Who doesn’t love the beach? Some of our region’s biggest beach fans—and defenders— converged for the 11th annual Beaches Conference last June at the Kittery Community Center. Reserve staff and the Great Bay Stewards were on hand to help support this bi-annual exchange of science, community planning, and volunteer engagement to protect the New Hampshire and Maine coasts. 225 participants enjoyed a full day of presentations and discussion on topics as varied as coastal interests; rockweed harvesting, shifting shorelines, building resilience, sea level rise, property values, monitoring the coast, community engagement, aquaculture, improving water quality, and legal issues regarding beach access.
The energy was electric and contagious. Participants gushed: “This was a great meeting of people coming from all perspectives and expertise on the subject,” said one participant, while others noted that “The diversity in topics between ME and NH are very interesting and thought provoking” and “It was one of the best networking opportunities!”
