Spend Saturday Planting Dune Grass at Island Beach State Park

Looking for a unique way to spend part of your upcoming Easter holiday weekend?

Volunteer to help plant badly-needed dune grass in Island Beach State Park! More than 300 people have already signed up to plant 40,000 American Beachgrass plants at the park this Saturday, March 26.

But more volunteers are always needed: To volunteer for Saturday’s effort, please email Lindsey Sigmund at ambassadorwma13@gmail.com. Sigmund is the AmeriCorps New Jersey Watershed Ambassador for the Barnegat Bay Watershed.

This is a record number of volunteers and a record number of American beachgrass plants that wil be placed in the ground, according to the state Department of Environmental Protection.

Dune grasses are vital to protecting the island because they hold the dunes together with their web-like root systems, explained Jen Clayton, park manager at Island Beach State Park. These plants are especially important as Island Beach State Park continues to rebuild after devastating beach loss from Superstorm Sandy.

As beachgrass grows, the roots, called rhizomes, form a weave within the sand, which then forms the core of the dune’s stability. Additionally, blades of dune grass trap even more sand as wind blows, allowing the dune to grow naturally.

Participants will meet at Ocean Bathing Area 1, which is the most popular and visible area of the park. Volunteers will plant from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

In the event of inclement weather, the event will be re-scheduled for Saturday, April 2.