300 Volunteers Rebuild Dune System At Island Beach State Park

ISLAND BEACH STATE PARK, NJ — Even though the holidays are over, the public's generosity continues at Island Beach State Park. Three-hundred volunteers arrived Saturday to help the park place donated Christmas trees along the beach.

The trees help improve IBSP's dune system. The park asked the public last month to donate old Christmas trees. IBSP expected 200 new trees but ended up with more than 2,000. Read more: Island Beach State Park Hoped For 200 Trees; They Got 2K

"We can not thank our volunteers enough for making this event such a success," IBSP wrote. "From the initial donation day last weekend, to yesterday's placement event, we have been overwhelmed by the generosity of New Jersey's residents who have assisted with this project."

The project helps mitigate climate change, sea-level rise and storm surges, according to New Jersey State Parks.

See more photos below:

The trees capture blown sand, helping it grow into a dune faster than it would naturally. Then beaches typically fence in the dunes to keep pedestrians away and trap sand.

Here's an NPR video, posted by WHYY, explaining how it works:

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