Essex Region Conservation To Engage Citizen Scientists In Coastal Conservation

The Essex Region Conservation Authority is encouraging visitors to Holiday Beach Conservation Area to become citizen scientists with the addition of two CoastReach stands to its beach.

“These stands allow beach-goers to contribute to coastal research,” says Kevin Money, ERCA’s Director of Conservation Services. “People can simply put their phone in the cradle, take a picture, and upload it to the CoastReach website. The cradle makes it so every photo is taken in the same spot, and researchers can monitor shoreline erosion and changes over time and in response to storm events.”

Sharing photos of the Holiday Beach coastline is an opportunity to contribute to important research. Regular, standardized images of coastlines can help to track changes over time and discover new insights. This data can be used to inform conservation efforts, aid in natural disaster response, and inform coastal management decisions. Participants will also be able to access and view the collected data on the website.

“By participating in uploading photographs, you will be making a tangible contribution to coastal conservation and management, and we hope many beach guests will participate,” Money adds. A QR code makes uploading photos very quick and accessible.