Community uses Christmas trees to rebuild dunes at Carolina Beach

CAROLINA BEACH, NC (WWAY) –The piney smell of Christmas trees met the sound of waves crashing at the Ocean Boulevard beach access in Carolina Beach Saturday.

The community came together to reuse a holiday decoration that many have thrown out.

Christmas trees were placed in the sand and partially covered to help rebuild the dunes along the oceanfront.

“The primary goal of this is to recreate a natural dune. As the year goes on and the sand blows over the trees, they will create a very natural, rolling dune,” said Keni Rienks with the Cape Fear Surfrider Foundation.

This annual event plays a huge role in keeping Carolina Beach healthy and is turning the trees into a positive for the environment.

“Protects the businesses and the homes of the people that live here. It also keeps all of these trees, which I think we have just over 100 trees, out of a landfill, which yard waste is the second most common item in a landfill in this county,” said Rienks.

A first time volunteer, Barney Bernstein, says he was impressed by the community turnout.

“The number of volunteers, tremendous. The community outpouring is fantastic. It’s our first time here, but we want to be, we’re part of the community, we want to help maintain the beach line and the dunes and the beauty of the area,” said Bernstein.

The beauty of Carolina Beach will be sustained moving forward, as organizers will pick a new location’s dunes to rebuild next year.

This was the fifth year the town and the Cape Fear Surfrider Foundation have come together for this event.