Carters Beach & More

Welcome to the second instalment of the HLC’s 2018 Friday Field Notes, this time coming at you from Kaitlyn- the HLC’s Summer Public Outreach & Project Coordinator. I’ve been with the HLC for just over a month, and lots has happened over that time. Since Jessica’s last post we have had even more people pass through the HLC doors, including a weekend Birding-by-Ear workshop led by Dr. Sarah Gutowsky. This workshop included birdsong-filled days, with dawn chorus walks, afternoon field trips, memory retention tips & tricks, dusk walks & evening seminars. Coming up next week we have two Dalhousie Seaside courses coming through; Field Aquaculture and GIS in Ecology.s

Birding-by-Ear workshop participants on one of their dawn chorus walks

Birding-by-Ear workshop participants on one of their dawn chorus walks

Although I’m involved with many things here at the HLC, my primary role is in overseeing the Carters Beach public outreach and stewardship project, which is jointly funded by the Clean Foundation and Nova Scotia Environment Protected Areas Branch. The Carters Beach project entails lots of pubic outreach, education and interpretation, and aims to cultivate a sense of stewardship amongst local people, and visitors alike. The folks in Queens County take great pride in Carters Beach, the area holds much social, cultural and ecological value, and this project aims to help protect such a special place. 

An example of some of the interpretive and educational material I'm working on for Carters Beach. This Project Update will be circulated to the community so that everyone can be kept in the loop! 

An example of some of the interpretive and educational material I'm working on for Carters Beach. This Project Update will be circulated to the community so that everyone can be kept in the loop! 

The Carters Beach Project also ties in nicely with my Masters research where I’m looking at tools for engaging youth and young people in natural resource management. There is a growing body of literature that highlights the tendency for natural resource management to be ‘inter-generationally blind’; meaning that the role of youth as users and stakeholders in natural systems is traditionally overlooked, and thus youth voices are not meaningfully included nor impacts on youth populations monitored. My research aims to combat this type of resource management by using Carters Beach as a case study for including youth perceptions in the management of coastal resources. Throughout the summer I’ll be exploring youth perceptions of Carters Beach, how local youth envision the future of the area, as well as their role in cultivating that future. 

I’m currently in the recruitment phase of this project, and am seeking youth aged 14-19 who have an interest in sharing their voice on the state and future of Carters Beach and our coastal environments in general.

If you or someone you know is interested in getting involved contact me at Kaitlyn.harris@dal.ca

Stewardship initiatives at Carters Beach

Stewardship initiatives at Carters Beach

Until next time, 

Kaitlyn