Our New Coastal Resiliency Project

Save the Dunes has launched a new and exciting project – an Advocacy initiative on Coastal Resiliency education. With a mission to enhance public understanding of critical Coastal Resiliency topics such as wetland functions, shoreline erosion, biodiversity protection, and more, our staff will create educational materials that empower and inform our communities.

One of the early challenges we faced was clarifying the term “Coastal Resiliency.” What does it mean, and how can communities relate to this concept? To address these questions, we invited regional experts to join us for a brainstorming session at Barker House last week. Through open and insightful discussions, we aimed to demystify the term and lay the groundwork for our future materials.

The first question on our agenda was: What do we mean when we say “Coastal”? Spoiler alert- it doesn’t just mean shoreline communities! If you live within the Lake Michigan Watershed, then your actions have an impact on Lake Michigan. We uncovered that the term encompasses a wide range of ecosystems that span all three NWI counties, and go much further south than you might expect. By fostering a comprehensive understanding of what constitutes a “coastal area”, we set the stage for a more nuanced exploration of Coastal Resiliency.

We are so grateful to our partners at the National Park Service, Shirley Heinze Land Trust, DNR’s Lake Michigan Coastal Program, the Northern Indiana Regional Planning Commission, the NWI Urban Waters Federal Partnership, the United States Geological Survey, The Nature Conservancy, and National Parks Conservation Association for providing valuable insights and diverse perspectives, enriching our understanding of Coastal Resiliency and paving the way for a well-informed and impactful project.

Armed with newfound knowledge and a shared vision, our team is now excited to get working on creating our first document. In total we will create five one-page factsheet that will break down complex Coastal Resiliency topics into digestible information for our communities. The first one will be a general overview of Coastal Resiliency – What does it mean, and why should you care. Incorporating the feedback and suggestions from our regional partners, we are committed to ensuring that all of the factsheets reflect the diverse needs of our unique ecosystems, and addresses the opportunities to take action for the people we aim to empower.

Our Advocacy project marks a new milestone in our ongoing commitment to environmental education and community empowerment. By addressing fundamental questions surrounding Coastal Resiliency, we hope to foster a deeper connection between communities and their local environments, and to help them understand how their actions have big impacts on our green spaces. We are eager to witness the positive impact our efforts will have on communities. Through collaborative initiatives like these, we believe that informed and engaged communities are better equipped to contribute to the preservation of our local environments.

As we eagerly anticipate the release of our first factsheet, we invite everyone to join us on this journey towards a more resilient and informed future for our NWI communities. Together, we can make a lasting impact on the preservation of our precious “coastal” ecosystems!

This project is supported with funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources Lake Michigan Coastal Program.

Our New Coastal Resiliency Project

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