Sea oats added to Lovers Key State Park shoreline

Keep Lee County Beautiful volunteers spent half of a day planting 2,000 sea oats to help stabilize Lovers Key State Park’s shoreline and provide a habitat for the park’s native wildlife.

While sea oats look like weeds, these large plumes found along beaches are a vital part of shoreline ecosystems. The plant’s massive root system holds soil and sand in place during extreme weather events like hurricanes and tropical storms.

Sea oat leaves and stems also trap windblown sand, which helps to maintain sand dunes. This in turn protects the coast from erosion during high winds and storm surges.

– Michelle Mambuca, C2 Communications