2) @CITiZAN1 is the Coastal and Intertidal Zone Archaeological Network. We highlight the threat of coastal erosion to archaeological sites on the foreshore and help members of the public engage with and record archaeological sites that are at risk. citizan.org.uk #PATC5 
3) What are #LowTideTrails? These are guided and self-guided walks that focus on archaeological sites in the coastal and intertidal zone. The walks tie in with the launch of the England Coast Path, offering an opportunity to engage with local history and archaeology #PATC5
4) These walks have been key to CITiZAN’s community engagement during the 1st year of phase 2. They are often guided by one of our community archaeologists and used, often during training, to highlight the range of archaeological sites in our Discovery Programme areas. #PATC5
5) Since lockdown was announced we have been unable, for obvious reasons, to run public engagement events or LTTs. Our focus quickly changed to finding different ways to engage safely, such as hosting webinars, publishing video content & armchair archaeology #PATC5
6) How could we continue to run LTTs and encourage responsible engagement with archaeology and local heritage at a time when people can’t travel or leave the house? We also needed online platforms that could be used to post regular content to reach a wider audience. #PATC5
7) These platforms had to be free to access/easy to share. Twitter’s thread function worked well after some live testing and we also had the option of publishing larger LTTs via ESRI Storymaps. The latter can be embedded on the CITiZAN website citizan.org.uk/low-tide-trail… #PATC5
8) Twitter threads have been the main platform so far. Tweets are posted every 5 minutes and follow the route of an LTT; with each post focussing on an archaeological feature, point in the landscape, story or historic building #PATC5
9) It's been important to set a regular time each week to run the Twitter LTTs. Doing so lets people know when we’ll be available and also allows them to plan time away from their usual routine to follow along as we post. It's also been useful for me while working at home #PATC5
10) Most importantly, presenting LTTs live on Twitter allows people to interact with the information presented, which is very important. This allows us to engage, share our knowledge and share more information, which is important in lieu of face to face public engagement #PATC5
11) Twitter as a platform allows viewers to share and is relatively accessible. Hashtags are also useful for reaching a wider audience. However, we are aware that Twitter is not used by everyone, so we publish threads on Facebook and via Storymaps on our website #PATC5
12) Although Twitter limits the number of characters you can use, it makes you think more about presenting your information concisely and effectively, as well as choosing engaging images and useful links. #PATC5
13) So far, we have run 7 LTTs, with no. 8 going out today at 11am (check it out!). They receive consistent views each week and positive feedback. It’s great that we’re able to present the information effectively and as interactively as possible given the current situation #PATC5
14) So what have we learned? Firstly, we have found a way to present guided walks virtually. Although no substitute for engagement in person, we are able to put across our message and highlight the archaeology and history of a given area within our Discovery Programmes #PATC5
15) Given the current restrictions, allowing the opportunity to reminisce about the coast from home can have mental health benefits. Followers of the LTTs often share their memories and experiences of the areas. Thus, providing a chance to engage and share knowledge. #PATC5
16) One of the aims of publishing the LTTs online was to allow people to access the coast who may not be able to access coastal archaeology for numerous reasons. ESRI Storymaps has allowed us to provide an interactive LTT on the CITiZAN website #PATC5
17) Finally, we aim to continue the Twitter LTTs & develop the website LTTs further; to include video content and 3D models. After COVID we’ll have a set of ready to go resources to help us return to running LTTs in person. Thank you. #PATC5
