Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre

Project Background

The Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup takes place every year in September throughout Canada. It allows Canadians to collect debris from the shorelines of rivers, streams, lakes, and oceans. The initiative is coordinated by the Vancouver Aquarium.

The program has expanded over time. Each year, the Vancouver Aquarium staff received thousands of paper registration forms. They could no longer keep up with the volume.

In 2003, the Aquarium decided to build a web-based application allowing volunteers to register themselves online. The system would also help staff members to cope with the administrative work involved in the project.

Project Objectives

• Build a web-based registration system for the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup program. The system should allow participants to:
  
  
  • find cleanup sites near their home
  • register for a cleanup
  • maintain their personal account
  • suggest new sites for cleanup
  • report cleanup results using online data cards
  • submit photographs online
  • etc.


• Include an administrative section in the web site allowing Aquarium staff to manage the program:
  
  
  • search, view and update volunteer accounts
  • add new sites, edit site information
  • approve or reject sites suggested by volunteers
  • track correspondence with local municipalities
  • etc.


• Provide real-time statistical reports. Those reports were important to monitor the program and present ongoing results to senior management and sponsors.

Requirements and Challenges

• The system had to be multi-user. Participants with different levels of permissions should be only allowed to use the sections of the web site that are relevant to them.



• The system had to be highly customized to reflect the business rules. Some of the workflows were complex, and yet they needed to remain as intuitive as possible to the users.



• The system had to withstand high traffic, given the anticipated number of users.



• And most of all, the system had to be simple and user-friendly to appeal to a diverse group of volunteers. Participants included school teachers, professionals, families, youth, seniors, etc.

Solution and Outcome

• Thin-client web solution. Web server: Apache. Scripting language: PHP. Database: MySQL. Minimal reliance on JavaScript, Flash, and other client-side technologies.



• The development process started in March 2003 and the application was ready for the September 2003 cleanup event.



• The GCSC was a success: volunteer involvement doubled from 9,000 volunteers in 2002 to over 20,000 in 2003. Aquarium staff reported that the system considerably reduced the administrative work.



• The Vancouver Aquarium senior management has recognized the innovative nature of the solution developed. In 2004, the Aquarium has presented the GCSC web application in international coastal cleanup conferences.