Adaptation in Action coaching

Are you looking to strengthen your municipality's climate adaptation work?  

If you are applying or preparing for Adaptation in Action funding through the Green Municipal Fund’s Local Leadership for Climate Adaptation initiative, you can benefit from free coaching from climate adaptation experts to support your project design and implementation. 

What is Adaptation in Action coaching?

Adaptation in Action coaching empowers municipalities with expert guidance, ensuring your climate adaptation projects are effective, equitable and resilient. Tailored coaching is available to help you navigate the complexities of climate adaptation implementation with the latest information and consideration, so your projects are successful and inclusive.

Our coaching aims to deliver up to 10 hours of personalized coaching sessions per municipality, project or team, tailored to help you navigate and succeed in your climate adaptation projects.

Benefits of coaching: 

• Tailored, on-demand expert support  

  Our coaching is designed to maximize the impact of your climate adaptation projects by providing personalized support tailored to your community's specific needs. Coaching helps ensure that your projects are effective, equitable and resilient.

• Expertise you can trust 

  Our coaches are seasoned professionals with extensive experience in key areas of climate adaptation. They bring a deep understanding of the unique challenges municipalities face and are fully equipped to guide you through them.

• Free of charge

  These services are offered at no cost to participating municipalities. Our priority is to ensure you have access to the resources you need to make a lasting impact.

Areas of expertise

Eligible municipalities can access free expert guidance in the following areas. Expand each section to learn more about our expert coaches, their areas of expertise, and how they can support your climate adaptation initiatives. 

Indigenous Knowledge and Engagement Methods

What this coaching will help you achieve:

• Advancing Indigenous rights through climate adaptation aligned with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).  
• Applying a holistic Indigenous lens to adaptation planning, grounded in Michi Saagiig Nishnabeg rights, culture and spirituality.  
• Exploring Indigenous-led adaptation, Two-Eyed Seeing, and bridging Western and Indigenous knowledge systems.  
• Strengthening respectful, rights-based engagement approaches and supporting early and ongoing collaboration with Indigenous communities while honouring governance structures, knowledge sovereignty, protocols and culturally appropriate ways of knowing. 

Coaches

• Gary Pritchard, Chief Executive Officer, 4 Directions of Conservation Consulting Services

  Gary is the Chief Executive Officer of 4 Directions of Conservation Consulting Services and a member of Curve Lake First Nation. With experience working with nearly 300 Indigenous communities across North America, he brings expertise in Indigenous-led conservation, Two-Eyed Seeing in ecological monitoring, capacity building, and bridging Western and traditional sciences.

• Erin Walker, DEI Consultant, Inclusive Kind  

  Erin is a leader in advancing equity and inclusion across institutions and communities. With extensive experience, she specializes in driving transformative change to foster environments where everyone can succeed.  

Anti-Racism, Equity, and Inclusion

What this coaching will help you achieve:

• Embedding Anti-Racism, Equity, and Inclusion (AREI) principles into the design and implementation of adaptation projects.  
• Identifying systemic barriers and inequities that shape climate vulnerability, particularly for equity-deserving and historically marginalized communities.  
• Applying an AREI lens across project stages, prioritizing lived experience and developing practical tools and guiding questions that promote inclusive, transparent and accountable adaptation actions with more equitable and lasting outcomes.  

Coaches

• Gabby Zuniga, Principal Consultant, Inclusive Kind  

  Gabby is the founder of Inclusive Kind, focusing on advancing equity and inclusion across institutions and communities. She brings decades of expertise in driving systemic change to create environments where everyone can thrive.  

• Erin Walker, DEI Consultant, Inclusive Kind  

  Erin is a leader in advancing equity and inclusion across institutions and communities. With extensive experience, she specializes in driving transformative change to foster environments where everyone can succeed. 

Inclusive Engagement and Community Collaboration

What this coaching will help you achieve:

• Nicole Armos, Associate Director, Knowledge & Practice, Simon Fraser University Centre for Dialogue

  Nicole leads the Centre for Dialogue’s research, knowledge exchange and capacity building initiatives. With over a decade of experience supporting local, provincial and federal public engagement projects, she advances innovative and equitable approaches to participatory democracy.

• Michelle Bested, Associate Director, Engagement and Social Enterprise, Simon Fraser University Centre for Dialogue

  Michelle has led the consulting services team since 2019. She works with partners across Canada to design inclusive public and stakeholder engagement initiatives on issues such as housing and climate change. With a background in international cooperation and degrees from the London School of Economics and the University of Ottawa, she is passionate about fostering meaningful, inclusive dialogue.  

