Tag Archives: erosion

FANTASTIC WILDLIFE HABITAT IS BEING CREATED AT GOOD HARBOR BEACH – THANKS SO MUCH TO DPW ASSISTANT DIRECTOR MARK COLE AND THE DPW BEACH CREW!

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You may have noticed that Good Harbor Beach looks exceedingly well-kept and super clean. Every morning before visitors arrive, the DPW crew spreads out over the entire beach and manually picks up the trash. By doing the trash clean up by hand, rather than using a beach raking truck, an amazing songbird attracting habitat has been created. Natural debris has accumulated mostly along the high tide line, supporting tiny insects that not only feed Piping Plovers, Killdeers, and Sanderlings, but also attracts myriad species of songbirds, including Mockingbirds, Song Sparrows, Tree Swallows, Barn Swallows, House Finches, Eastern Kingbirds, Chimney Swifts, and Red-winged Blackbirds. These are bird species we have observed over the years at Good Harbor Beach however, this past summer we are seeing far greater numbers.

You may also have noticed some changes in the vegetation growing at the base of the dunes. Because of the symbolically roped off areas created for Plover protection, lush beach grass has begun to grow as much as ten to fifteen feet into the beach in some areas. This lush growth is a a natural weapon in lessening beach erosion. And, too, Sea Rocket is now growing throughout the protected sanctuaries, also a tremendous help in slowing beach and dune erosion.

We are so appreciative of the good work the DPW is doing at Good Harbor Beach and of their kind assistance throughout the Plover breeding season. Thank you! 

Northern Mockingbird fledgling 

Eastern Kingbird

Killdeer nest

Red-winged Blakbird

GLOUCESTER DPW ROCKIN THE NEW FENCING AT GOOD HARBOR BEACH!

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Check out the awesome new dune fencing recently installed at Good Harbor Beach by our DPW crew. The wire fencing runs along the length of the beach. The DPW did an outstanding job, very neat and unobtrusive.

Dune fencing plays an important role in reducing erosion. One of the main benefits of dune fencing is to help keep pets and people out of the dunes. Why is it detrimental to the dunes to allow uncontrolled dogs to run through the dunes and for people to use the dunes to access the parking lot, or worse, as their personal toilet? Repeated traffic through the dunes damages and kills the plants growing in the dunes. Plants help control erosion by stabilizing soil and sediments with their roots. Dune vegetation helps break the impact of of wave splash and rain, and also traps sand to help build up the dunes.

The fencing material installed by the DPW is an excellent choice for nesting shorebirds. This year especially, with much of the beach vegetation washed away and with the beach greatly narrowed, the Piping Plover adults and chicks had learned to use the area behind the old wire fencing for shade and to hide from predators. The open fencing still allows for small wild creatures to go in and out of the holes to find shelter and safety at the base of the dune.

Pip snuggled under Mama PiPl

Thank you Gloucester DPW for a super job well done!

Adult Piping Plovers and chicks found shelter along the wire fencing (the Bachelor left, and Mama and Pip, right).