Native Plantings and Sand Fencing Help Beach Dune Restoration

The Great Marsh Resiliency Partnership’s efforts to restore the Salisbury, MA sand dunes got a boost in December from PIE-Rivers partners at the University of New Hampshire. Led by coastal ecologist Dr. Gregg Moore and outreach specialist Alyson Eberhardt, volunteers came out to plant native dune grasses and install sand fencing in preparation for the coming winter storms. The planting effort followed  a widely publicized and well-attended community meeting hosted by Michelle Rowden and the Salisbury Conservation Commission at Salisbury Town Hall earlier in the week. Sand dunes play a critical role in protecting communities during storm events. The grass planted will help stabilize and build the dunes that, in turn, will help protect homes and infrastructure, stabilize the beaches and provide habitat for wildlife. To learn more about the project, check out the video of Gregg’s presentation to Salisbury residents here.