Content provided by The American Littoral Society ~
Join the American Littoral Society, Bradley Beach Municipal officials and partners for the grand unveiling of the Bradley Beach Maritime Forest.
Thursday, May 23
Noon – 1 p.m.
Bradley Beach Maritime Forest
Lake Terrace & Ocean Ave.
Bradley Beach, NJ
Work to create a maritime forest in the town began after Hurricane Sandy. A small army of volunteers, Monmouth County Master Gardeners, and borough and county staffers, came together to return a long-time beachfront parking lot at the end of the Bradley Beach boardwalk to its natural state, using plants common along the Jersey Shore before humans began developing beachfront property.
The maritime forest is a model for other coastal communities and provides sustainable protection for New Jersey’s coastal lakes, many of which are in jeopardy. The plants help protect against storms, reduce sand and debris going into Fletcher Lake, provide habitat, and beautify the area.
In April the town signed an agreement with the US Fish & Wildlife Service and the American Littoral Society that bans any construction on the site for 10 years, while also providing federal technical support, native plants, and equipment to maintain the site.
Event attendees will include staff from USFWS, members of the American Littoral Society, representatives from the Bradley Beach Environmental Commission, staff and council members from Bradley Beach Borough, and representatives from the New Jersey Corporate Wetlands Restoration Partnership.