Sailors, Marines and civilians from Naval Air Station Oceana, Dam Neck Annex and Naval Support Activity Portsmouth spent two days restoring Dam Neck Annex’s coastline, kicking off with a beach cleanup April 22 and culminating in a dune restoration project April 29 utilizing recycled Christmas trees.
The April 22 beach cleanup brought together seven commands and departments to clear trash and debris. Participating units included Marine Corps Detachment Dam Neck, Surface Combat Systems Training Command Hampton Roads, Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 106, Dam Neck Annex’s Officer in Charge, Naval Air Station Oceana Security and Sailors from USNS Comfort (T-AH 20).
“The purpose of this trash pickup was to clean up our beaches and dunes to prevent the trash from harming the local ecosystem and wildlife,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Andrew Kroll, a retail services specialist.
Clearing the coastline on day one was a critical first step, paving the way for the physical restoration of the dunes the following week.
On April 29, volunteers returned to the shoreline to execute NAS Oceana’s annual Christmas tree recycling program. Every year after the holidays, the installation collects used, ornament-free trees from the surrounding community and repurposes them to combat coastal erosion.
During this year's event, 75 Sailors, Marines and civilians from installations across Hampton Roads placed 592 trees along approximately 1,097 feet of the beach’s dunes. To protect local wildlife, volunteers carefully positioned the trees to ensure they would not obstruct or conflict with nesting sea turtles.
“The goal is for the trees to catch sand and build the dunes taller, helping the dunes to better withstand extreme weather events and protect the military infrastructure, training lands, and wildlife habitats and natural ecosystems on the installation from ocean water intrusion,” said Michael Wright, NAS Oceana’s natural resources manager.
According to Wright, once the trees collect sand — and if native vegetation like sea grass has not already started to grow — another group of volunteers will plant indigenous species to help stabilize and support dune growth.
“Cleanups like this are so important and go way deeper than just the beautification of our beaches,” Kroll said. “By removing harmful plastics and debris, we directly support and protect not just the installation and our infrastructure, but our beach and dunes — an incredibly fragile ecosystem.”