Between High and Low Tide. Participatory Approaches to Managing England’s Coastal and Riverine Natural and Cultural Heritage: A Case Study from the CITiZAN Initiative

Abstract

The English coastline represents arguably the most extensive and diverse natural landscape in the country, drawing a wide range and number of visitors annually. Here we focus specifically on the intertidal zone, the part of the shore revealed before and after the high tide. This is an area of rich ecological diversity and also of important historical interest. The intertidal zone is not just associated with the sea, but also the tidal zones of rivers and their estuaries. In this chapter, we will be considering the impact of the recently completed Heritage Lottery Funded CITiZAN project (Coastal and Intertidal Zone Archaeological Network) and how it sought to engage communities in the recording of fragile cultural and natural heritage on Britain’s coasts. Although obviously having an archaeological focus, we argue that this project can act as a template for future sustainable inclusive and participatory approaches to managing coastal heritage, and not solely in the UK.