Partnerships Around the Estuary and Beyond

In addition to working closely with the Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, the Stewards are proud of the work we do with both regional and national partners to provide a healthier future for Great Bay.

National Partnerships with other Reserves

The Stewards works alongside the National Estuaries Research Reserve Association to advocate for support and funding of the 29 Reserves nationwide at a federal level, and Stewards Executive Director Allison Knab joined the NERRA Board in 2020. Through support from NERRA, the Stewards were also able to launch our Tide Turners program!

Building More Resilient Coastal Communities

The National League of Cities selected the City of Portsmouth and its collaboration with the NH Coastal Adaptation Workshop to participate in the national 2021 Leadership in Community Resilience program.  The $10,000 grant supports engagement with NHCAW and residents and for new research, training and education materials. The Stewards is excited to support this project through its role as a fiscal agent. 

Creating New Living Shorelines in the Estuary

The Great Bay Stewards have been partnering with GBNERR and theNH Coastal Program since 2014 to advance the awareness, science and implementation of Living Shorelines in New Hampshire. As fiscal agents for workshops, a regional study, and now the Great Bay Living Shoreline Project, the Stewards are supporting the creation of a pipeline of demonstration projects and qualified professionals to advance how living shorelines are used here in Great Bay.

Opening Habitat for Fish Migration

The removal of the Upper and Lower Sawyer Mill dams on Dover’s Bellamy River reopened river habitat for migratory fish and protected the residents of nearby apartments from flood risks associated with the two dams. The Stewards were glad to support this project alongside such major partners as the N.H. Coastal Program, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, and the N.H. Department of Fish and Game.

Working to Understand and Promote our Beaches

The Stewards participate in organizing the biannual Beaches Conference alongside partners Wells Estuarine National Research Reserve, Maine Sea Grant, and the Piscataqua Regional Estuaries Partnership. We look forward to seeing everyone at the next event in 2022!

Supporting Our Community

Through the support of New Hampshire Charitable Foundation and the Horizon Foundation, the Stewards launched the Estuary Explorers program in 2018 and since that time have been able to bring hundreds of students from socioeconomically disadvantaged schools on field trips to the Discovery Center.