Retreat On Coatue: Nantucket Conservation Foundation To Move Ranger Shack Due To Rising Seas, Bigger Storms

The Nantucket Conservation Foundation (NCF) is relocating its ranger shack on Coatue in response to rising sea levels and increased storms. It’s the latest example of the impact of climate change on Nantucket, as private homeowners and non-profits alike scramble to save their buildings from the sea.

“Due to increasing sea level rise and more frequent southerly storms, the Nantucket Conservation Foundation (NCF) will relocate its Ranger Shack to higher ground this fall to protect the structure and ensure the continued stewardship of the Coatue barrier beach,” NCF wrote in a statement.

The small building provides shelter for a seasonal Coatue Ranger, who is responsible for monitoring and protecting the vulnerable wildlife living on the refuge and their highly sensitive habitats.

“A seasonal Coatue Ranger and Shorebird Monitor living at the ranger station is crucial to the success of our shorebird program,” NCF wildlife research ecologist Danielle O’Dell said. “The Refuge is home to one of the largest gull and other coastal waterbird colonies in the northeast, and we’ve seen steady increases in populations of our rare beach nesting shorebirds such as Piping Plovers and American Oystercatchers, thanks in large part to nest protection and monitoring, and active education and engagement with Coatue visitors.”

In the last five years, the shack has been flooded an average of two times a year, leading the NCF to decide to move the building. It will be relocated roughly 80 feet to the north, where it will be farther inland and safer from sea-level rise at a higher elevation.

“The move reflects NCF’s ongoing commitment to climate resilience and the protection of critical coastal habitats,” NCF director of advancement Whitney Dayton Brunet said. “The Ranger Shack is an essential part of our 50-plus year Coatue Ranger Program, supporting on-the-ground stewardship, shorebird protection, and visitor safety in one of Nantucket’s most ecologically significant areas.”

But the shack isn’t the only part of the refuge threatened by climate change. NCF has worried for years about the possibility of a breach cutting Coatue in half and is also concerned about seawater rushing into the endangered salt marshes along Coatue, which could be eliminated if NCF isn’t able to save them.

“We have extensive salt marsh ecosystems on the reservation, and again, with sea level rise inundating the marshes...they're going to become extinct,” NCF President and CEO Cormac Collier said.

And the dangers go beyond sea-level rise. A number of species living on the refuge, a portion of which was named a National Natural Landmark by the U.S. National Park Service in December 2024, could be affected by the increased temperatures that come with climate change, which might throw off their natural rhythms and disrupt centuries of natural synchronicity.

Restoration of the land the shack currently sits on and renovation of the relocated building will be carried out over the winter by NCF staff, with all work scheduled for completion by May 2026.

“It is a climate change issue,” Collier said. “In this case, we're fortunate that we can retreat.”