Niagara Coastal Community Collaborative

Farewell Tessa!

During her time as the Coastal Stewardship Coordinator, Tessa Anderson has been an integral part of the Niagara Coastal team.

For the past two years, Tessa has engaged community members across Niagara in water quality monitoring and coastal restoration activities.

She was also the lead author for our newsletter and created many of the wonderful resources in our Coastal Academy !

Though we are very sad to see you go, Tessa, we wish you all the best in your future endeavours and hope that our paths cross again someday!

2023 Initiative Spotlight

VAST is BACK!

We are excited to launch the third survey season of our Visual Assessment Survey Tool (VAST)!

This year is shaping up to be the best one yet! Get ready for:

Community events
Three NEW survey modules
Volunteer challenges and more!

Explore the Data

NOTE: We are still looking for more volunteers to monitor shorelines in the Niagara Region this year.

Get involved today and help build a healthy and resilient Great Lakes ecosystem one picture at a time with VAST!

Email our Coastal Science Coordinator Kiersten McCutcheon at kiersten@niagaracoastal.ca to sign up.

Spring Community Outreach Events

Niagara Coastal staff have been busy this spring getting out in the community! Continue reading to learn more about what we have been up to.

Guest Lectures at Niagara College

Discussed the benefits of GIS and drone technology in solving ecological problems.

Go Green Earth Day Event with the St. Catharine's Downtown Association

Hosted an educational booth discussing VAST.

20th Niagara Children's Water Festival

Sponsored the festival and led an activity center engaging students in water education activities.

Is The Coast Clear Conference in Grand Bend hosted by the Lake Huron Coastal Centre (LHCC)

Joint presentation with the LHCC discussing local initiatives like VAST that empower community members to take action to protect the Great Lakes coast.

66th International Association for Great Lakes Research (IAGLR) Conference

Presented VAST to attendees. More information is provided below.

Niagara Coastal staff Kiersten McCutcheon and Gregary Ford talking about VAST at the Go Green Earth Day Event hosted by the St. Catharine's Downtown Association on April 22, 2023.

Anytime, Anywhere

A Landowner's Guide to Restoring Niagara's Sandy Shorelines

Author: Tessa Anderson

This guide is your call to action;

a roadmap to the best practices for protecting and restoring sand dune ecosystems across the Great Lakes.

Click the button below to view the guide.

Read the Guide

Additional Resources

66th Annual International Association for Great Lakes Research (IAGLR) Conference

Plenary Speaker Recordings:

1. Adapting to climate change in the Great Lakes – St. Lawrence Basin: A retrospective to guide future action

Linda Mortsch, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada

2. Trends, drivers, and consequences of ice loss in lakes around the Northern Hemisphere

Sapna Sharma, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada

3. Key concepts fundamental for adapting to climate change: An Anishnabe Kwe perspective

Kerry-Ann Charles, Cambium Indigenous Professional Services, Curve Lake, Canada

Additional Recordings:

Valuing Indigenous Ways of Knowing, Being, Doing, and Connecting in an Era of Climate Change, Crisis, and Uncertainty

Multiple Presenters

Science Strategy Town Hall

Brianna Ellis, International Association for Great Lakes Research, Ann Arbor, MI

Kiersten McCutcheon discussed VAST and the benefits of community science for managers, community members and coastal ecosystems during the Community Science session at the IAGLR conference!