This Women’s History Month, we are proud to honor the legacy of Barbara Cohen, a woman and longtime member of the American Littoral Society whose volunteerism and passion advanced coastal conservation in New York. While we sadly said goodbye to Barbara in 2024, her impact remains visible on every shoreline across the state. ​

A lifelong educator with a degree in Art History from Hunter College, Barbara’s journey into environmentalism was fueled by a deep-seated commitment to activism. Alongside her late husband and "best friend," Mickey Maxwell Cohen, she spent decades marching for civil rights and anti-war causes before turning her formidable organizational skills toward the protection of New York’s natural spaces. 

Barbara was a driving force behind the New York State Beach Cleanup program, which is celebrating its 40th year in 2026 and is a cornerstone of the American Littoral Society’s Northeast Chapter. When she took over as lead volunteer coordinator in 1994, the program consisted of just four cleanup sites. Through her tireless advocacy, Barbara grew that effort into a massive network of 100 cleanup locations, coordinating an incredible 10,000 volunteers to participate in the International Coastal Cleanup. 

Last week, the American Littoral Society played a prominent role at the 2026 New Jersey Coastal & Climate Resilience Conference, a biennial gathering that convenes leaders, scientists, educators, and practitioners working to protect coastal communities and ecosystems in the face of accelerating climate change.

Held March 9 - 11 at the Seaview Hotel in Galloway, New Jersey, the conference brought together climate and resilience professionals from across New Jersey and beyond. Hosted by the New Jersey Coastal Resilience Collaborative (NJCRC) and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), the event focused on advancing science based, collaborative solutions under the theme “Navigating Changing Tides.”

Throughout the three day program, Littoral Society staff were highly visible as session leaders, presenters, moderators, and panelists, demonstrating both our depth of expertise and our long standing commitment to climate-ready, community-driven coastal solutions.

Advancing Nature Based Solutions and Climate Ready Restoration
The Littoral Society has spent decades at the forefront of climate and coastal resilience work bridging scientific research, hands-on education, on-the-ground restoration, and community engagement.

Since Hurricane Sandy, the Society has led over 60 nature-based solution projects including large-scale beach and marsh restoration, green infrastructure, construction of reefs and other natural storm buffers. We also have led regional partnerships to restore ecological habitat function to Delaware Bay, plan resilience in the Shark River watershed, and connect students coast-wide through various program like Beach Grasses in the Classes and SeaQuest. Our experience and the impact of our work was on full display throughout the conference.