Active Beacons: Photopost Project

About

Explore the East Yorkshire coasts iconic locations, whilst capturing its hidden gems on camera. A series of artistic wood turned photoposts lead the way, offering connected trails and way finding, with opportunities to support coastal monitoring of the landscape through the University of Hull’s ‘Active Learning’ programme and free citizen-led science.

The 'Active Beacon' Photopost Project is a joint initiative between East Riding of Yorkshire Council (Active Coast) and The University of Hull (Energy & Environment Institute), which is linked to the global CoastSnap programme.

With strong links to the Blue Health agenda, the Photopost Project takes advantage of the region's blue spaces to improve active recreation, physical activity opportunities and mental wellbeing, through the development of connected and accessible infrastructure.

Taking inspiration from historic coastal landmarks, these sympathetic active beacons can be explored across a number of locations on the East Yorkshire coast, building links to the future rollout of the England Coast path throughout 2022 and beyond, including trails at:

- Sewerby to Bempton

- Hornsea

- Withernsea

- Spurn Point

Set out on a linear route to take in a cluster of posts, map your own circular route, or try and complete them all and cover the East Yorkshire coast - find the routes for each location below!

Look out for a series of led walks as part of the Active Coast ‘Explore’ offer and within the Walking East Yorkshire Festival in September.

 

Photoposts ‘Active Beacons’

The photoposts have been manufactured and designed by Galvin Brothers of Beverley, with each one holding information plaques and QR codes s to direct users to further information on the wider project. Users are encouraged to take photos and upload to social media using the hashtag name listed on each beacon.

The locations for each of the 26 posts can be found by using the what3words app (downloadable from the App Store). What3words is an easy way to identify precise locations with every 3m square, given a unique combination of three words (this is called a what3words address). All what3words addresses are easy to say and share, and as accurate as GPS coordinates.

 

University of Hull’s ‘Active Learning’ Programme

The ‘Active Learning’ programme aims to:

- Develop a free citizen science led beach monitoring initiative that supports and data collection of our changing coastline

- Build a visual timeline of the changing landscape by observing seasonal changes and gaining a better understanding of coastal erosion, natural habitats and the environment

- Integrate environmental education opportunities and promote awareness of protecting our coast to local schools, young people and families

- Build a community database that provides new insights on coastal responses to changing weather and wave conditions and extreme storms.

- Support research with the ‘Yorkshire Marine Nature Partnership’ into how our marine ecosystems link with other elements of our coastline, including heritage, tourism and industry

Find out more about the Active Learning Project on https://activelearning.hull.ac.uk/

 

What is CoastSnap?

CoastSnap is an international programme, initially developed by the University of New South Wales (Australia), that is used to gather data on coastlines and to engage the communities through a citizen science approach, allowing individuals to engage with measuring how beaches and coastlines change over time. Visitors are able to take photographs with smart phones which will enable them to capture a valuable and consistent record of the beach/coast state, which can then be uploaded and shared via the CoastSnap App and/or social media channels.

Find out more about CoastSnap project on their website.