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Coastal Zone Program: Student Research Intern Update
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Coastal Zone Program Update
The CZP is in full swing and there is much news to tell you about! Thanks to everyone that has contacted us with their stories of the Lake Erie coast. We're continually collecting ideas to develop the trail plan and determine the sites of interest. Keep sending your ideas our way!
Our Coastal Network has been steadily expanding, and we'll be offering members new options for participation - provide the level of input that works for you! Keep an eye out for more details and contact us if you want to be a part of this exciting network. We're gearing up for our fall workshops, where we'll show you our research and you can provide us with feedback on everything from potential routes and Best Practices to the type of trail guide you'd like to use while exploring the north shore of Lake Erie!
Email to share your ideas, join the Coastal Network, or find out more!
Coastal Zone Program Research: Making Discoveries
Reseach Intern Testimonials
The University of Waterloo Carolinian Student Interns have worked with a number of organizations over the years. This year CCC was fortunate to have 2 of these students as Coastal Zone Program Researchers. Samantha and Jennifer have asked you for your stories about the Lake Erie coast, but what have they learned while working on this project? Read all about their experiences below.
Samantha Dupre
Small towns have the reputation of being boring. Since the North Shore of Lake Erie is mostly made up of small towns, at the start of this project I wondered how much of a challenge it was going to be to excite interest in a coastal trail. As we started background research though, I was amazed at the end of each day to look back on how many interesting discoveries I had made.
The variety of topics could range from the site of an ancient mastodon skeleton one day, to a fishery restoration project the next. It has been really inspiring to see that there are all kinds of organizations such as: local land trusts, community museums, private land stewardship groups and publicly managed Conservation Areas and Parks, who are all working towards the preservation of natural and historic heritage sites. People of all ages and backgrounds are coming together, and I find the potential for this trail to link these initiatives really exciting!
There is a rich cultural history stretching from First Nation villages to present day cottagers and I find it fascinating to learn how humans over time have influenced and been influenced by the beautiful coastal environment.
Jennifer van Overbeeke
As a student in the field of Environment, it is very easy to get discouraged by the doom and gloom of the messages so often touted about the state of the environment. Yet, the research I have been doing for this Coastal Zone Project has been providing quite the opposite experience. I has been very encouraging to hear about (well, read about) the private landowner initiatives occurring across the Erie coast. From movements towards no-till agriculture practices, to sustainable woodland management, to full-out habitat restoration; there are a lot of cool activities going on!
It seems to me that the people of southern Ontario are stepping up to the challenges of conservation and stewardship. I hope that with this trail we can share these success stories with those who may not know about them... in our own neighbourhoods, and from around the world.
Left to right: Michelle Kanter (CCC Executive Director),
Gordon Nelson (Chair of the Board of Directors, CCC),
Interns Samantha Dupre and Jennifer van Overbeeke
Left to right: Interns Samantha Dupre and Jennifer van Overbeeke
with CCC Coastal Zone Program Coordinator, Megan Ihrig
Left to right: Intern Samantha Dupre, CCC Coastal Zone
Program Coordinator, Megan Ihrig and Intern Jennifer van Overbeeke
