Reid State Park is collecting discarded Christmas trees to help restore its sand dunes after a similar project was successful at nearby Popham Beach State Park.
In March, volunteers and workers placed more than 460 trees along Popham Beach, using them to jump-start the beach’s natural sand dune restoration process. Sand dunes, which make up about 2 percent of Maine’s coast, act as natural barriers between the uplands and the ocean.
But they can erode as wind and waves batter the coast during winter storms — including several big ones that hit the state last winter. The town of Arrowsic announced Thursday that it will be collecting discarded trees this year to do a similar project at Reid State Park.
People can bring their trees, free of tinsel and decorations, to the state park or to the Arrowsic Town Hall on Jan. 4 and 5 between 9 a.m. and noon.
Jules Walkup is a Report for America corps member.Additional support for this reporting is provided by BDN readers.