Our coastal sand dunes are vital to our beach community, as they protect our land and buildings from wave energy, erosion, and flooding. They also protect inland habitats and buildings from salt spray and are an important habitat for many plants and animals. Plants are a key component to coastal sand dunes. The leaves of dune plants capture wind-blown sand, helping the dunes grow taller. The deep roots of dune plants then act as a network to hold the sand in place, stabilizing our sand dunes.
Join Florida Sea Grant and UF/IFAS Extension Flagler County at one of four interactive presentations to learn more about the ecology of our beach dunes. Participants will learn about beach dynamics, the role of sand dunes, and how to identify many of the species of plants that grow on our dunes. We will also be sharing information about the participatory science dune monitoring pilot program starting soon along Flagler County beaches and how you can get involved with monitoring the growth of newly planted sea oats.
The same program will be offered over three different time frames and locations, so we hope you can join us for one of them. In-person presentations will take place on Tuesday, October 15 at 10 am at the GTM NERR Marineland Field Office and on Wednesday, October 16 at 10 am at the UF/IFAS Extension Flagler County Office in Bunnell. There will also be an online presentation offered on Wednesday, October 16 at 7 p.m.
This is a free educational program that is open to all, but advance registration is required due to limited seating in some locations. Event details and registration can be accessed online at https://tinyurl.com/DunePresentation.
Please reach out to Florida Sea Grant Extension Agent Carolyn Kovacs at [email protected] with any questions.
