Posted on October 23, 2023
Local nonprofits and county officials are searching for volunteers this weekend to help replant beach vegetation lost during Hurricane Idalia.
The city of Holmes Beach is looking for up to 50 local volunteers this Saturday, Oct. 21 to help with dune rebuilding efforts in the wake of Hurricane Idalia. This project comes as many of West Florida’s coastal regions and beaches continue progress on similar work.
Partnering with local non-profit Keep Manatee Beautiful, organizers and volunteers will be planting sea oats along the dunes of Holmes Beach that were hit by intense storm surges and winds during the hurricane.
KMB executive director Jenniffer Hoffman says that coastal nature including the dunes and sea oats protected regions like Manatee County against worse conditions caused by Hurricane Idalia.
These natural barriers lining the coast mitigated local infrastructure and property damages. However, because Manatee County’s barrier islands of Anna Maria and Longboat Key took the brunt of the storm, restoration efforts are needed to re-strengthen natural defenses weakened by the storm.
KMB is leading the volunteer efforts, with financial support from the City of Holmes Beach and direct assistance from the city’s Code Enforcement division.
Residents who would like to participate are encouraged to sign up via the KMB volunteer page or RSVP here. Participants are asked to gather at the 52nd Street entrance to Holmes Beach on Saturday at 8 a.m.
