​Students and Community Volunteers Plant Dune Grass at South Jersey's Fortescue Beach

Students from Vineland High School and community volunteers celebrated Earth Day with the Littoral Society by participating in a Delaware Bay dune grass planting at Fortescue Beach in Cumberland County.

The Littoral Society recently completed a large-scale restoration project at this site to improve and protect this Delaware Bay beach for horseshoe crab spawning and migratory shorebirds.

Thanks to the hard work of our volunteers, we planted 1200 culms of American Beachgrass to restore approximately 1000 feet of natural dune. The planted grasses will strengthen the dune system so it can provide flood protection to the neighboring community and vital habitat for wildlife.   
 
The student participants were a part of the Littoral Society’s Beach Grasses in Classes program.

Prior to their beach visit, students received classroom lessons on the importance of coastal dune systems and their role in protecting communities from storms, erosion, flooding, and sea level rise. They also learned about American beach grass and its unique adaptations for survival in the harsh seaside environment.

As part of the classroom segment, students also planted stems of beachgrass to care for ahead of their dune grass planting field trip. The class then visited Fortescue Beach to plant the grass they raised in their classroom in the natural dune system.

Special thanks to the Vineland High School students who also hosted a t-shirt sale to fundraise a donation to the Littoral Society to support our work in the Delaware Bay region.