Christmas trees used to shore up beach dunes
Hundreds of Christmas trees are being used to shore up sand dunes at Lossiemouth in a bid to keep coastal erosion at bay.
Lossiemouth Community Council is behind the project at the Moray town's East Beach.
They have been assisted by personnel from RAF Lossiemouth and volunteers from the local community.
Having already being collected and carried to the beach, a trench will now be dug and the trees put in place. The plan is that grass will later be sewn, and that sand will catch, forming new eco-systems.
At the end of last year, the community council made a plea asking for people to donate their discarded Christmas trees for the coastal erosion project.
The trees have been collected over the past few weeks.
More stories from North East Scotland, Orkney and Shetland
Listen to news from North East Scotland on BBC Sounds
Carolle Ralph, who is the chairwoman of Lossiemouth Community Council, told BBC Scotland News a micro digger will be used for the trench and trees, after matts are used to get it across a beach bridge.
"The last thing we want to do is damage the bridge," she said, after it opened in 2022.
Of the East Beach erosion project, she said: "It's the first time we have done this so we didn't really have a full concept of what was needed."
She explained: "We first spoke about it at the end of Covid times. Coastal erosion is a problem.
"Building the dunes back up to restore them is something of little cost and it is also recycling trees."
The aim is for children to get involved in the next stage of volunteering when marram grass will be sewn in a bid to knit the trees together.
"The hope is the trees and grass will catch the sand and new eco-systems can develop," she said.
"The trees will be at a 45-degree angle, facing the sea and wind. We will pack the trees down thoroughly.
"We may lose some but we will take evidence over the next few months.
"We have tried to involve as many people as possible."
She described the RAF Lossiemouth help as a "welcome sight" both in terms of planning as well as pure physicality when they were moving the trees into place.
RAF Lossiemouth said it was "proud" to have been helping, on a voluntary basis.
It said the project was "aiding in conservation activities to benefit future generations".
"The 'Team Lossie' ethos we have here on station often emphasises the importance of our personnel spending their time wisely and contributing back to the local community that give us so much support daily," a statement said.
Moray Council added: "While Christmas is long behind us now, it's heartening to see the festive spirit and a local commitment to recycling make a real impact in efforts to protect dunes at Lossiemouth East Beach from the ongoing threat of coastal erosion."
New £1.8m bridge opens up beach access again
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
False alarms, beneficial rain and a dusty start to Florida storm season
Happy hurricane season! Clearly, many of you left several gallons of distilled water and a 96-pack of Kirkland Signature AAA batteries out in a windowless interior room on Hurricane Season Eve to appease the Cyclone Imp, because the 2025 hurricane season is off to an auspicious start. Call it Christmas in June: Internet rumors to the contrary, not a tropical depression will be stirring in the Gulf and Caribbean for another week or more. ➤ Track all active storms ➤ Weather alerts via text: Sign up to get updates about current storms and weather events by location The minimal activity in the Tropics today is actually beneficial. On the fifth day of hurricane season, the typical gift is disorganized moisture from the south (or for those observing the traditional bird-based gift calendar, five awkward teenage geese), and that's just what we are seeing out there now. An upper-level low over the eastern Gulf has been interacting with an old, stalled-out frontal boundary this week, enhancing rainfall over the Florida peninsula. As of Wednesday afternoon, rainfall totals have been two to four inches in South Florida and half an inch to an inch in Central Florida. With much of the southern half of the state in moderate to extreme drought, this precipitation is a helpful kick-start to the wet season. For the next day or two, Florida will continue to be wreathed in above-normal thunderstorm coverage as the old front drifts north. Rain chances diminish on Thursday in South Florida and Friday in North Florida as a weak area of low pressure develops in the Carolinas. If the low were to form over water, it would have a fighting chance of tropical or subtropical development, but given the trend towards more inland formation, don't expect a named or numbered system out of this one. The coastal Carolinas will dry out by late Friday as the low scoots northeast and out-to-sea. Otherwise, the rest of the Tropical Atlantic is devoid of thunderstorm activity, nestled beneath a thick, festive layer of African dust. In the first half of June, the Ghosts of Hurricane Seasons Past tell us that the most common locations for tropical storm development are the northwestern Caribbean and eastern Gulf, with something forming between June 1-15 once every three years or so. This year, upper-level winds are likely to remain more favorable for tropical development on the Eastern Pacific side of Central America rather in the Gulf or Caribbean, for at least the next 10 days. Thus, none of the reputable forecast models are showing a realistic chance of anything tropical forming on the Atlantic side of Central America through mid-month. Except the GFS. The American model is adamant that a Caribbean tropical storm will spin up in 10 to 12 days, then move generally northward. While some runs have shown an alarmingly strong hurricane, there is no chance of that happening for numerous reasons. First, only three June major hurricanes have occurred in the last 125 years, and projections of very rare outcomes should be viewed skeptically. Second, this purported hurricane hangs out in model La-La Land around two weeks away, never getting closer to fruition. Finally, the GFS has a persistent and well-known bias for incorrectly predicting development in the Caribbean at this specific time of year. All told, while something could eventually spin up in two or three weeks, the GFS' frequent false alarms should be disregarded. To make a broader point, anybody that presents GFS fantasy hurricanes as a realistic possibility is not a reputable source of weather information. Hurricane season has gotten too commercial, and there are many bad actors out there trying to profit from scaring people — if something is free, the product is you. My philosophy is that reality is plenty frightening, which is why I don't talk about extreme, unrealistic scenarios like what the GFS has been showing. Bottom line, don't be naughty and share the day 15 GFS on social media, or the Cyclone Imp will target your house with an eyewall mesovortex. Like the holidays, hurricane season tends to surface the same tired debates: Should Category 6 be added to the Saffir-Simpson Scale? Is Die Hard a hurricane season movie? Should there be a Die Hard 6? Beyond the noise, all I want for hurricane season is you to be prepared to react when the serious threats inevitably roll in. That means not sweating the small stuff, and a big part of my job is to help you avoid doing just that. Christmas may last but twelve days, but hurricane season is a hefty 183: that means whether engaging in bird gifting or assessing hurricane risks, you need to pace yourself or you'll have a real mess on your hands. So trim your trees, and keep watching the skies. Dr. Ryan Truchelut is chief meteorologist at WeatherTiger, a Tallahassee company providing forensic meteorology expert witness services and agricultural and hurricane forecasting subscriptions. For more information, visit or get in touch at ryan@ This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida hurricane season forecast: Rain, Saharan dust, false alarms
