This field trip tackles the topic of climate change head on! Eric Balke, Senior Restoration Biologist with Ducks Unlimited Canada, will lead the field trip Tidal Marsh Restoration and Climate Adaptation in Boundary Bay and Sturgeon Bank. He says, “If the sediment enhancement pilot project at Sturgeon Bank is successful, we may be able to reverse the loss of over 160 ha of tidal marsh that’s occurred since the 1980s!” Scaling up within the Fraser River Delta comes next if this innovative approach works. “At Boundary Bay, we’re testing nature-based solutions for coastal flood protection with exciting potential application to coastlines elsewhere in BC and beyond” enthuses Eric. The projects at Sturgeon Banks and Boundary Bay bring together collaborators in ecological restoration, coastal engineering, hydrogeomorphology, botany, and wetland ecology. Says Eric, “After over 12 years of research and discussions, in February 2023 and 2024 we finally started adding sediment at Sturgeon Bank to restore tidal marsh and support coastal flood protection for the City of Richmond. Each year that we add sediment brings many lessons learned as we test this method of re-using sediment on a pilot scale, with ambitions of scaling it up throughout the Fraser Estuary.”
At Boundary Bay, “the contractor who designed the Living Dike was awarded the prestigious Award of Merit in the Natural Resource and Habitat category of the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies of British Columbia (ACEC-BC) Awards for Engineering Excellence for their innovative and experimental approach to coastal flood protection and climate change adaptation.” High praise with international relevance!