Welcome to Nelles Beach in beautiful Grimsby Ontario. Posted co-ordinates are a good place to park & walk down ramp to GZ.This beach is one of mother nature's treasures. I am so lucky to live nearby; making me able to walk my dog here several times daily. I live within a few minutes walk to the beach & have lived here since 2001 & I have noticed how much the area has eroded especially in the last few years. I created this Earthcache to make geocachers aware of the effects of erosion and how it impacts our ecosystem. At times beach access may be difficult due to high waves during a storm or during winter snow or frozen waters but generally the beach is accessible. Please plan accordingly.
What is erosion? It is the geological process in which earthen materials are worn away & transported by natural forces such as wind, water & ice. There are several types of erosion; physical,water,valley & coastal. Coastal erosion is the wearing away of rocks,earth or sand on the beach that can change the shape of the entire coastline. Waves pound rocks into pebbles & pebbles into sand. Waves and currents sometimes transport sand away from beaches moving the coastline further inland. Coastal erosion tends to progress gradually, punctuated by large erosion events during storms.There have been reports of signifcant shoreline erosion in the Niagara corridor due to high water levels and storms . Shoreline instability is also contributing to the loss of trees into the water as their root systems become destabilized and exposed.
The use of trees & shrubs can prevent erosion,reduce nutrient runoff & provide habitat for wildlife. Erosion can effect our ecosystem. Soil that has been heavily eroded does not tend to hold onto water very well. Erosion can lead to an increased risk of flooding, which can in turn lead to even more erosion of remaining soil, negatively impacting the biodiversity of an ecosystem.
I started collecting beach glass;known as beachcombing, during covid-19, which I found very relaxing and can give you the patience skill.....something we have all learned during this pandemic. Beach glass comes from fresh water particularly the waters of the Great Lakes & is formed by physical weathering. What is the process of how beach glass goes from shards of glass to smooth beach glass? Broken bottles,jars & other bits of glass that have been thrown away in water or left on shore are swept out to the lake where it is tossed & tumbled by stones & pounding waves and mineral sand into frosted beach glass. Ripples form under water & are exposed when the tide goes out.Waves produce rows & rows of ripples with long & curvy crests.Beach glass is smoothed by decades of undersea erosion & smoothed by tumbling in waves,rocks & sand.Currents deposit beach glass constantly.The process takes 30-50 years to happen, edges of the glass are smoothed & leave a frosty,smooth exterior & this polishes the glass. Then beach glass is waiting to be found for such treaure hunters such as myself.
Resources online from National Geographic,Grimsby Beach Conservation Management Plan & Wikipedia
Congratulations to the Blackberry Bread Event Gang for FTF!
Logging requriements
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In order to log as a find you must physically go to GZ & observe the erosion at the beach. Then send me the answers to these questions
1/Estimate the distance of the top ridge of land to beach level.
2/Do you see any ways that the erosion has been protected or have any suggestions for how it could be protected from further erosion?
3/What body of water are you currently at?
4/When do you think would be the best time to search for beach glass before or after a storm?
5/Where will you find beach glass here?
6/How many years does it take for bottles,jars & glass to form into beach glass?
7/What effect has recycling had on beach glass?
8/Take a picture with yourself or gps and a piece of beach glass with the water in the background. There are lots of clear,white,brown,amber,green and blue along the beach. Please do not say you can't find any...as you can see in my picture that I have collected 2 big full jars of it. I am always able to collect some on each visit to the beach.