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Pisgah Class of 2025 embodies resiliency
Jun. 4—Resiliency. It's a word that has defined Haywood County's easternmost town, particularly over the last few years. Between catastrophic floods only three years apart and the closure of the town's mill, folks from Canton have faced it all. While the whole town has faced those struggles, this year's graduating class from Pisgah High School has been particularly challenged. While struggling to get through high school is difficult enough, having these disasters thrown on top only made it tougher. Those students celebrated that resilience during commencement ceremonies Friday evening, May 30, at Western Carolina University's Ramsey Center. "We made it. It might sound like a simple phrase, but after everything we've been through, those three words carry a lot of weight," graduate Carter Francoeur said. "We went through things most schools and classes can never dream of facing." Even before these seniors reached high school, they were facing the COVID pandemic that had plagued the world. Then their first year of high school was marred by Tropical Storm Fred's floodwaters, which devastated their community. "We really never knew what normal meant because the first flood was our freshman year. We had to show perseverance and make sure we had our ducks in a row," Francoeur said. Outside of floods, the graduates missed time at one point when a hacker compromised the school system's network and demanded the district pay a ransom. "Through a global pandemic, devastating floods and even that random Russian who shut down our school for a week, we learned to adapt, to overcome and to keep moving forward," graduate Mable James said during her commencement speech. Then, in the group's senior year, it happened again with Helene bringing heavy rainfall and flooding to the mountains — causing devastating results and forcing students to miss school days once again. "It was a little different, especially with missing a month of school because of one flood and two months of school because of another flood," said graduate Samuel Payne. While students might not have been at school, they were still staying active in the community they hold dear. "Me and my church did a lot of flood recovery and helping people with their houses," said Payne, who plans to major in fish and wildlife management at Haywood Community College. "I saw a lot of these same guys I'm out here with graduating today out there too. It just shows how much the community means to these guys." While everyone faced challenges as a community, most faced challenges in their personal lives, as well. Some of those moments turned into humorous memories for the graduates looking back. "When we did my first chorus concert, I got up there and played guitar and started in the wrong key," Payne said. "My friends all turned and looked at me like, 'What the heck are you doing man?' We ended up playing that whole song in the wrong key. It was a good moment. Nobody knew it but us." Making it through all of that made reaching graduation that much sweeter for this year's class. "We've been through more than most other graduating classes and still made it. It felt good," said graduate Eli Turner. It also proved to the graduates that they can overcome whatever obstacle is in their way. "To me, graduation meant proof," said graduate Rebecca Terrell. "Proof that I could commit, endure and succeed, even when it was hard. It was a moment to acknowledge how far I'd come, both academically and personally. It meant that the version of myself who started this journey had evolved into someone stronger, wiser and more capable." Through all of this, the class of 2025 built on an already strong sense of camaraderie, not only among themselves but within their community. "I am so proud to be a black bear, and I know that Pisgah High School will always be a part of us, no matter where life leads," James said. For some, that's a feeling of togetherness that has been building since the day they were born. "It's meant a lot," said Francoeur, a Goodnight Scholarship recipient who plans to major in pre-med biology at N.C. State University. "All my family has been at Pisgah for years and years. I grew up going to all the football and basketball games with my grandfather." All that hard work in the classroom and away from it has paid off in a big way. As of May 21, the graduating class had racked up nearly $2 million in scholarship money. While that money is impressive, even more of the students will be going straight into the workforce or into the military — helping the community in ways outside of higher education. When asked what was next for him, Turner said "probably work." "I don't have to wake up and go to school every day and can work and make money and be more," Turner said. Beyond that, the graduates were molded into young adults by the four years of hardships, adaptability and fond memories. "That resilience became part of who we are," Francoeur said. Pisgah seniors recognized their most influential teacher during commencement, awarding the honor to W.C. Godfrey, who works in career and technical education. Math teacher Kristy Sorrells was named the school's teacher of the year by her fellow instructors. About 220 Pisgah graduates received their diplomas during the ceremony.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Lorry fire closes motorway in both directions
A major motorway route was closed in both directions after a lorry caught on fire. National Highways said the A1(M) in Hertfordshire was closed between junction two for Hatfield and junction three for St Albans. It said there were delays of 30 minutes for motorists approaching the incident. Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue said it worked at the scene to tackle the fire. National Highways said the southbound side of the carriageway reopened at about 16:32 BST, and the northbound stretch opened at 18:46. Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
