The project is part of The Bay Foundation’s Coastal Adaptation Program, which replaces traditional beach-flattening maintenance practices with nature-based solutions. Rather than mechanically raking sand flat — a process that removes plant life and destabilizes dunes — crews are planting native California beach species and allowing sand to accumulate naturally around their roots and branches.
Native species introduced and encouraged in the dunes include California poppy, beach evening primrose, California red sand verbena, and seacliff buckwheat. These plants stabilize sand, create habitat for insects and birds, and support broader coastal ecosystems. Invasive species such as ice plant, European sea rocket, and non-native grasses are removed to allow native communities to recover.
Los Angeles County’s beaches have been heavily modified over decades by seawalls, imported sand, and heavy maintenance equipment. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, California could lose up to 75 percent of its beaches over the next 75 years due to rising sea levels, with Southern California facing particularly significant impacts by the end of the century. Dune restoration is intended to counteract that trend by raising beach elevation naturally and absorbing wave energy during storms and king tides.
The Bay Foundation reports that dunes can grow up to three feet tall within about four years, significantly improving storm protection and erosion resistance. At Santa Monica’s pilot dune site, the federally threatened Western Snowy Plover returned to nest in 2016 — the first documented nesting in the Los Angeles region in nearly 70 years. Today, dozens of plovers can be observed feeding and resting in the restored dune habitat depending on the season.
Volunteers have played a central role in the success of the project, contributing labor, monitoring, and long-term stewardship. The foundation also emphasizes public education as part of the program, encouraging visitors to see beaches not as static landscapes but as living systems that support both wildlife and human communities.
Millions of residents and visitors now experience these revitalized shoreline areas each year, where native plants, birds, insects, and natural dune formations coexist alongside recreation. The project reflects a growing shift toward climate-adaptive coastal management focused on restoration rather than mechanical control.
Santa Monica Closeup continues to document environmental restoration efforts, infrastructure changes, and public space projects shaping the Westside’s coastline and community life.
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