In the Media
The Green Shores program was featured alongside Coastal Action and the Mahone Bay Living Shoreline project, to share exciting new funding awarded for living shoreline work in Nova Scotia.
Kelly Umlah, the Green Shores Program Manager sat down to speak with The Signal, to discuss new funding for sustainable coastline protection in Nova Scotia through the Sustainable Communities Challenge Fund.
We are thrilled to announce new funding for the Green Shores program through the Province of Nova Scotia Sustainable Communities Challenge Fund, along with several other exciting projects throughout Nova Scotia.
Check out the official news release below.
Kirsten Ellis (CBWES Inc) took part in an article for CBC P.E.I, to discuss the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Living Shoreline, and living shorelines in the Maritime!
Dr. Danika van Proosdij joined Mario Levesque (Mount Allison University) and Host Bob Murphy on the Maritime Noon Phone-In on October 17th to discuss the Chignecto Isthmus.
From CBC:
“Pierre Comeau, president of Société Édifice Sainte-Marie de la Pointe, explains the disappointment after an anonymous donor in Ontario first promised 10 million dollars to save the former Église Sainte-Marie in NS but now won't return phone calls or emails. We hear about an energy deal reached last night between the federal government and NS & NB. And on the phone-in: Who should pay to make repairs to the dyke system on the Chignecto Isthmus?”
(Topic begins at ~16:30)
TCA Co-founder Tony Bowron was interviewed by CKDU to discuss new funding and how the Making Room for Wetlands project will help to combat climate change in the Bay of Fundy. In this interview, we dive into climate change in the Bay of Fundy dykelands, and applying habitat restoration and nature-based solutions to reduce climate vulnerability in dykelands. Click below to listen to the interview, or read the accompanying article.
Danika Van Proosdij, a professor at Saint Mary's University in Halifax, is at the forefront of wetlands restoration research in Nova Scotia and has already overseen the restoration of over 400 hectares.
Van Proosdij, who is also the director of the Saint Mary's TransCoastal Adaptations Centre for Nature-Based Solutions, said she's targeted an additional 75 hectares of wetlands to be restored. Nearly $4 million in funding from the provincial and federal governments will help make that reality.
"We're going beyond research," Van Proosdij said in an interview Tuesday, following an event organized by the province to announce its $1.9 million contribution to the project.
Dr. Danika van Proosdij joined climate change researchers at a Climate Forum in St. Peter’s Bay, hosted by UPEI's Canadian Centre for Climate Change and Adaptation.
Danika van Proosdij was featured in the two-part W5 Investigation “Washed Away”, and the accompanying article “Shrinking coastlines: Will more Canadians have to move because of climate change?”. This series was a deep dive into the increased storm events, flooding and erosion due to climate change that are a serious danger to coastal communities, and the nature-based solutions that can help communities adapt to living with climate change.
Published on October 17th, 2022, TCA Co-founder Tony Bowron was featured in the Ideas Afternoon radio segment “The Marrow of Nature: A Case for Wetlands” and the accompanying article “‘Swamp as sacred space': Save wetlands to save ourselves, say experts”. This segment was a deep dive into the value and hidden treasures of wetland ecosystems. Tony was interviewed overlooking a section of marsh slated to be lost due to causeway expansion, where staff were removing sections of vegetation to be saved and replanted elsewhere.
Published on August 19th, 2022, Erin Nelson (TCA climate researcher assistant) was featured in a CBC News PEI article “Coasts need living shorelines to stave off erosion, says P.E.I. researcher”. This article highlighted the coastal erosion issues seen on PEI and the benefits of living shorelines, along with some examples of living shorelines implemented on PEI.
Published on August 14th, 2022, Danika van Proosdij was interviewed for the Mainstreet NS radio segment “Mahone Bay installs 'living shoreline' to counter sea level rise and storm surges” and the accompanying article of the same name. This segment gave an overview of a different type of nature-based solution – a constructed marsh sill and living shoreline in Mahone Bay. TCA acted as a supporting partner to the Coastal Action Centre in the implementing the Mahone Bay living shoreline. This article gives a very clear overview of how the living shoreline works and demonstrates how nature-based solutions help communities adapt to climate change.
Published on April 11th, 2022, TCA Co-founder Tony Bowron and TCA contributor Kate Sherren were featured in the article “Maritimers debate best way forward in their struggle to hold back the sea”. The article shed light on the climate change issues faced by the communities of the Chignecto Isthmus, and the opportunity to implement nature-based solutions. The article discusses a recently released study on the problem that crucially, does not mention the option of tidal wetland restoration, before highlighting ongoing restoration successes in the area.
Published on April 4th 2022, Danika van Proosdij was featured in the What on Earth radio segment “Life on the Edge”, and the accompanying article “'It scares the bejesus out of me': coastal erosion eats away at Nova Scotia's waterfront”. The segment highlights the dangers of erosion and flooding that coastal residents face, due to climate change. Danika helps to frame the issues that local communities and individuals are seeing in a larger national and global context, and expresses the benefits and affordability of nature-based solutions.
Danika van Proosdij comments on the 2022 Chignecto-Isthmus dyke reconstruction report. Dr. van Proosdij defends nature-based solutions as a viable, reliable, and effective alternative to simply raising the dykes to protect the land link between Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.
The Globe and Mail published an article on April 22 discussing ResNET, the project led by Dr. Elena Bennett which coordinates research across six working landscapes across Canada to deepen our understanding of local ecosystem services. Dr. Kate Sherren and Dr. Jeremy Lundholm co-lead ResNET investigations in the Bay of Fundy working landscape, supported by TransCoastal Adaptations and various student researchers.
On Earth Day, the CBC Information Morning show in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia joined forces for At the Crossroads, a special program dedicated to sea level rise and the impact on the Chignecto Isthmus, the key piece of land connecting the two provinces. The show explored the area's history and ways to protect this threatened land from the effects of climate change, including impacts to towns, farmlands and the major transportation corridor along the Nova Scotia-New Brunswick border.
TransCoastal's Dr. Danika Van Proosdij and Makadunyiswe Ngulube were featured in Hour 2 of the show, and discussed managed dyke realignment as an effective solution to mitigate flood risks from climate change.
Click here to listen to the podcast “Breaching Tradition” on CBC’s Atlantic Voice:
“Many coastal areas in Nova Scotia have been protected by dikes since the 17th century. Built by Acadian settlers, the seawalls transformed tidal wetlands in the Bay of Fundy into fertile agricultural fields. The sea level rise associated with climate change is forcing researchers, government officials, and citizens to look for new ways to protect the province’s coast”
Click here to read the CBC article featuring our work in the Converse marsh and using managed realignment as a form of nature-based adaptation.
Click here to learn about the work that Dr. Patricia Manuel and Dr. Kate Sherren are doing around climate change, rising sea levels, and how we can respond.
