This spring, the municipality's Environment and Climate Change team, in partnership with TransCoastal Adaptations (TCA) at Saint Mary’s University and the Ecology Action Centre, will launch a new project called Living Lakeshores. This project aims to increase the resilience of freshwater shorelines in the Halifax region and build community understanding of natural restoration approaches in sensitive ecosystems.
The municipality will be offering free shoreline naturalization training to residents, delivered by TCA.
This training is based on the Green Shores initiative and will give residents the skills and knowledge to contribute to climate adaptation and help municipal staff implement green infrastructure projects.
Please note that each training has a maximum capacity of 20 people.
Anyone can participate, but people near lakeshores are especially encouraged to enrol.
Living Lakeshores training
To encourage care for the natural environment and share the skills of shoreline naturalization, the Environment and Climate Change team is inviting residents to enrol in free Level 1 training sessions. Participants that complete Level 1 training will be invited to take part in free Level 2 training.
To register for training, visit the TransCoastal Adaptations website.
Those that attend the training should bring a lunch, water to drink, a notebook and be sure to dress for the weather (including appropriate footwear).
Training timeline and locations
Level 1 training
- March 29, 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Chocolate Lake Community Centre, Armdale Room
1014 Purcell’s Cove Road, Halifax- Please note that this room is up two flights of stairs. Accessibility accommodations can be arranged if needed. Please contact shauna.doll@halifax.ca for more information.
- May 2, 9 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Sackville Sports Stadium, Multipurpose Room
409 Glendale Drive, Lower Sackville
Level 2 training
- May 29 & 30, 2025 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Sackville Sports Stadium, Multipurpose Room
409 Glendale Drive, Lower Sackville- Note: Attendees are required to participate in both days of training.
The value of naturalization
Projects like Living Lakeshores promote resilient shoreline management through nature-based solutions. As the impacts of climate change become more frequent and intense, the municipality is committed to combatting flooding along our shorelines.
By aligning with ecologically-sound practices, installation projects like Living Lakeshores allow us to adapt and address climate change, while also sharing educational resources that empower residents to contribute to climate action.
The value of naturalization for maintaining healthy shorelines lies in the way that it:
- preserves and restores physical processes, like the natural flow of water and the movement of sediment
- maintains or enhances natural habitats and biodiversity along the shoreline
- prevents or reduces pollutants entering aquatic environments