Project Management

What this coaching will help you achieve:

• Strengthening the planning, implementation and evaluation of climate adaptation initiatives.  
• Defining scope, timelines, roles, governance structures, and performance indicators to ensure projects are delivered effectively and sustainably.  
• Gaining practical tools for budgeting, funding identification, risk management and internal coordination.  
• Enhancing project structures and decision-making processes, helping teams deliver adaptation outcomes on time, on budget and with measurable impact.  

Coaches

• Dr. Chúk Odenigbo, Environmental Scientist, Tamarack Institute

  With over 10 years of experience in bilingual community engagement and project management with an anti-racism lens, Chúk has worked conducting environmental impact assessments. This technical expertise, combined with his leadership in social impact projects, positions him as a key player in helping municipalities design sustainable and resilient climate solutions. 

Technical Solutions

What this coaching will help you achieve:

• Identifying and implementing effective technical climate adaptation measures, including grey, green and hybrid infrastructure.  
• Assessing climate risks, analyzing feasibility and selecting context-appropriate engineering and nature-based solutions.  
• Exploring innovative and nature-positive approaches that enhance resilience while ensuring durable, technically sound outcomes.  
• Providing support tailored to municipal needs, drawing on multidisciplinary expertise to strengthen long-term sustainability.

Coaches

• Harris Switzman, M.A.Sc., P.Geo., ENV SP, Senior Sustainability and Climate Change Specialist, Onterris (formerly Montrose Environmental Solutions)

  Harris is an environmental and sustainability professional with over 15 years of experience developing and implementing strategies for corporate and operational aspects of climate change adaptation, GHG emissions reductions, water management and overall environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance.

• Amanda McKay, P.Eng., Project Manager and Main Contact, Onterris

  Amanda is a senior water resources engineer with over 12 years of consulting experience specializing in assessing and mitigating climate change effects on hydrology, hydraulics, and environmental water management. She has led and contributed to a wide range of projects across Canada, including flood risk studies, watershed management, river restoration, stormwater management (SWM), and environmental assessments.

The rest of the team is also from Onterris, with expertise in water resources, ecology, engineering and climate risk, supporting project delivery, including:

• David Van Vliet, Service Director, Climate Risk and Strategic Services  
• Nicholas Krygsman, Service Director, Eastern Water Resources and Principal Civil/Water Resources Engineer
• Mariëtte Pushkar, Principal Fluvial Geomorphologist  
• Shari Muscat, Service Director, Eastern Ecology  
• Isabelle Filion, Senior Engineer  
• Daron Abbey, Principal Hydrogeologist  
• Fabio Tonto, Senior Engineer 

Who is eligible for coaching?  

Coaching services are available to municipalities that are applying or preparing for Adaptation in Action funding, including:

• Municipalities with approved Adaptation in Action funding (feasibility studies and implementation projects)  
• Applicants that were not selected for funding but remain eligible for support  
• Municipalities that have completed an Adaptation in Action pre-application form and are preparing a full application  
• Municipalities that have completed Climate-Ready Plans and Processes (CRPP) funding and are moving towards implementation, with eligibility for Adaptation in Action funding 

How to access Coaching?

Step 1: Express your interest in coaching  

Municipalities that are applying or preparing for Adaptation in Action funding can express their interest in coaching. To provide insights on your needs and project, you will complete an online form. This form serves a dual purpose: it signals your interest in coaching and helps us understand your project’s specific needs.

Step 2: Co-develop your coaching plan 

Based on the needs identified in your project, FCM staff will collaborate with you to co-create a tailored coaching plan. This personalized learning journey may involve one or more coaches, depending on your specific context and needs. The goal is to ensure that the path forward reflects your priorities and responds to your municipality’s specific needs.

Step 3: Begin your coaching sessions 

Book your coaching sessions at your convenience. Sessions will be conducted virtually, providing flexibility for your team.

Step 4: Implement and succeed 

With the guidance of your coaches, you’ll be better equipped to implement your project successfully, overcoming challenges and achieving your climate adaptation goals. Throughout your coaching experience and at the end of the coaching sessions, we will seek your feedback to ensure the experience is valuable and to help us improve our services for future participants. 

Cost

Completely Free

The Adaptation in Action Coaching Services are provided at no cost to participating municipalities. Our mission is to empower you to take meaningful climate action without financial barriers.