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| Dune Tracks This delicate watercolor of American beachgrass in a predominantly brown palette and the tracery of dune buggy or ATV tracks hints at dune use by humans. Picturesque as this painting is, coastal sand dunes serve a more important purpose than beauty. Dunes act as flexible barriers to ocean storm surges and waves, protect low-lying backshore areas, and help preserve low barrier islands. In a stable beach-dune system, sand grains moved offshore during storms are returned during calm weather. Thus, the dunes, beach, and near-shore sandbars act as a dynamic, integrated unit. Perhaps best of all, stable dunes provide habitat for many animals, including these small terns and the thousands of migratory birds that use the Atlantic Coastal Flyway. One of the earliest uses of coastal dunes that resulted in considerable damage was overgrazing by cattle, horses, and sheep. Today, shoreline development and the trampling of dune vegetation by feet and vehicles pose serious threats to the beach-dune system. Nowadays, our more "pristine" beaches are protected by regulation and managed by conservation experts. The original watercolor is in a private collection but limited edition prints and note cards are available. |
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