Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Tim Halman, tours Belcher Street Marsh Site

Saint Mary’s University professor Dr. Danika van Proosdij and her TransCoastal Adaptations team members had the opportunity to present their work to the Honorable Tim Halman, Nova Scotia Minister of Environment and Climate Change. The presentation included an interactive tour to showcase the design, implementation and monitoring of the Belcher Street Marsh Dyke Realignment and Tidal Wetland Restoration Project.

The project includes 75 hectares of tidal wetlands along Nova Scotia’s Bay of Fundy that van Proosdij’s team is working to restore habitat and protect against flooding and coastal erosion. Using nature-based strategies and restructuring old dyke infrastructure, the team creates new tidal wetlands to absorb rising sea levels, protect nearby communities and create new ecosystems for marine life.

The newly realigned dyke at the Belcher Street Marsh protects the active agricultural land behind it. The restored tidal wetland will increase the natural absorption of wave energy during storms, thereby protecting the dyke. The expanded floodplain provides more room for floodwaters. The new marsh is now a productive natural habitat supporting species diversity. The dykes overlooking the new marsh provide a recreational opportunity for enjoying nature and connecting to the restored natural condition of the site. The site is a living laboratory and training site to develop dykeland realignment and marshland restoration skills.

Want to learn more? Join TransCoastal Adaptations for a workshop on Climate-Resilient Coastal Nature-Based Infrastructure, June 29–30.

TransCoastal Adaptations is a Centre for Nature-Based Solutions at Saint Mary’s University that engages in research and partnerships that promote and undertake projects related to climate change adaptation.

National recognition for Saint Mary’s geographer

Dr. Danika van Proosdij, whose research aims to help coastal habitats adapt to climate change, has just been elected as a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society (RCGS).

“I’m really honoured and grateful for the nomination,” says the Professor of Geography and Environmental Studies. She was inducted to the esteemed organization during its College of Fellows Annual Dinner and 90th-anniversary celebration, held November 21 in the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Quebec.

She joins two other geographers from Saint Mary’s who were previously elected as Fellows: Professor Emeritus Dr. Hugh Millward and the university’s President Dr. Robert Summerby-Murray. Having three Fellows here “speaks to the strength and depth of our program, and our commitment to the discipline as a whole,” says Dr. van Proosdij.

Dr. van Proosdij working at the Converse site.

Just a few days after the gala ceremony, she was back out in the wetlands on a site visit to the Converse Marsh Managed Realignment Site, near Amherst.

She and the Saint Mary’s-based TransCoastal Adaptations team hosted the November 26 visit for a progress update to stakeholders on the five-year “Making Room for Wetlands” project, funded by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans’ Coastal Restoration Fund.

The team has been working collaboratively with Nova Scotia’s Department of Agriculture, CBWES Inc. and other partners in an effort to restore salt marshes in several areas. For coastal communities, salt marshes form the first line of defence against rising sea levels and storm surge, so restoring these ecosystems aims to help protect communities and coastal infrastructure. Work started a year ago at the Converse site, where sections of the old dyke were removed and realigned to allow tidal flow back into the area. Monitoring data collected by staff and students over the summer indicates that 15.4 hectares of salt marsh have been restored and the site is recovering well.

Saint Mary’s is a key player in the Atlantic region’s growing interdisciplinary hub for coastal adaptation research. In another project, “Making Room for Movement”, funded by NRCAN, Dr. van Proosdij and SMU students are exploring the social science element and working closely with Dalhousie’s School of Planning and its School of Resource and Environmental Management. Collaborating with other Saint Mary’s departments is also proving very beneficial.

“As we’re restoring some of these landscapes, a real added benefit has been the inclusion of archaeology,” says Dr. van Proosdij. “Getting an understanding of the historical use of that land helps to inform our restoration design, and to form better connection and communication with rights holders as well as stakeholders. It’s fascinating to be working on a landscape and looking at the juxtaposition between modern techniques and old techniques, and the value of the voices of those who have come before.”

SMU faculty participate as scientific experts at G7 Oceans Inspiration Expo

Dr. Danika van Proosdij speaks at the G7 Oceans Summit

Three Saint Mary’s University faculty members were invited to participate as experts at the G7 Oceans Summit at the Halifax Convention Centre, in parallel with the G7 Joint Ministerial Session on Healthy Oceans, Seas and Resilient Communities.

The summit, and the G7 meeting, generally focused on oceans – with the three themes of the gathering being: plastic reduction, sustainable fishing, and coastal resilience. Professors Dr. Danika van Proosdij, Dr. Cathy Conrad and Dr. Tony Charles represented the university, working with 200 other global experts to develop the framing and guiding document on Oceans for the G7 ministers meeting that followed.

This collaboration was thanks to an ongoing partnership between the Canadian Government’s Environment and Climate Change department (ECCC) and the Community Conservation Research Network (CCRN) led by Dr. Tony Charles and based at Saint Mary’s University.

Dr. van Proosdij was a panellist for the “Resilient Coasts and Communities” event, speaking about her Natural Infrastructure to adapt to climate change impacts. She has worked in Canada, and on the Indian Ocean and Caribbean, primarily on vulnerability assessment and recommendations of implementation.

She was also a judge at the Clean Coastal Challenge, where youth pitched and designed sustainable coastal communities. The communities had to be sustainable, circular economy, renewable energy and healthy lifestyles.

Saint Mary’s was the only university with a booth at the Oceans Inspiration Expo, a public G7 event with presentations by Sylvia Earle and Alexandra Cousteau. The booth featured the work of the CCRN, on local communities around the world that are conserving their environment and sustaining their local economy, as well as several other university ocean and coastal initiatives.