About 100 volunteers helped replant native grass in the sand dunes of Ocean Beach, the city’s three-mile front door to the Pacific Ocean.
The newly planted grass, protected by temporary fencing, will help stabilize the dunes to reduce erosion and restore the health of the city’s largest beach, the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department said.
The effort was a partnership between the park department, the National Park Service, the California Academy of Sciences, the San Francisco Estuary Institute, the Surfrider Foundation, and Friends of Ocean Beach Park.
“This project exemplifies what can be accomplished when we come together with our partners and the community to protect our natural resources,” said Phil Ginsburg, the park department’s general manager, in a press release.
A December 2023 study by the estuary institute on the escalating erosion happening at Ocean Beach provided a roadmap to stabilizing the dunes and minimize the effects of climate change, the park department said.
The report also provided ways to diversify habitat, while still maintaining access through the dunes to the beach.
“Getting these dunes stabilized means we can then introduce more plants beyond beach wildrye, eventually creating a more natural area that can be enjoyed by not only people but wildlife too,” said Kelly Iknayan, a senior scientist at the estuary institute, in the press release.
The new grass will require a year to become established, and two years to spread, the park department said.
The post Volunteers replant dune to fight erosion, restore health of Ocean Beach ecosystem appeared first on Local News Matters.