Between 18-21 September, the REST-COAST project convened its annual meeting in the beautiful and historic city of Gdansk, Poland. Hosted by Grzegorz Różyński of the Institute of Hydro-Engineering of Polish Academy of Sciences (IBW PAN), the gathering marked a significant milestone for the project, as it offered a unique opportunity for consortium members to get together and assess the progress made this far in the REST-COAST duration.

During a day trip to the Polish Pilot Site - Vistula lagoon, partners and external members were able to explore the artificial island built within the lagoon. Being  one of the largest lagoons in Poland and on the Baltic coast, Vistula is a vital habitat for migratory birds and an important Pilot Site for REST-COAST.

This year’s project meeting was open to interested stakeholders from across Europe, who contributed to fostering an impactful exchange of ideas and knowledge towards the REST-COAST hands-on restoration activities within the project’s Pilot Sites. Discussions revolved around the current achievements, challenges, and future prospects of REST-COAST. The engagement of external stakeholders proved invaluable insight in shaping the project's future actions, reaffirming its commitment to realising its mission of coastal restoration and resilience.

Last but not least, the REST-COAST team on transformative governance for restoration upscaling organised an interactive workshop session, giving the nine Pilot Site leaders and their respective teams the opportunity to exchange ideas and best-practices for the development of each pilot site. Led by Pilar Marin of IUCN Mediterranean Programme, the workshop provided detailed insights into the current governance context  of each pilot, lessons-learned, and recommendations for further development of a strategic roadmap towards a transformative governance framework.