Students Hope Beach Plums Help O.C. Dunes

The Ocean City High School Student Environmental Association participated in an experiment Friday that could strengthen dune systems on the island. 

The students assisted the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rutgers University and the Cape May County Beach Plum Association in testing a new product that could help beach plums take root more successfully in sand dunes.

They planted 20 beach plums in the dunes at Fourth Street after soaking the roots in Soil Moist, a commercial product that "reduces the amount of water needed to maintain vigorous plants," according to the manufacturer. The students then planted a control group of another 20 beach plums without using the product.

The beach plum—indigenous the East Coast shoreline from Maine to Virginia—complements dune grass in protecting dune systems from erosion. The roots of the plant help hold dunes in place. The beach plum thrives in hostile environments of high salt, high wind and low nutrients.

Yet beach plums don't always survive when they're transplanted into dunes. So scientists are looking for better ways to ensure the success of the transplanting process.

Alma George of Jalma Farms, an Ocean View farm that raises beach plums orchard-style, donated the plants. She is a representative of the county Beach Plum Association and instructed the students in how to plant beach plum seedlings.

Science teacher and club adviser Matt Oster and about 10 students participated in the experiment.