My Nonprofit Reviews

In 2012 Superstorm Sandy washed away the entire beach in Lauderdale-By-The-Sea, FL., where I served as Town Commissioner at the time. The following year the Army Corps of Engineers performed an emergency beach replenishment project to restore sand to the beach. However, there was no vegetation left to hold the sand in place, leaving it vulnerable to further erosion in future storms.

To address this problem the Town entered into an agreement with the Youth Environmental Alliance of Broward County to plant sea oats along the beach. Sea oats help anchor the sand in place, capture the blowing sand and enable the dunes to naturally build up and form a protective barrier. Over the last eight years volunteers from the YEA have planted more than 100,000 sea oats along the beach to help fortify it and rebuild the sand dunes. The Town won the prestigious Environmental Stewardship Award from the Florida League of Cities in 2017 in recognition of this effort.

Most of the volunteers organized by the YEA who plant the sea oats are students from elementary through high school. It is a great learning experience for them. They are helping provide food and nesting places for sea turtles and migratory birds. They are protecting property and preserving the scenic beauty of the beach. The students receive community service credits and a great sense of pride for their efforts.

With the looming threat of sea level rise bearing down on us, the YEA is working tirelessly to expand this program to other communities in Florida to help protect their beaches. As a non-profit the YEA depends on grants and contributions to pay for the plants and carry out its programs. Working with the YEA is one of the best investments the Town of Lauderdale-By-The-Sea has ever made.