Dozens of friends, family, members of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) and volunteers gathered at Lobsterville Beach on a rainy and windy Saturday to help restore and protect some 10,000 square feet of beach from the elements.
The cultural rebuilding effort was part of an annual event that involves planting beachgrass along the long stretch of the Aquinnah north-facing beach, a tradition that originated after Hurricane Sandy nearly wiped out the beach more than a decade ago. The grass helps stabilize the dune system and keeps sand in the area.
“It’s been fantastic,” said Andrew Jacobs of the tradition. Jacobs is the natural resources laboratory manager and environmental technician for the tribe, and an organizer of the grass planting. Jacobs said since the founding, they’ve planted some 200,000 beachgrass stems and restored more than six acres of beach.
The beach had experienced major erosion, particularly after Sandy in 2012. In 2016, the Army Corps of Engineers agreed to allow spoils dredged at Menemsha Channel to be applied to the areas of Lobsterville that needed to be built back up. After the sand was moved, the Natural Resources Department was able to begin the restoration, starting with 19,000 stems in 2016.
The grass planting works by inserting stems several inches into the sand, creating a grid that allows for the plant to reproduce and spread out.
Maybe just as important as preserving the beach is helping to build community. As one of the first outdoor events of the year, it’s the first time that people are seeing their neighbors again in nature. New this year, the Massachusetts Trial Court Community Service Program, a department of the Massachusetts Probation Service (MPS), had four volunteers participating. Lisa Hickey, assistant statewide supervisor of the trial court program, said she was grateful to be involved in the event.
“This project is of utmost importance as it aims to prevent further dune loss and increase the area in which sand can be collected to restore the beach,” she said in a statement. “We hope that our participants foster a sense of community pride in protecting our natural and cultural resources.”
While the turnout wasn’t what it was compared with prior years because of the weather, it was one of the most efficient plantings to date, also possibly because of the weather.
Jacobs was there alongside his young daughter. He said it was a joy to be able to share the importance of the project with the next generation.
“It’s pretty incredible to share restoring the environment with your daughter,” he said. “She knows that planting this beachgrass is important to her dad, and wants to be a part of it. It makes me really proud.”
