Local communities are increasingly becoming concerned about what to do about changing climatic conditions and they want to know more about how to best work together to address complicated socioecological issues. This paper addresses this need by presenting findings from four exploratory case studies (two in Maine and two in Oregon). The investigation was framed around functional, organizational, epistemological, and discursive aspects of group interaction. Interviews were conducted with 39 participants and qualitative data coding and analysis was completed using NVivo software. The findings and recommendations presented are designed to support the application of collaborative community-based climate change adaptation efforts.