“Season” in Southwest Florida means a bevy of activities in our coastal communities. Chief among them: beach trips. The beach is one of our most celebrated natural resources, and rightly so. We know beaches as tourist magnets and economic drivers. But we less often consider the beach as habitat, a wildlife corridor spanning over 800 sandy miles along the state’s perimeter. Sea turtles, shorebirds, crabs and more depend on beaches for food and shelter.
From our beach chairs, we may subconsciously note swooping shorebirds and scurrying crabs. Do we do the same with coastal plants? Doubtful. In fact, we turn our backs to them! Yet, the beach ecosystem wouldn’t be without plants. Sand-trapping vegetation literally anchors the beach, forming dunes up and down the coastline. These dunes provide food and shelter for wildlife, and they help shield the human environment against coastal flooding and high waves.
These plants need your attention — and your help.
First, I challenge you to look carefully at what’s growing along the shoreline. At first glance, you may see merely a patch of green. Look again. How many species do you observe?