There’s a moment every year when it all comes back.
The air softens, the ice pulls away from the shoreline, and the lake stretches open again. You hear it before you see it—the waves rolling in, the wind moving through the dunes, the birds returning in the early morning.
You step out, walk toward the water, and without thinking… you reach down and touch the sand.
It’s a small moment—but it connects you to something bigger. To the lake. To the land. To the memories that bring you back year after year.
The Lake Huron Coastal Centre (LHCC) evokes this imagery of the lake through their “This Summer, Touch Sand” campaign, which highlights the value in spending time on the shoreline and provides four programs for volunteers to contribute to Lake Huron coastal conservation.
But why “Touch Sand”?
There is tremendous value in spending time “touching sand”, or getting up close and personal to the shoreline. Studies have shown that being near water and in nature can increase mood and decrease stress. It also provides the opportunity for experiential learning. By seeing wildlife up close, or observing plastic pollution first hand, there is opportunity to learn about the beauty of Lake Huron, as well as the stressors that the shoreline environment can face. Getting out on the shoreline can allow people the opportunity to take action to protect the place they love. Meredith Watson, the Lead Program
Coordinator at the Lake Huron Coastal Centre explains, “Whether it’s picking up one piece of litter on a morning beach walk, or joining in a larger volunteer opportunity, like those provided by the Lake Huron Coastal Centre, there are so many ways for people to make a positive impact on Lake Huron”.
The Lake Huron Coastal Centre provides four programs for volunteers to “Touch Sand” and make a difference.
1. Youth & Education: Investing in the Future
There’s nothing quite like learning with your feet in the sand and your hands in the work. Through the Coastal Conservation Youth Corps (CCYC), youth spend time on the shoreline restoring habitat, removing invasive species, and learning how Lake Huron ecosystem’s function. They gain real-world skills, build confidence, and leave with a deeper connection to the lake. Through CCYC 190 youth have donated 6,000 hours to help local conservation efforts.
Want to join CCYC? Go to lakehuron.ca/ccyc to register for this summer!
2. Coastal Restoration: Protecting What’s Fragile
Lake Huron’s dunes are rare—but they do critical work. They protect shorelines from erosion, filter water, support biodiversity, and help maintain the beaches we all enjoy. The Green Ribbon Champion (GRC) program helps to restore these ecosystems by planting native vegetation and stabilizing dunes from Point Clark to Southampton. GRC has helped restore 150 shoreline properties through installing 1.5 km of sand fencing, removing 100 bags of invasive species and planting thousands of grasses.
Are you interested in protecting and restoring sand dunes on your property, or supporting restoration efforts? Go to lakehuron.ca/grc to register or learn more.
3. Community Beach Clean-Ups: Caring for the Coast, Together
Every piece of plastic removed from the shoreline is one less threat to wildlife and water quality. Community beach clean-ups bring people together across the Lake Huron shoreline to take simple, meaningful action—protecting the places we all love while keeping beaches clean and safe. In 2025, 630 volunteers removed 1,200 pounds of garbage from the Lake Huron shoreline.
Stay tuned for 2026 beach clean-ups, to be announced on lakehuron.ca/beachcleanup
4. Community Science: Powered by You
Lake Huron’s shoreline stretches over 6,000 kilometres—far too much for any one organization to monitor alone. Through Coast Watchers, volunteers become the eyes and ears of the coast. They track changes in water conditions, shoreline health, and wildlife—creating a long-term dataset that helps us understand how the coast is changing over time. Right now, there are over 300 Coast Watchers volunteers monitoring the shoreline.
LHCC is a charitable organization founded in 1998 to protect and restore Lake Huron’s coastal environment and support a healthy, resilient shoreline ecosystem through education, restoration and research. As a small non-profit charity, the Lake Huron Coastal Centre heavily relies on the support of shoreline community members by providing donations and volunteering in their programs. With big plans this summer, LHCC once again needs the support of the community.
To sign up for the 2027 season, head to lakehuron.ca/coastwatchers.
