Niagara Coastal Community Collaborative

Our goal is always to optimize and expand local action to build a healthy and resilient Lake Erie coastal ecosystem that supports the community’s economic, recreational, spiritual, and environmental needs.

As summer comes to a close, our collaborative staff are eager to share the work that's been happening throughout this past quarter, as well as what to look forward to as cooler weather sets in.

Upcoming Events

Celebrate the Great Lakes

September 26

Swim Drink Fish, the Great Lakes Ecoregion Network and the Royal Canadian Geographical Society invite you for a special welcome and celebration of the Great Lakes in advance of the opening of the Great Lakes Public Forum.

When: Monday, September 26, 2022 from 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Location: On the grounds of Navy Hall, 305 Ricardo Street, Niagara-on-the-Lake

Registration for this event is free!

For more information and to register, visit: Celebrate the Great La kes

Great Lakes Public Forum

September 27-29

The 2022 Great Lakes Public Forum will provide an opportunity for the Governments of Canada and the United States to discuss and receive public comments on the state of the lakes and binational priorities for science and action, as well as an opportunity for the International Joint Commission to discuss and receive public input on the Progress Report of the Parties. The Public Forum takes place once every three years and allows for significant public input into the implementation of the 2012 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement.

This year’s Public Forum holds special significance as it falls on the 50th anniversary of the signing of the 1972 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement between Canada and the United States.

Registration for this event is free!

For more information and to register, visit: Great Lakes Public Forum Event Website

Coastal Community Day of Action

October (Date TBD - stay tuned!)

The Niagara Coastal Community Collaborative is hosting a Coastal Community Day of Action!

Severe storm events have significantly degraded the coastal dune ecosystems across Lake Erie's north shore. This year Niagara Coastal, the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority, and local municipalities have been working together to install sand fencing across Lake Erie shorelines. Sand fencing acts as a wind barrier that traps and deposits sand, accelerating the regeneration of the dunes.

As temperatures begin to drop, now is the time to plant native coastal vegetation in these fresh windblown sand deposits.

Community members and volunteers of all ages are invited to join us this October to plant native coastal plants in an effort to restore these precious dune ecosystem to their natural trajectory. To receive updates for this event, please sign up here and keep an eye on your inbox!

Introducing...

VAST's Citizen Scientist-based Restoration Survey Module

Niagara’s Visual Assessment Survey Tool (VAST) expanded this year to monitor the success of local restoration projects that are improving Niagara's coastal resiliency.

Coastal communities and visitors of Nickel Beach in Port Colborne, and Bay Beach in Fort Erie can get involved today. Stations with QR codes have been installed at these locations, allowing beachgoers with smartphones to become active participants in the protection of their favourite Lake Erie shorelines.

Click here to explore VAST's web-based app.

2022 Initiative Updates

A full breakdown of all our projects will be included in

Niagara Coastal's 2022 Initiative Report, coming soon!

Nature-based Shoreline Restoration Continues!

Niagara Coastal’s nature-based shoreline restoration initiative aims to increase shoreline resiliency along Lake Erie’s north shore.

2022 Highlights:

5.9 hectares of habitat protected
Over 1900 native coastal plants planted to date

VAST 2022 Season Continues!

VAST's citizen scientists fill knowledge gaps across our Great Lakes shorelines by tracking changes and creating a near real-time coastal monitoring network.

2022 Highlights:

42 sites monitored
1374 shoreline photos submitted

Learn more about VAST's impact here

2021 Story Map

Community-based Water Monitoring Season 4 is Wrapped!

The Niagara water monitoring hub engages the community in citizen science, empowering people to monitor and protect their local water bodies, filling data gaps within our nearshore beach environments, and sharing that data publicly.

2022 Highlights:

Expanded to Lake Ontario - 2 new sites
Jones Beach: Pass (33%)/Fail (67%)
Niagara Shores: Pass (73%)/ Fail (27%)
Data accessed by 48,401 individuals between April and September

Niagara College Student Spotlight

Thank you, Maria!

This quarter, Niagara Coastal was fortunate to work with Niagara College graduate student, Maria Quintero.

Throughout this past summer, Maria played an integral role helping to deliver our Community-based Water Monitoring program. Maria did an excellent job assisting Tessa, the Hub coordinator, in running the program by providing instruction to volunteers, collecting/processing water samples, and recording environmental observations.

Following her internship with us, Maria successfully completed a post-graduate program in Environmental Management and Assessment. She is now venturing into the world of Ecosystem Restoration to obtain her second Niagara College post-graduate diploma.

Thank you for all your hard work this quarter, Maria! Best of luck with your new program this year!

Additional Resources

Niagara Coastal Press Releases

August 16, 2022

Community Partners Restore one of Niagara’s Largest Coastal Dune Ecosystems

July 12, 2022

VAST Benefits for Great Lakes Shoreline Resiliency from Community Coastal Monitoring

July 5, 2022

Niagara Coastal's Community-based Water Monitoring Program will Improve Access to Beach Water Quality Data for Niagara Region Residents

In Case You Missed It

State of the Great Lakes Report

The Governments of Canada and the United States are pleased to release the State of the Great Lakes 2022 reports, which provide an overview of the status and trends of the Great Lakes ecosystem.

2022 Progress Report of the Parties

The 2022 Progress Report of the Parties documents the binational and domestic activities and accomplishments of Canada and the United States in implementing the 2012 GLWQA over 2020 to 2022. The Report documents the significant accomplishments achieved through the cooperation of many partners on both sides of the border. These efforts will be discussed at the 2022 Great Lakes Public Forum.

www.niagaracoastal.ca