As the Coastal Nature Lab pilot project came to an end, we had the opportunity to extend the impact and dissemination of the project through the support of ImaginationLancaster and Lancaster City Council. In partnership with Our Future Coast, we reflected on the experience of designing and co-creating small scale nature based solutions with craftspeople and local communities. We described our process, the data that were collected (and how), the techniques for making different sediment traps and gathered all of these insights in an open handbook and a set of digital resources which are now available online and in print.
By definition, a handbook is a reference guide providing clear and comprehensive guidance on a subject matter, usually with precise and well-indexed instructions. This Open Handbook is not a traditional handbook. It provides advice and lessons learned from our pilot project, but invites you to participate in co-writing the handbook with us.
We believe that this research can be progressed collectively, drawing from the knowledge and experience of the diverse communities involved in coastal research within and outside academia – including communities of people living by the sea, who hold a deep and embodied knowledge of coastal environments developed through everyday experience and observations.
With this in mind, the purpose of this handbook is therefore to share the knowledge that we gained through our experience of developing and deploying small scale structures of natural materials in specific locations in Morecambe Bay, and to encourage others in developing their own small-scale, nature-based coastal interventions in different geographical areas. It offers detailed information about the structures used in the project, including the materials selected and step-bystep instructions for building and installing them.
Digital Resources
Collaboration Mapping Canvas: Use this canvas to map the how different people and organisations will be involved in different phases of the project. Print it as A3 or scale it up to use in large team planning meetings. Use sticky notes to test different options.
Video Tutorials: forthcoming 🙂
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We also published a printed version of the handbook, which was beautifully printed as a risograph by Footprint Workers Coop
