The beach dunes at MacArthur Beach State Park are the lushest Scott Duncan has seen them in the eight years he’s been working there.
A former park manager who noticed the health of the dunes naturally increasing a few years ago put up blue signs warning people the area beyond is one “of high sensitivity or outstanding natural character.”
In other words, leave it alone.
The signs worked, Duncan, the assistant park manager, said. Most people who use the beach are there for the natural setting, not to party.
“They really respect the beach, and so when we put signs out like that, they really respect the rules,” Duncan said. “It’s really flourished since we put those out.”
Once in awhile, the park staff has to move the signs farther out as plants grow closer to the beach, he said. The plants and their root systems help stabilize the sand, a plus at one of the only natural beaches in Palm Beach County.
“Natural” means there aren’t any re-nourishment projects, such as pumping sand, Duncan said. You also won’t see the staff raking seaweed, which helps also helps stabilize sediment and provide a habitat for critters.
A group of volunteers planted railroad vine and sea lavender on a portion of the 1.6-mile beach Saturday for National Public Lands Day, Park Services Specialist Art Carton said. Carton started working at the park in 2004, when a series of hurricanes wiped out almost all the vegetation on the beach. An Eagle Scout project helped replenish the dune plants, he said.
Palm Beach State College Professor Jessica Miles, chairperson of the environmental science technology program, said plants need a high salt tolerance and ability to withstand extensive exposure to sunlight to thrive on dunes.
“It’s a challenge for plants to live there,” she said. “That’s all the more reason why it’s important for people to stay off of those areas and give the plants a chance to survive.”
Beach dunes are a temporary storehouse for sand as beaches constantly widen and shrink and serve as a protective barrier against high-energy storms, she said.
There are a lot of threatened dune areas along the coast, and thriving in a state park shows the importance of preserving habitats where ecosystems can behave the way they should, Miles said.
Locally, signs have informed people about the sensitivity of the dunes. There’s still a lot of naivety from tourists, though, she said.
“We’re doing our best to communicate that with signage, but there is still a definite knowledge gap for visitors to our area,” Miles said.
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