Communications Assets for Watershed and Waterfront Resilience

This project will support the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) and partners in advancing the Western Lake Ontario Land to Lake Initiative (WLO-L2L), a collaborative effort to strengthen ecosystem health and water quality from the Niagara River to the Ganaraska watershed. The Initiative addresses land-based pressures on the lake such as nutrient and bacterial inputs, stormwater runoff, invasive species, reduced natural cover, and shoreline alteration, through demonstration projects, shared planning, and coordinated communications.
A key to scaling up adoption of nature-based solutions (NbS) is the ability to communicate clearly and consistently across diverse audiences. Municipal staff, funders, and community groups need accessible visuals, messaging, and templates that translate complex ecological information into formats that are easy to understand and apply. This project will embed a graduate student with TRCA to design and test communications strategies that fill this gap.
The intern will create infographics, illustrations, and messaging frameworks that demonstrate the value of NbS across multiple ecosystem types. These products will be developed in alignment with international standards such as the IUCN Global Standard for NbS, while being tailored to the specific needs of Western Lake Ontario L2L communities and governments.
By improving how NbS options are explained and shared, the project will support better decision-making, faster adoption of sustainable practices, and stronger collaboration among L2L partners.

Faculty Supervisor:

Fadi Masoud

Student:

Partner:

Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (Toronto, ON)

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Arts, entertainment and recreation; Professional, scientific and technical services; Public administration

University:

University of Toronto

Program: