From June 26-30, TransCoastal Adaptations hosted a combined event in collaboration with the National Research Council and Coastal Zone Canada’s Cold Regions Living Shorelines Community of Practice. The Nature-Based Infrastructure for Coastal Resilience and Risk Reduction Symposium and the Climate-Resilient Coastal Nature-Based Infrastructure Workshop connected practitioners, coastal engineers, natural and social scientists, professors, students, planners, politicians, and Indigenous groups. Attendees came from across Canada and the United States to network and share the latest research in coastal and estuarine science.

Nature-Based Infrastructure for Coastal Resilience and Risk Reduction Symposium (June 26–27)

The first event was a two-day symposium for project partners from the Nature-Based Infrastructure for Coastal Resilience and Risk Reduction project. On the first day, project partners met and collaborated on the development of a national engineering guidance document for coastal nature-based infrastructure. This writing workshop was particularly exciting as it was the first time that project partners had formally met in person since the project started in July 2020.

Field Trip (June 28)

Bridging the Symposium and the Workshop was an exciting opportunity to attend a field trip to a restored salt marsh site. Both Symposium and Workshop participants had the option of going on a guided tour of the Belcher St. Managed Realignment project site, with other stops across the Bay of Fundy landscape including the Avon River Causeway, Port Williams, and Evangeline Beach. TransCoastal Adaptations was joined by the Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq and CB Wetlands and Environmental Specialists Inc. to lead participants in exploring the changing landscapes of the region and to learn about nature-based climate adaptations.

Symposium participants; photo credit: Olga Sadaneko

Workshop participants; photo credit: Eric Thurston

Climate-Resilient Coastal Nature-Based Infrastructure Workshop (June 29–30)

The Workshop, hosted by TransCoastal Adaptations and the Cold Regions Living Shorelines Community of Practice, was intended to engage critical discourse around the feasibility of nature-based adaptation to climate change by defining successful cases, developing frameworks, and mobilizing collective lessons learned. The Workshop was open to all interested participants, and it included 32 plenary-style talks attracting leading experts from across Canada and the United States.

The Workshop was opened by Aaron Prosper from Eskasoni First Nation, who provided a thought-provoking discussion and call for reflection.

The Workshop included plenary talks and two keynote addresses by Jeff King (US Army Corps of Engineers – Engineering with Nature) and Kees Lokman (UBC Coastal Adaptation Lab). It concluded with a panel discussion led by Danker Kolijn (DHI/Coastal Zone Canada Association), Danika van Proosdij (TransCoastal Adaptations), Jeff King (US Army Corps of Engineers), and Enda Murphy (National Research Council/Coastal Zone Canada Association) titled “Where do we go from here as a community?”, which aimed to engage Workshop participants on reflecting on the next steps in building a community of practice and advancing coastal nature-based solutions in Canada.

Nature-Based Infrastructure Research Expo

The Nature-Based Infrastructure Research Expo on the evening of June 29 showcased nature-based climate adaptation work being conducted regionally, nationally, and internationally. Visitors to the Expo enjoyed networking and learning about organizations and research at the poster booths.

A big thank you to everyone involved with this event, including all of our wonderful presenters and participants.

Thanks as well to our Workshop Series Co-Chairs (Danika van Proosdij, Danker Kolijn, and Enda Murphy), and our Workshop Organizing Team (Clare Sully-Stendahl, Eric Thurston, and Olga Sadanenko).

Interested in learning more about the research shared at these events? Follow the PDF links below:

Nature-Based Infrastructure for Coastal Resilience and Risk Symposium 2022 Event Program

Climate-Resilient Coastal Nature-Based Infrastructure Workshop 2022 Event Program

Workshop Schedule

Workshop Book of Abstracts