A University of Hawaii Sea Grant team, backed by a $1 million+ federal grant, is using native groundcover plants to rebuild the sand dune system at Baldwin Beach Park on Maui’s North Shore. Early test plots have shown success in accumulating windblown sand.
- The National Fish & Wildlife Foundation awarded over $1 million to fund dune restoration stretching from Paia Youth Center to Wawau Point at Baldwin Beach.
- Native groundcover plants in pilot areas have already turned sand depressions into mounds by trapping windblown sediment.
- Historical sand mining at the site dating to the early 1900s is blamed for accelerating coastal erosion faster than elsewhere on the island.
- A rock revetment from an old lime kiln blocks natural sand transport along the shore, compounding erosion challenges the project must work around.
- Peak erosion at Baldwin Beach typically occurs late August to early September, with natural recovery following winter swells.
Source: Maui News
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