damage from high precipitation events) primarily based on their geographical location to bodies of water. Although this information was similar to that described in the town’s plan, my created final product takes the basic material and provides recommended actions to reduce vulnerability, thus going one step further. With my help and the aid of future interns, the municipality can prepare for the impacts already being seen from climate change while simultaneously saving money. Figuring out the best way to protect assets and people within communities, whether proposing solu- tions on a town wide or specific infrastructure basis (an approach this internship takes with the Climate Corps Information Sheet), is an important discussion to have and comparison to make. Creating the vulner- ability assessment was a rewarding process and the completed 38-page document (including references My 2017 Climate Corps Summer Internship 24 2017 HIGHLIGHTS OF EXTENSION