Green Shores | Webinars
Introduction to Green Shores®: Webinar and Beach Walkabout
These events were organized in June 2020 to inform shoreline homeowners in Qualicum Beach about the Green Shores program, its principles and application for healthy shore environments that provide significant environmental, economic, and social values to coastal communities.
Webinar: Introduction to Green Shores®
June 25, 2020 | Click to Watch Online
This webinar provides information about SCBC Green Shores for Homes program and how its “shore friendly” approaches can be used for shoreline development.
Higson Crescent Neighbourhood Beach Walkabout
June 26, 2020 | Qualicum Beach, BC
This beach walkabout provided an opportunity to “read” the beach and discuss opportunities for application of Green Shores principles in situ.
17 attendees, along with DG Blair (SCBC Executive Director), Bob Weir (Head Engineer), Scott Harrison (Councillor) and Luke Sales (Director of Planning) from the Town of Qualicum Beach, Grant Lamont (Principal and Coastal Engineer) and Jessica Wilson (Coastal Engineer) from Northwest Hydraulic Consultants, and Kelly Loch (Green Shores Coordinator) took part in the beach walkabout to discuss the principles of Green Shores and how they are applied.
Discussion generated on the beach walk included a wide range of related topics such as:
- the importance of observing the natural coastal processes when considering the Green Shores design to be applied. For example, there was a large fetch from 2 directions (SE and NW) at this location.
- the value of overhanging vegetation for small fish (but unfortunately largely absent because of the ongoing development adjacent to the shoreline).
- the importance of preserving and enhancing the upper tidal zone for forage fish, because of this critical linkage to the food chain upward through to large mammals such as orcas.
- how this beach was characterized as a cobble beach and wouldn’t likely retain fine sand, even if introduced.
- what could be some possible Green Shores approaches for properties along this stretch of shoreline; particularly for those properties with hard armouring and seawalls in place.
We’re hoping there will be interest from some of these landowners that are adjacent to the Higson Crescent property, to pursue Green Shores for Homes projects.
Presenters
DG Blair, M.Sc.
Executive Director
Stewardship Centre for BC
As the Executive Director of the Stewardship Centre for BC, DG provides leadership and project management for delivery of stewardship projects and resources to audiences throughout BC. With deep experience in science-based best management practices for land and water, DG has been instrumental in the development, application, and proliferation of the Green Shores program, an incentive-based credit and rating system for minimizing the impact of new shoreline developments as well as restoring the shoreline ecosystem function of previously developed sites. She has co-authored numerous publications on Green Shores, delivers Green Shores Level 1 and Level 2 training to communities in BC; is a member of Natural Resources Canada’s Coastal Management Working Group; manages the BC Green Shores Local Government Working Group; and provides overall technical expertise and project management for Green Shores in Canada: coast to coast to coast.
Grant Lamont, P.Eng
Principal
Northwest Hydraulic Consultants
As a senior coastal engineer, Grant is a project manager and discipline lead for a variety of projects ranging from large marina developments to small shoreline restoration.
Both events were hosted by the Stewardship Centre for BC and the Town of Qualicum Beach.