Internship Spotlight: Anthea Fleming

This summer, I will be working on a project funded by the OFI Seed Fund with the FishPeoplePlace lab to explore the growing challenges of coastal access in Nova Scotia. As residential and commercial development increases, informal access to beaches, trails, and shoreline areas is shrinking—raising concerns around equity, the environment, and landowner rights. My interest in coastal access began after moving to Nova Scotia, where doing activities I enjoy like diving, hiking, and surfing, made me aware of how limited public access to the coastline can be.

MMM student Anthea Fleming (right) enjoying the coastline in the Maritimes. Photo courtesy of Anthea Fleming.

I will be building on the work already done by students and professors at Dalhousie University (in the School of Planning, Marine Affairs Program, and Law), as well as by East Coast Environmental Law, local NGOs, community groups, and journalists who have been highlighting coastal access issues within the province. Through mapping on ArcGIS and site visits, this project focuses on the municipalities of Nova Scotia's South Shore and will contribute to an ongoing inventory of public coastal access. Additionally, the quality of access will be evaluated by assessing how easily the public can reach existing access points (i.e., public transportation, available parking, etc.), barriers to mobility, and seasonality of access. The results will contribute to an up-to-date understanding of coastal access challenges by mapping existing public access points. This could offer a basis for a more comprehensive study to assess the entire province using refined methodologies.

Post by Anthea Fleming