Posted on July 3, 2025
Crews are racing against time to rebuild a stretch of Vanderbilt Beach in North Naples.
An emergency sand-fill project is underway to replace the sand lost after Hurricanes Ian, Helene and Milton.
Trucks are dropping load after load of fresh sand to fill in the damaged section of Vanderbilt Beach. Crews aim to finish by the 4th of July, but the work to protect this coastline will continue long after the dump trucks are gone.
The county approved more than $200,000 for this beach renourishment project. About 4,500 tons of sand will cover a 500-foot stretch of eroded shoreline.
This effort is just a part of the project to help protect the beaches from future hurricanes.
This summer, conservation crews at the Naples Botanical Garden are taking steps to restore sand dunes here as well. Sand is just the foundation. Planting native vegetation like sea oats will help keep it from washing away again.
Hayden said EarthBalance is part of Collier County’s beach restoration efforts and has already planted sea oats and other native plants on Vanderbilt Beach.
Crews expect to wrap up the emergency sand fill this week.
