by Matt Konkle
Managing Editor
The sandy, salty expanse of Coin Beach snuggles neatly right inside the Delaware Seashore State Park at the state's far southeastern tip.
Just a few short months ago, this whole landscape would have been crammed full of people. Fishing — often with their Jeeps right on the beach itself. Surfing. Hiking. Some searching, as the beach name suggests, for valuable metal bounty mixed up with those beige gritty granules. All having an amazing vacation..
But flash forward to late November when the sun is just a bit colder. The wind just a bit more biting. And the people, including a hearty group of volunteers heading out to Coin Beach, just a bit more bundled up.
The group headed out recently on a sun-filled but chilly Thursday to work on an important fencing project in the park along with the Delaware Department of Natural Resources (DNREC). They prepared by unrolling dune fencing, digging out fence post holes and unwrapping new signage in preparation for another Quadratec 50-for-50 Trail Improvement Initiative.
In all, the 50-for-50 program will fund 50 trail and public land clean-up events across the country in partnership with Tread Lightly! through March of 2024.
For this one, the goal was to install a bunch of that fencing along a heavily traveled interior sidewalk path to protect important dune areas from human traffic.
Just a few feet away vehicles whizzed past, buzzing along US Route 1 heading either towards Rehoboth Beach and points north, or Bethany Beach and points south. And a handful of bundled-up walkers eyed the gathering with interest as they cruised over the Charles W. Cullen Memorial Bridge and went on their way.
None of them – either in cars or those walkers — really knew the importance of this project. How it would help slow down erosion in an important beachfront area.
But certainly, many of them will be back at some point next year to see the outcome.
”These dunes are our first line of defense during storms to prevent erosion, so this project is important because we need to try and keep people off the dunes as well as educate them on why they need to keep off,” said DNREC Conservation Tech Matt Martin. “Not only will this keep people off, but help us build up the dune behind it which is a critical part of rebuilding and preserving the dunes.”
So the volunteers proceeded. Doling out fence posts every 15 feet or so into deeply dug holes in the sand, then spreading out the fencing and tightening around each post. Martin, along with Quadratec Video Manager Rob Jarrell and Tread Lightly!’s Northeast Region Program Manager Scott Ammerman made sure those connections were solid and secure with no chance of shearing off thanks to tools donated by Colony Hardware and Milwaukee Tools.
”I’ve volunteered with Tread Lightly! a number of times, but this was the first time I had the opportunity to help with a project in my home state,” Jarrell said. “It was a great experience to be able to help with a project in a place that I spend a lot of time in the summer months with friends and family.
The work advances through the morning, into the afternoon, and slowly the affected area nears its 125-yard fencing goal. Signs go up as well every few posts, with a red-coloring warning block telling people to stay within designated walkways and off the dunes, while a lower tan block lists off reasons why this is important.
These include: ‘Dunes store sand critical to maintaining a healthy beach’, ‘Dune grass builds dunes and holds sand in place’, ‘Dune grass is easily killed when repeatedly walked over’, and ‘Please use official dune crossings only to protect the dunes’.
”I’m proud to be a Delawarean and it feels great to have helped with a local project to protect sensitive coastal dunes,” Jarrell said.
The Delaware Seashore Park was established in 1965 and its 2,825-acre area is one of the state’s top attractions, drawing millions of visitors each year. It is bounded on the east by the Atlantic Ocean, and the west by Rehobeth and Indian River Bays.
With all kinds of weather conditions, sand erosion has become especially prevalent over the years and DNREC estimates its beach communities lose up to four feet per year — nearly double the rate of other Atlantic Coast areas.
This makes sand preservation programs that much more important. And yet, many state organizations like DNREC lack the overall manpower to get them accomplished.
So having volunteers come out and work side by side with state employees at clean-up and public land improvement events is crucial.
”Every little bit helps,” Martin said. “Just to see you guys out here helping is huge. I wish we had more people with the same drive and motivation to help preserve our seashore.”
The recent Delaware Seashore State Park Fencing and Dune Protection event was the 33rd of 50 trail and public land improvement events funded by Quadratec’s 50-for-50 Trail Improvement Initiative.
So far, through its supported projects, the 50-for-50 Stewardship Grant has accumulated 6,024.50 volunteer hours with a total value of $180,367.78, pulled away 104,065.40 pounds of trash and improved 731 miles of trail.
Quadratec’s ’50-for-50’ stewardship grant fund helps project managers pay for equipment, fees, volunteer support, food, fuel, signage and other miscellaneous costs.
Quadratec has been a supporting partner of Tread Lightly! for more than 20 years, and a longtime fundraiser for Tread Lightly!’s stewardship programs. The company has also promoted Tread Lightly! and other trail restoration efforts through its Quadratec Cares ‘Energize the Environment’ program.
Clubs and individuals are required to be active, supporting members of Tread Lightly! to be eligible to apply for ’50-for-50’ grant funding. To learn more about the Quadratec ’50-for-50 program, visit Quadratec's 50 for 50 Trails Stewardship Grant Initiative.
Tread Lightly! is a national nonprofit organization with a mission to promote responsible recreation through stewardship programs and ethics education to ensure off-roading opportunities are accessible for future generations. For over 30 years, Tread Lightly!, along with its members, partners and volunteers, has worked together to improve access through on-the-ground trail improvement projects, public land cleanups and strategic educational messaging tailored to promote responsible riding.
