Beach Clean-ups
Small Group Style
Spring is here! That means spring cleaning along the Lake Huron Shoreline. Beach clean-ups will look different this year but you can still do your part! The Coastal Centre is encouraging small group and individual clean-ups. For example, a 2 minute cleanup on a lunch break or during a morning walk. If you don't live near a beach, no worries! Cleanup a side walk, country road, wetland area, forest trail, or community park. You can even lead a private clean-up instead of joining a group when registering on the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup website.
General Guide to a Safe Beach Clean-up
We can still make a difference while adhering to public health guidelines! During your clean-up the Coastal Centre encourages you to follow these general rules:

  • Short clean-ups (E.g. during lunch breaks, during walks)
  • Scope out your cleanup area and choose a time of day that will not be crowded
  • Protect yourself by bringing a mask, hand sanitizer, and gloves
  • Sanitize your gear after
  • Ensure your cleanup site is open to the public under provincial guidelines
Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup
Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup (GCSC) is a conservation initiative in partnership with Ocean Wise and World Wildlife Fund. They work with individuals and groups across Canada to minimize plastic and garbage pollution on shorelines and in communities. Data collected from a Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup contributes to the worlds largest international coastal cleanup initiative, headed by The Ocean Conservancy. The goal of this initiative is to remove and analyze trash to better understand common garbage types and where they are sourced from. Having that data available and public will help hold corporations and consumers accountable. Additionally, GCSC hopes that engaging people with the environment in a positive way will ignite a passion to protect these natural spaces in the future. Click the logo below to visit their website for educational resources, current data and more information.
Geoff Peach Scholarship Fund
The Coastal Centre was founded by two passionate and knowledgeable individuals driven to protect and preserve Lake Huron's coast and waters. Patrick Donnelly (M.Sc., RPP) who is an important member of our team, and Geoff Peach, who was an environmental advocate whose actions and influence spanned 3 decades along the Lake Huron coast. 

The Geoff Peach Memorial Scholarship Fund was created to continue Geoff's work and that of the Coastal Centre. It is available to university graduate students (Masters and PhD) with conservation and environmental research interests along Lake Huron on topics such as: Biodiversity, Coastal Processes, Dune Conservation, Water Quality, or Plastic Pollution.

Zach Anderson is the recipient of this year’s Geoff Peach scholarship! His research will help us understand and further protect temperate migratory songbirds in the Georgian Bay region. Read on to learn more about Zach and his research.
Importance of Temperate Migratory Birds During a Climate Crisis
Spring time is bird migration season! Migratory bird research is critical now more than ever with our changing climate. Tracking the movement of migratory birds provides us with information about the stability of the environment. Birds will choose a habitat that provides them with the best chance of survival. Some species may be unable to adapt to changing environmental conditions which causes them to relocate to a more suitable environment. Relocation trends can inform conservation groups to analyze the sustainability of the habitats birds have fled from.
Here are some common birds to look for on the Georgian Bay right now!
Keep up to date with the Bruce Peninsula Bird Observatory for information on current bird sightings!
Geoff Peach 2021 Scholarship Recipient Meet Zach Anderson
"My name is Zach Anderson, and I am a Master of Biology student at the University of Western Ontario."

"My proposed research focuses on better understanding the movement behaviours of different songbird age classes in southeastern Georgian Bay and how they use this unique landscape. My study is being completed during the post-breeding period for temperate songbirds. This is the period when adults are done raising young and juveniles are now completing their first flights, prior to fall migration."
"Outside of my educational and professional careers, I have several interests that keep me busy. I am an avid bird watcher and I get out any chance I can get to catch glimpses of the beautiful species we see in Ontario. I am also an avid fisherman and one my favourite things to do is go fishing with my father, which is quality time that I could never put a price on. I also participate in intramural sports with friends such as hockey at Fleming College, softball in the summer, and volleyball whenever possible. I also really enjoy spending time with my friends and family, grabbing a beer on a patio, and generally just enjoying the outdoors."

"All these experiences have formed together to make me who I am today. A passionate naturalist with a love for the natural world and everything in it. An easy-going friend who can make you laugh and can also teach you about all the things I enjoy."
Age Differences in Movement and Island Habitat Use by Migratory Songbirds in Southeastern Georgian Bay
This scholarship will assist in research on temperate migratory birds in the Southern Georgian Bay region. The focus of this research is to better understand the diversity of temperate migratory songbird species in relation to abiotic and biotic factors, as well as determine if movements change between juvenile and adult song birds during the post-fledging stage. Post-fledging, meaning the period between nesting and migration, is an important yet understudied life stage of temperate migratory birds. This is often the period when birds are newly independent from parental care causing them to move to sustainable habitats if resources are insufficient. Analyzing local travel patterns will give us an understanding of what resources are lacking in certain areas. Data collected from this research will aid in current and future conservation efforts within the Georgian Bay region to preserve and increase biodiversity for temperate migratory songbirds. 

Keep an eye in on our future E-newsletters and on social media to follow
Zach's research.
The Lake Huron Centre for Coastal Conservation is a registered charity founded in 1998 with the goals of protecting and restoring Lake Huron's coastal environment. We are the voice for Lake Huron.