To be more correct the UK National Lottery has granted £4 million to get dunes back to their former sandy glory. A part of the cure is to invite people to hike, play, and explore in the dunes. I’d be there daily if I lived close by!
Photo by Annie Spratt
Why does sand dune needs funds? you might ask. Experts say that sand dunes as habitats are at risk all over Europe. To thrive rare plants and animals, as some toads and lizards, needs barren sand dunes that move with the wind.
To protect dunes by fencing in dunes, restricting public access and planting vegetation to keep the sand in place, as done for decades, was the wrong way to go. It has transformed sand dunes into static, grassy hills.
The approach in this new project is appealing in so many ways. It invites people to hike, play and explore in the sand. It will create a citizen sand science program and, promote a greater understanding and appreciation of sand dunes. The plan is also to help populations of rabbits, acting as live lawn-mowers, to spread over the dunes. People living close by are perhaps the true lottery winners.
“People can now enjoy a habitat they have long been encouraged to keep off. We know now that walking and playing on dunes can help create bare sand … That’s why we’ll be inviting more people to become citizen scientists and discover the fantastic heritage at the top of the beach.” Marian Spain, interim chief executive of Natural England, says.
