Shorelines are among our most valuable natural resources, but coastal and inland waterfront erosion raises concerns alongside increased storms, flooding, and rising sea levels. Join Maine Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) John Maclaine Tuesday, Aug. 26 at 6 p.m. at Bigelow Laboratory (60 Bigelow Dr, East Boothbay) for a free talk about protecting these critical landscapes with the OUR SHORE program.

OUR SHORE provides guidance using nature-based tools to protect against shoreline erosion for both public and private property, while preserving and restoring natural functions. These designs can provide strength, enhance the beauty of waterfront properties, and offer a range of benefits to both community and environmental health. They are effective because they work with nature, incorporating a blend of plants that root into the environment, helping to stabilize soil. As plant communities mature, these designs gain strength, offering growing resilience over time.

OUR SHORE is a method to compare options for shoreline stabilization, so landowners, contractors, designers, and others can customize erosion solutions and preserve or improve shoreline habitat and long-term resilience. The approach relies on targeting sources of erosion and instability to select and combine tools that can address causes with the least intervention necessary, while using natural, biodegradable, or living materials. The guidance provides techniques that factor habitat and shoreline functions into the design of any project, even alongside riprap, to foster a naturalized and more resilient shoreline.

About the speaker: John Maclaine has served as the Coordinator of Maine DEP’s Nonpoint Source Training Center since 2019. Throughout the last 20 years, he has worked at the intersection of land use, development, habitat, and water quality in Maine through diverse roles in shorebird and fisheries restoration, land use and shoreline regulation, construction oversight, and environmental outreach.

This talk is intended for general audiences, including homeowners, contractors, landscapers, and municipal officials. It is brought to you by Sunrise Ecologic and the Boothbay Region Climate Action Team. For more information, contact brclimate@gmail.com.