Claire Rossi de Leon is a 2023 Grau Fellow with the Honolulu Office of Climate Change, Sustainability, and Resiliency (CCSR), working on the city’s climate adaptation strategy, especially in regards to managed retreat and other solutions for our coastlines.

Claire holds a B.S. in environmental studies from Yale University and a Master’s of Environmental Management from UH Mānoa. Claire’s master’s degree research involved working alongside The Kohala Center to determine appropriate biocultural management solutions for an historic hala grove in Niuliʻi. Claire has worked as a planner at Kalaupapa National Historical Park, and is experienced in project management, the environmental review process, and preparing reports. She has extensive experience in community outreach and has worked alongside several different community groups to protect special places in Hawaiʻi.

Growing up in Mānoa Valley, Claire cares deeply about protecting and conserving Hawaiʻi’s ecosystems and communities. She has worked alongside several conservation organizations including Waimea Valley, Oʻahu Army Natural Resources Program, and the National Park Service. Her experience in conservation in Hawaiʻi is diverse and runs from mauka to makai, from studying kāhuli snails and monk seals, to writing planning documents for the National Park Service, and GIS mapping a coastal hala forest. Claire is excited to apply her unique skill set in environmental management, planning, and community outreach to build a successful climate adaptation strategy for Honolulu.