GeoReach program increases monitoring at locations on shoreline

Goderich Council recently approved the use of, and installation of citizen-science camera stands at locations on the waterfront for monitoring.

Council approved the location of the CoastReach stations to be installed at the Main Beach, Rotary Cove (North), Rotary Cove (South) and south of the Rotary Cove dog park area.

The purpose of the GeoReach program is to increase the monitoring of dynamic landscapes through a citizen science-based image submission platform.

Continuous photographic monitoring at a location creates a timelapse of coastal erosion and recovery processes, increasing the understanding of coastal dynamics taking place at each site.

According to the Maitland Valley Conservation Authority (MVCA) these stations exist in a number of places in Ontario and across Canada.

Each station comes with an interpretative panel, affixed either to the post or directly nearby. These panels will contain a QR code, allowing visitors to scan their cameras and be taken directly to the CoastReach homepage.

Each panel will contain a link to the GeoReach site, allowing visitors to both learn about the GeoReach program, and submit photos following the visit, under the event of limited Internet access.

Additionally, interpretive panels have the added benefit of teaching visitors the importance of coastline monitoring, and how their pictures help further the understanding of coastal dynamics.

The GeoReach program is a collaboration between the University of Waterloo (UW) and various municipalities, conservation authorities and national and provincial parks across Canada.

This program allows researchers to delineate the shoreline position and measure change through a series of images over time.

Researchers and conservation authorities can also use these images to inspect biodiversity, monitor invasive species or examine algal blooms.

Through the installation of these four sites on the coastline of Goderich, these locations can attract significant contributions by citizen scientists due to accessibility and placement along popular areas.

Municipal and MVCA staff will benefit from the submitted images, using them as a substantial asset in broadening the knowledge of coastal dynamics and erosion.

For more information visit https://georeach.ca/coastreach/