Living Shorelines Academy is funded by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and is a product of collaboration between Restore America’s Estuaries and the North Carolina Coastal Federation — and their many partners.
Living shorelines, a series of techniques that reduce the impact of waves through the use of more natural approaches such as restoring salt marsh and oysters, offer an effective and environmentally friendly solution to shoreline erosion. However, outdated laws and rules, lack of consumer demand and too few specialized contractors have prevented living shorelines from being widely used. We’re changing that.
The Academy advances the policy, science, and practice of living shorelines to fulfill key national priorities identified in EPA’s strategic plan. This initiative is designed to provide targeted outreach and training to homeowners, contractors, design professionals and regulators, to advance the appropriate use of living shorelines and enhance collaboration among all shoreline stakeholders.
The goals of the Living Shorelines Academy are to:
- Increase the abundance of coastal wetlands
- Advance the policy, science and practice of living shorelines
- Enhance collaboration among governmental and private stakeholders
The academy provides many tools:
- Living shorelines training modules that take advantage of proven training and education strategies used by the EPA for years to engage, train and learn from stakeholders
- A peer-reviewed database of white papers and reports about living shorelines
- A database of existing living shorelines projects and a map of highlighted living shorelines across the U.S.
- A directory of living shorelines professionals
- An online forum where the living shorelines community can collaborate by sharing research, ideas and photos
