Members of the Long Island Beach Buggy Association turned out in force over the weekend to place donated Christmas trees along the dunes to help build up the barrier island.
The trees, dropped off at Smith Point Park by the hundreds, are cleaned of tinsel and leftover ornaments and strategically placed along the ribbon of sand that protects Moriches Bay and the mainland.
“The trees catch sand and build up the dunes,” said Joe Pellegrini of Bellmore, the director of LIBBA’s Courtesy Patrol. The volunteer said the association, first started in 1954, has been conducting its Christmas tree program since the sixties. The work is done in conjunction with the Suffolk Parks Department and fortifies the dune line for miles from Smith Point down to Moriches Inlet.
“The trees perform a vital function in building up the beach naturally,” said Assemblyman Joe DeStefano, who represents the Fire Island area. “Many thanks to the volunteers with LIBBA and to all the residents who made the effort to recycle their trees.”
An ever-changing island of sand that absorbs the brunt of the North Atlantic, the Outer Beach took a beating during Hurricane Sandy and subsequent coastal storms, particularly the two in January that caused significant flooding in the Mastic Peninsula. To the west of Smith Point, where Sandy cut another inlet through the barrier island, the beach is practically flat with no protective dunes.
“We have no protection there; the water just washes through,” said Bill Biondi, a Mastic Beach fire commissioner. “The dunes provide a critical function.”
“The Christmas trees act like a natural snow fence,” explained LIBBA volunteer Sue Barile, whose dad, Carl Bartasek, was one of the organization's original members. Stacked five high, the trees fill in with sand and, in many areas, are completely covered. “We’re creating new dunes,” Barile said.
LIBBA is active throughout Nassau and Suffolk with dune restoration, beach cleanups, and community activities such as food drives and fishing opportunities for veterans and cancer patients, Pellegrini said.