The “Keepers of the Beach” will recycle Christmas trees again this year to build up the Fire Island dunes. The repurposed trees catch sand and give nature an assist in fortifying the barrier island that protects the mainland.
The Long Island Beach Buggy Association has run the fortification effort for years between Smith Point Park and Moriches Inlet, with dozens of members turning out to strategically place the discarded trees. The dunes they protect are constantly threatened by the forces of nature, especially in the areas that were completely washed through by Hurricane Sandy in 2012. Thanks to their efforts, along with snow fence installations and beach grass, the Fire Island dunes are getting back in shape.
Rather than putting them out with the trash, residents are asked to drop them off at Smith Point Park after the first of the year. Volunteers will remove tinsel and any leftover ornaments and start moving them down the beach, probably after Super Bowl Sunday as conditions permit, according to LIBBA President Cooky Rondinella. “We expect about 25,000 trees this year. They really do go a long way to build up the dunes,” he 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, which identifies the areas the trees are most needed.
“The trees perform a vital function in helping the beach build itself up naturally,” said Assemblyman Joe DeStefano, who represents the Fire Island area. “Many thanks to the volunteers with LIBBA and to all the residents who make the effort to recycle their trees for such a good cause.”
An ever-changing island of sand that absorbs the brunt of the North Atlantic, the Outer Beach took a beating from Sandy and subsequent coastal storms, particularly the two last 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.
“The Christmas trees act like a natural snow fence,” explained LIBBA volunteer Sue Barile when she was putting out the trees last year. Her dad, Carl Bartasek, was one of the organization's original members and helped get the program off the ground. Stacked about 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, Rondinella noted.