The New Jersey state parks are extremely thankful for the thousands of Christmas trees that were donated. These trees will help the dune system at Island Beach State Park recover from Hurricane Sandy.
I know what you may be thinking, Hurricane Sandy was all the way back in 2012. But since then, the dune system has never been the same. And to help repair the dune system, New Jersey state parks had asked for 200 Christmas trees to be donated.
However, the response they got was massive. Instead of a mere 200, they received ten times that amount.
What Are the Christmas Trees Used For?
It may be hard to see how Christmas trees can help sand dunes recover, but that is exactly what they will do.
First, it is important to note that the sand dunes at Island Beach State Park are natural. This is important because most beaches along New Jersey’s coast are man-made.
A natural sand dune is formed by sand getting trapped by a plant. In this case, the plant will be a Christmas tree. The branches and needles of the tree will trap sand that would be blown further inland by the wind.
This will help the sand dunes recover faster and give Christmas trees a second use.
Sand Dunes Are Becoming More Important
As the sea levels rise due to climate change, sand dunes and other natural sea barriers are becoming more important.
They prevent water from moving further inland and their importance is crucial in protecting coastline cities and structures around the world. However, when very strong storms such as hurricanes destroy them, it can take a very long time to recover.
After Hurrican Sandy hit, estimates said it would take at least a decade for the dune system to recover. By recycling your old Christmas tree to state or local parks that need them, you can do your part.
