Gulf State Park

In 2019, six months after being placed, the trees built up enough sand to support Railroad vine, a native dune plant.

Gulf State Park

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Gulf State Park put out the call for recycled Christmas trees in December and Baldwin County residents answered. This year 427 trees have a new purpose protecting the dunes at The Lodge and Gulf State Park Beach Pavilion.

On a cold February morning, 89 individuals including park staff, local volunteers and students from Gulf Shores High School worked to place recycled Christmas trees in the dunes. The 427 trees will accumulate sand carried across the beach by wind and eventually become buried. Native dune plants will take root and the dunes will slowly expand. In 2019, six months after being placed, the trees built up enough sand to support Railroad vine, a native dune plant.

Each year, this conservation project is a community effort and dunes in front the The Lodge at Gulf State Park and the Beach Pavilion will benefit from the hard work of the volunteers. The dune ecosystem stands as the first wall of protection against storm surge and is an essential part of shoreline stabilization.

Gulf State Park welcomes volunteers Tuesdays and Thursdays to work alongside park staff on essential improvements and ongoing projects. For more information or to register for an upcoming volunteer day, email Cindy Langston at cindy.langston@dcnr.alabama.gov.