Christmas Tree Dunes Boost Coastal Protection on Lancashire’s Fylde Coast

Since 2013, the Fylde Sand Dunes Project has turned residents’ unwanted Christmas trees into a coastal defence tool on St Annes beach in Lancashire. By positioning the trees in front of existing dunes, their branches reduce wind speed and collect sand, allowing the mound to grow into a new dune; the effort has added about 90 metres to the width of the Fylde dune system. The initiative is a partnership among Fylde Council, Lancashire Wildlife Trust, Blackpool Council and receives funding from the Environment Agency.

Each year over 2,000 trees are gathered, while volunteers clear invasive plants, sow dune grasses and install paling fences to further trap sand. The expanded dunes, designated as a Biological Heritage Site and SSSI, protect nearby towns from storm surges and support diverse flora and fauna such as dune helleborine orchids and grayling butterflies. Councilor Tommy Threlfall highlighted that the scheme turns recycling into a long-term safeguard for coastal communities.