Solutions

1. The 'A-Rest System' – operational methods to assiduously restore coastal margins
2. Wider beaches and lower water tables
3. Wider dunes & beaches for increasing property protection and tourism potential.
4. Species biodiversity (flora, fauna, fisheries)

The ‘A-Rest System’ – operational methods to assiduously restore coastal margins

This innovative beach restoration system utilises proven, successful and least-cost methods to ensure enduring, affordable and truly enduring sustainable outcomes from transformational restoration of beach and dune ecosystems. It is critical that ALL the steps of this methodical but simple continuum are followed – or improved upon wherever possible.

1. Choose your planting site on a foredune that has maximum security from storm erosion, even if the selected site is smaller than you would wish initially. It is important to leave your grand plans for a later time when a more secure sand supply is available for planting - this will happen, by increasingly useful degrees.
2. Order your foredune plants in early summer and then collect your local eco-sourced seed (or nearest-sourced seed) to supply your carefully chosen nursery, providing sufficient time for your plants to be grown to the best quality. The foredune species commonly utilised must be locally indigenous C4 halophyte plants.
3. Back-dune ecosystem restoration should only be commenced subsequent to successful foredune stabilisation, and then in natural successional zones where sufficient space exists and where this next biodiversity enhancement phase is both practical and desired.
4. Plants must be produced in the best containers for dune restoration work – root volume is less important than root length.
5. Usual plant density is 1plant/m2, but this density can be increased for very exposed sites.
6. Normal width of the planting band is flexible, but commonly a band 5-10m wide is satisfactory. Where the high-tide beach is narrow, suitable planting zones may be created by effectually controlling weeds landward.
7. Ensure that all stock animals are permanently excluded or removed from the area, and also ensure complete control of feral herbivores (like rabbits) is undertaken at least during the period prior to your planting (and for a longer term if possible), and then maintain strict control of these damaging animals where necessary. You will most likely need the assistance of a proficient contractor with local government back-up. But communities should take a leading role in this important operation, to ensure both safe handling practices and superior long-term security for plants. Many of the introduced herbivores have a key impact on viable populations of critical native coastal plant communities in some nations.
8. Ensure all environmental weeds are adequately controlled prior to planting. Marram, kikuyu and Indian doab for example will need at least two control attempts to remove these persistent competitors – an initial operation in mid-summer and then follow-up in autumn.
9. Planting period is critical - check with weather forecasters for an ideal period – usually calmer and wet period’s suit best.
10. Try to plant soon after receiving your plants – prolonged planting delays are detrimental to many indigenous coastal species.
11. Ensure that suitable fertiliser is added to the base of each planting hole before the sand is filled back in - many types will burn the roots of your new plants and waste your restoration efforts!
12. Some follow-up addition of urea may be useful (contact us for rates), but only after one year has elapsed post-planting, and where increased vigour is required to enable plants to overcome some environmental adversity (e.g. trampling damage due to poor control of pedestrians).
13. When planting, it is critical to ensure that the plant roots are not disturbed or ‘teased’ out, as these roots are often very sensitive to any physical damage.
14. At planting, it is critical to ensure a small depression (or encircling dish) is left around the top of each plant.
15. If barriers are to be used to protect your new plants (and low stature psychological barriers are vastly superior to intrusive physical barriers) bear in mind that these MUST be moved forward each 3-4 years as your dunes grow. This CRITICAL action will enable these naturally colonising plants to trap fresh sand and rebuild protective beach profiles, and raise water tables on beach berms. This is a key reason that the ‘A-Rest System’ of restoration succeeds so well, as this re-creates natural beach profiles that were long-lost due to the effects of human-induced degradation. You will find that beach width will increase at a similar rate to the width of your restored dune, and so ensure dependable improvements to beach recreational opportunities.
16. Natural salt spray generally controls most weed infestations on foredunes, with the exception of weed invasion on the back (landward side) of your new dune. And so effective but simple control of these invasive weeds is a vital contributing requirement for success.
17. Site and species control measures for encroaching weeds can be supplied by us for most plants commonly encountered. Continuing control of invaders is easy, but is also critically essential.
18. When planting is completed, take a photo from a well-known and easily recognised position (a photo point) to subsequently record the positive improvements to your beach over the ensuing years. You will be astonished by the results that nature can create to enhance your initial efforts.
19. These simple steps are easily established (with suitable assistance) and will ensure that your planting project re-creates a new and fully protective dune ecosystem – a continuing landscape (living and natural) with protective functions of epic proportions, to buffer the adjacent land from storm surges that previously created havoc prior to your restoration effort and success.
20. Consider supplying your good news stories to the media to publicise the importance of your innovative good ecological restoration work!!
21. Celebrate your success; it is critical that your efforts are very satisfying and FUN!
22. This A-Rest Systems dune transformation method contrasts strikingly with other less-effective and reduced-input of more casual dune replanting’s, where many of the above simple steps are ignored or altered, which should be more correctly be described as INEPT planting. Such token efforts such as those simply injure the good reputation and outcomes of the A-Rest style of dune renovation.
23. Happy restoration!! ☺

© Greg Jenks: Coastal Restoration Specialist, CLIMsystems Associate, International Global Change Institute foundation member