Backyard Shoreline Survey

📋 What You'll Need

• •Notebook and pencil
• •Phone for photos (optional)
• •Measuring tape or step count
• •Sunscreen and water

👣 Step by Step

1. 1Pick a safe, public shoreline to visit — a dock, park, or beach.
2. 2Walk about 50 steps along the water's edge and stop.
3. 3Look at what's between you and the water. Is it grass, mangroves, rocks, a seawall, or bare dirt?
4. 4Record what you see: 'natural', 'armored' (seawall/rocks), or 'eroded' (bare crumbling bank).
5. 5Count how many trees or plants are rooted in the waterline within your view.
6. 6Take a photo and note whether the shoreline looks healthy or worn down.
7. 7Repeat at two more spots and compare what you found.

🔍 What to Observe

• •Were more shorelines natural or armored?
• •Did eroded spots have any plants left?
• •Where did you see the most wildlife?