Volunteers have been working hard to protect our coast at National Trust in Formby
Tomorrow - Sunday 17th Januray, is the final day to take your real Christmas Trees to the National Trust in Formby.
Volunteers have been working hard helping with the dune fencing at National Trust in Formby. This is a great way to recycle your Christmas Trees and protect our coast.
Kate Martin, National Trust Area Ranger said: “In recent years local volunteers have helped us to dig in thousands of recycled (real) Christmas trees to build dune fences which slow down the shifting sand and provide better conditions for the growth of Marram grass. The fences also help to reduce the amount of sand that blows into the main car park.”
Andrew Brockbank, National Trust Countryside Manager at Formby said: “This is a great way to recycle your Christmas tree. Dune fences will not stop erosion but they do help the dunes to build up and encourage the growth of Marram grass which is good for wildlife and good for natural coastal protection.’ ”Formby sits in an exposed position within Liverpool Bay and the coast is often battered by storms and high tides. The high shifting dunes at Formby provide a natural buffer to storm events and it is vital that they are able to build up and move. Sometimes it is necessary to slow dune movements and protect the dunes for example in areas which are subject to heavy trampling.“ Kate Martin added: ”Working with natural change is really important to us. By understanding what is happening to the dunes and coastline we can make well informed choices about how to adapt and work with nature rather than against it.“
The National Trust Rangers are hoping to plant around 2,500 trees in January – enough to make half a mile of sand fences! – trees between 3 and 5ft are the best height for sand trap fences.
All Photos courtesy of National Trust Facebook and Twitter pages
