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Hope Town The planting of 200,000 sea oats along Elbow Cay's dunes continues in earnest and is now in its seventh week with three-quarters of the six mile length of beach completed. Since early April approximately 20,000 sea oat plants have been flown in every Monday from Horticultural Systems in Florida, a company well known for its expertise in dune plants. They have been responsible for the successful planting along Florida's panhandle and many large government projects. Hurricane Floyd wreaked damage to Elbow Cay's dunes, leveling them and destroying what Nature took an immeasurable amount of time to build. For a period of time after the hurricane Elbow Cay's residents were uncertain what to do, firstly, how to re-build the dunes and secondly, how to strengthen them against the elements. The Hope Town District Council, Hope Town Fire and Rescue and the Hope Town Association worked relentlessly to solve both issues. Chris Thompson, Kevin Albury and Tony Bennett, three Hope Town residents who are active in all areas of the community, were largely responsible for the dune restoration, for bringing in large machinery for the beach scraping and for raising the necessary funds. The next phase was finding a plant which was strong and hardy. Mr. Rob Barron, a biologist from Delray Beach, Florida, was consulted for professional advice. He made several visits to Elbow Cay and advised sea oats. They are plants which flourish in areas where sand is drifting and can grow up through as much as two feet of new sand per year. They are persistent in heat, drought, salt and lack of nutrients. They are thought to be the most effective plant for stabilizing primary sand dunes against wind erosion. Although wave erosion may undercut the edge of established sands, the sea oats usually withstand the pounding and overwash of severe storms. With this information at hand a committee was formed specifically for the planting of sea oats, a massive project which required organisation. The committee members, Suzanne Bethel, Scott Patterson, Kevin Albury, Patti Myers, Chris and Peggy Thompson, Debbie Patterson and Tony Bennett, together worked to bring the plants to the island and their subsequent planting. "This has only been one phase. None of this could have happened without the restoration of the dunes and the efforts of Chris Thompson, Kevin Albury and Tony Bennett," said Patti. Every day for the past seven weeks two teams have been hard at work. Carey Sullivan-Cash headed a team of four in the north end and Scott Patterson did the same thing in the south. Both Carey and Scott were instructed by Rob Barron on how to best plant them and the optimum places. "The crews plant about 400 an hour," said Patti, who described the efficient procedure. First, a metal drain pipe pushes a hole about eight inches into moist sand. The plant plug is then dropped in, and a half teaspoon of special fertiliser follows, taking care not to touch the roots. A PVC pipe is then used to pound the sand to get rid of air pockets. The team of four accomplish this in a relay system, following one after the other at each stage. "We have another two to three weeks more of planting," said Patti, who estimates that very shortly the two teams will be meeting somewhere along the dunes. She also reported that there are some places where the plants may not have taken root and which will be checked and replanted. This is truly a community effort which not only reflects a sense of commitment to the island and its welfare but also a demonstration how people can weather adversity and work together in harmony. -- Hope Town Dune
Update As a gentle reminder for everyone to protect the dunes, Tony and Elaine Bennett of the Hope Town Association arranged for 200 feet of pink netting to be extended along the dune above the cholera grave yard in the heart of the small settlement. Looking like a volley ball court from a distance, the measure was taken when all else seemed to have failed. "We appealed to people not to walk on the dunes but to no avail," said Mrs. Bennett, who was among those instrumental in the planting of thousands of sea oats along the five mile stretch of Elbow Cay's recently restored dunes. She explained that each of the sea oats cost $1.50 to plant, taking into consideration the freight costs from the United States. "We really had to get the message across to everyone," she said, singling out no one in particular but adding that it was not only people who were walking across the dunes but also dogs. "Some of the dogs are strays but others are simply not monitored by their owners," continued Mrs. Bennett, who along with her husband has worked relentlessly since Hurricane Floyd to not only restore the damaged island but also to help strengthen it in the event of further onslaught from the elements. As the height of the hurricane season approaches, activity on the dunes will continue with the construction of walkways, boards with ropes, steps and half fences. |
