Shoreline Workshop

Eastern Shore:

“The Eastern Shore Resource Conservation and Development Council (ES RC&D) and The Nature Conservancy are in the final stages of installing a 1000-ft living shoreline project at Occohannock on the Bay Camp and Retreat Center (Camp Occohannock) in Belle Haven to protect property from coastal erosion. The purpose of this project is to demonstrate how marsh plants, sand, and limited rock can both effectively protect shorelines from erosion while also creating critical coastal habitats that support clean water and wildlife. We’d like to share our experience on this project with local landowners and interested citizens by inviting you to a workshop and optional volunteer work day at camp, which is located near Belle Haven. 

You are invited to a workshop about living shorelines for homeowners on Thursday, May 1st at 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., including lunch, followed by an optional opportunity to help us finish planting marsh grasses along the camp’s shoreline.  The objective of the workshop is to give landowners, community members, resource managers, and other interested persons the opportunity to see and hear about the camp’s living shoreline project and learn more about what is involved in planning, permitting, and implementing living shoreline projects on private property.  Scott Hardaway, Director of the Shoreline Studies Program at VIMS, and Walter Priest, president of Wetland Design, Inc. (and formerly of NOAA) will help us to lead the workshop and will answer questions about your shorelines during the homeowner clinic portion of the workshop... 

Marsh grass planting will continue on Friday, May 2nd from 2:30 until 5:30 p.m.  Participants are welcome to come for the workshop and lunch only, and encouraged, though not obligated, to stay for the planting on either dates. 

Please note that we are requesting advanced registration for the workshops and volunteer days!  Please contact Gwynn Crichton (gcrichton@tnc.org or (434) 951-0571) or Sara Reiter (esrcd.sara@gmail.com or (757) 757-710-7266) to register for one of the workshop dates...”

~ Gwynn Crichton – Senior Project Scientist, The Nature Conservancy

~ Sara Reiter – Projects Director, Eastern Shore Resource Conservation and Development Council