The following is part of a recurring series of Q&As with NJCRC partners highlighting their work, perspectives on coastal resilience issues, and views on how the collaborative can help. In this edition we caught up with NJCRC Co-Chair and Coastal Ecological Restoration Workgroup Lead Liz Semple, who serves as the Director of Coastal Programs at The Nature Conservancy in New Jersey.
Can you tell us about your background and how you first became interested in coastal resilience issues?
I am a proud Jersey Girl, born and raised. My family hails from Bridgeton and the surrounding farmland in South Jersey—the real South Jersey. I fondly remember my mother singing “On the Way to Cape May” and reminiscing about how she and her sister would sing it all the way to Avalon as kids. My parents moved to Monmouth County when I started kindergarten, and we spent summer days at the beach there, along with vacations at the shore in South Jersey.
During graduate school at Rutgers, I came across an article about the NJDEP’s cleanup of the Navesink River, which sparked my interest in coastal restoration. I reached out to the Director of NJDEP’s Water Resources program and secured an hourly position working on the Navesink and other coastal watershed restoration projects. That marked the beginning of my 32-year career at NJDEP, which included significant coastal resilience efforts following Hurricane Sandy. Toward the end of our Sandy recovery projects, Patty Doer from TNC and I co-founded the NJCRC to sustain the collaborative efforts and make coastal resilience a reality.
What kind of work do you do at The Nature Conservancy?
I joined The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in October 2021 as part of the coastal program and now serve as the Director of Coastal Programs for TNC New Jersey. Our mission is to restore or improve the management of thousands of coastal marsh acres and benefit significant portions of the coastal population by 2030. These goals align with TNC’s regional, national, and global objectives.
Our primary strategy is to retain sediment within estuarine systems and make the beneficial use of dredged material for ecosystem restoration a standard practice in New Jersey. We work on implementation projects, scaling efforts, and policy initiatives to achieve this.
How does your organization’s mission and needs connect with the NJCRC?
The NJCRC, a network of over 100 diverse partners dedicated to fostering sustainable and resilient communities and ecosystems, closely aligns with TNC New Jersey’s coastal program goals. NJCRC provides connections to communities, outreach opportunities, and site visits, while offering a platform for coastal ecological restoration practitioners to coordinate and scale their efforts.
What is your favorite place on the New Jersey coast and why?
I have many favorite places along the New Jersey coast. I love the autumn views of vibrant marsh colors near the Rutgers Marine Science Center, where I worked as a graduate student. Evenings on the beach in Strathmere with my family, riding waves on boogie boards, are unforgettable. I also enjoy walks on Sandy Hook, whether through the holly forest or overlooking the New York skyline.