Looking to pivot? How about living shoreline design?

Looking for an environmentally conscious job? The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) and the Delaware Living Shoreline Committee would like to introduce you to living shoreline design, with a free four-day webinar series starting on Thursday, July 23.

Don't forget to register for this free, virtual training opportunity. #netDE https://t.co/ER2CaxyjmB

— Delaware DNREC (@DelawareDNREC) July 20, 2020

What is living shoreline design? The short answer, according to the National Ocean Service, is:

A green infrastructure technique using native vegetation alone or in combination with low sills to stabilize the shoreline. Living shorelines provide a natural alternative to “hard” shoreline stabilization methods like rip rap or bulkheads, and provide numerous benefits including nutrient pollution remediation, essential fish habitat structure, and buffering of shorelines from waves and storms. Research indicates that living shorelines are more resilient than bulkheads in protecting against the effects of hurricanes.

Delaware’s shoreline and marshes, partially due to the state’s rising sea level, are at risk of eroding to levels hazardous to people and communities in coastal and marshland areas.

You can take a virtual tour of Delaware’s living shorelines, including Blackbird Creek Reserve, Mispillion Harbor and Lewes Canal to get a better idea of what they are and how they look.

Based on a two-day in-person training session, the free series is designed primarily for scientists, engineers, landscape architects, marine contractors and students looking to take the first steps in understanding the process of living shoreline design, featuring 14 instructors from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DNREC, private consulting firms and nonprofits.

The sessions will cover:

• What is a Living Shoreline? and Intro to Site Metrics (July 23, 9 a.m. to noon)
• Understanding Shoreline Habitats to Create Sustainable Living Shorelines (July 24, 9 a.m. to noon)
• Beginning the Living Shoreline Design Process (July 30, 9 a.m. to noon
• Permitting Living Shorelines and Next Steps (July 31, 9 a.m. to noon)

Registration is for all four classes only.