about the Living Shoreline Collaborative

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The Living Shoreline Collaborative (LSC) is a group of regional and state partners working together to scale up implementation of resilient practices along shorelines in the tidal James River watershed. 

Objectives

  • Share technical knowledge and practical experience of successful shoreline projects.
  • Connect community partners who are at various stages of building community resilience.
  • Identify concerns and needs of communities which are at high risk to sea level rise.
  • Encourage the prioritization of living shorelines within local governments and among decision makers.

Focus Areas

The Living Shoreline Collaborative has identified three focus areas: monitoring, training, and implementation and outreach.
  1. The Monitoring Team envisions a collaborative monitoring community of practice working with an interdisciplinary strategy to reveal common characteristics and best practices shared by well-performing projects as well as what under-performing or declining projects have in common. We aim to expand opportunities to participate in monitoring to support more successful implementation and training.
  2. The Training Team aims to develop standardized materials and a training process to establish a cost-effective means of engaging and consistently training and upskilling living shoreline practitioners  throughout Virginia and eventually other Bay states. We hope this will grow this network of skilled practitioners to support LSC partner programs and project implementation, connect clients with trusted service providers, and improve capacity of existing shoreline businesses to implement more living shorelines. 
  3. The Implementation and Outreach Team team aims to increase the installation of resilient living shoreline projects in the tidal James River watershed with a focus on community outreach, partner coordination, and project sustainability.

activities

The Living Shoreline Collaborative holds in-person and virtual events throughout the year, such as:
  • Living Shoreline Annual Summit
  • Workshops for shoreline professionals
  • Field visits to living shoreline projects
  • Installation of three living shoreline demonstration projects in Isle of Wight and Prince George counties
  • Installation of a floodplain restoration project in Hampton, VA
  • Continuing education workshops for Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professional Program
  • Quarterly meetings highlighting relevant issues and experienced shoreline practitioners 
  • Monthly steering committee meetings
Check here for registration details on upcoming events.
Photo credit: Elizabeth River Project
Join the local conversation through the Living Shoreline VA mailing List. Contact Kati McCarter to join the list.
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