Fylde Sand Dunes Project

Sand dunes

Fylde Sand Dunes Project

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90 % of Lancashire's sand dunes are in Fylde ()
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80 % of our sand dunes have been lost over 150 years ()
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6 hectares of increased dune habitat since 2008 ()
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20 new dune slacks created to increase biodiversity ()
40 % decrease in non-native scrub ()
6,500 + volunteer hours contributed ()
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10,000 + people engaged in events ()
500 + people attended guided walks ()
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3,000 + Students involved in our Beach School Programme ()
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400 + Sand Lizards reintroduced to our dunes ()
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11,000 Christmas trees buried on the beach to build dunes ()
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60 + metres of cumulative dune growth since 2013 ()

Over the past 150 years, more than 80% of the sand dunes in Lancashire have been lost

The Fylde Sand Dunes Project is a partnership between The Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside, Fylde Council and Blackpool Council, currently exclusively funded by The Environment Agency until 2022. This project works hard to encourage visitors to the dunes in a way which does not further threaten their existence, whilst letting people know all about the amazing wildlife that lives in this special place.

We are also working to improve the dunes as a sea defence feature; increasing their width by encouraging natural dune growth on the foreshore. The dunes act as a natural barrier to the sea at high tide, and release sand during storm conditions to reduce wave action. 

With the help of volunteers and the local community, the Dunes Project aims to make the dunes a better place for both wildlife and people.

Aims

The main aims for management of the Fylde sand dunes are to:

  • Enhance the nature conservation interest of the coastal habitats
  • Improve the efficiency of the dunes and saltmarsh as soft sea-defence
  • Enhance public appreciation and enjoyment of the dunes
Fylde Sand Dunes Montage

Project partners & funding

Based on the Fylde coast, the Fylde Sand Dunes Project is a partnership between Fylde Council, Blackpool Council and The Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside. The project is currently exclusively funded by The Environment Agency until 2027. 

Fylde Sand Dunes Project Partner Logos

Habitats and wildife

The range of conditions in a sand dune habitat supports a surprisingly rich variety of plants and wildlife that are well adapted to their environment.

There are over 280 vascular plant species recorded on the Fylde sand dunes, including several internationally rare plants which are endemic to sand dunes in the UK, including the interestingly named Isle of Man cabbage.

Insects are numerous and varied in the dunes, with over 150 species of butterflies and moths recorded. The Fylde dunes are also home to breeding birds including stonechats, skylarks and reed buntings. 

Fylde Sand Dunes Wildlife Mix

Flood defence

The dunes are not only important for wildlife and recreation, they are also crucial for their flood defence properties. The dunes act as a natural barrier to the sea at high tide, and release sand during storm conditions to reduce wave action. The aims of the Fylde Sand Dunes Project feed in to the Environment Agency's Shoreline Management Plan (SMP2); a non-statutory, high level policy document for coastal flooding and erosion risk management planning.

North Beach - Fylde Sand Dunes Drone Shot ©Jack Bradshaw

Practical conservation

The project carries out regular practical conservation methods on the dunes which includes:

  • Controlling invasive non-native species (INNS)
  • Repairing the dunes by thatching and filling blow-outs (weak spots in the dunes)
  • Developing pathways to create recognisable access points and reduce damaging dune erosion
  • Creating dune slacks to encourage a greater diversity of wildlife
  • Erecting posts, chestnut paling fencing, and burying recycled Christmas trees on the foreshore to trap wind-blown sand and create new embryo dunes.
  • Planting dune grasses to anchor sand particles so sand is not blown away from the dune system
Fylde Sand Dunes Project Volunteers ©Brian Jones

Christmas tree planting

Each new year, we recycle old Christmas trees to provide improved coastal defence against sand and sea for residents of Lytham, St Anne’s and Blackpool. The Christmas trees play a vital role as the branches and pines from the trees stick out of the beach towards the prevailing wind direction and trap sand particles as they drift ashore, helping sand to accumulate and eventually build new embryo dunes.

The trees are donated to various drop off points along the Fylde coast and are then used to create sand dunes on the foreshore of the local beaches. The annual Christmas tree planting event occurs every year, and is usually a three-day event taking place at the beginning of February. Look out for the event in our events section.

Find out about our 2024 Christmas Tree Planting Details here🔗

Christmas tree planting with the Fylde Sand Dunes Project ©Jack Bradshaw

Community engagement and education

We want to encourage both visitors and residents to feel a sense of ownership of their local coastline. The project offers an outreach programme delivering public engagement and education in the form of:

For more information about our outreach programme please get in touch via email.

 

Fylde Sand Dunes Project Outreach Montage
Fylde Sand Dunes Project Outreach Montage

Sand lizard reintroduction

Between 2017-2021 the Project has been part of an exciting initiative to reintroduce sand lizards back on to the Fylde Sand Dunes. Sand lizards are one of the UK's rarest reptiles, unfortunately confined to just few sites as destruction of their habitat has massively reduced their range, so reintroduction programmes (like this one) have helped to establish new populations.

Sand lizard ©Andrew Hampson

Sand lizard ©Andrew Hampson

How many sand lizards have we released?

Since 2018 we have released a total of 412 captive-bred sand lizard hatchlings on to the dunes.

How do we monitor them?

Our Team have a special licence to be able to survey for the lizards. We conduct walk-over presence/absence surveys on warm quiet mornings between April-September when the lizards are usually out basking on the south-facing slopes. It is really positive for the reintroduction that we have already seen egg shells, wild hatchlings and juveniles, showing that the population is becoming established. We will continue to monitor their success over the coming years.

Sand lizard on Fylde Sand Dunes ©Amy Pennington

How to identify a sand lizard

Female sand lizards are a sandy-brown colour, with rows of dark blotches along the back; males have green flanks that are at their brightest during the breeding season, making them easier to spot.

Learn more about sand lizards

Releasing Sand lizards on the Fylde Sand Dunes

Beach school

Beach School is a new, unique outdoor learning experience offered to local schools that aims to improve student's knowledge about their local coastal environment by connecting children and young people with nature.

Find out more about our Beach school Programme ©Amy Pennington

What is 'Beach School'?

Following the same ethos as Forest School, our Beach School project aims to use the coast as a platform for a whole new learning experience, in order to provide children with the opportunity to explore their natural surroundings in an organised setting.

St Anne's Grammar Beach School

Our Beach School vision

Historically, beaches have always attracted a large variety of people for a number of different reasons. Unsurprisingly, people that have easy access to their local coastline often visit on a regular basis, but what about those who cannot easily access a beach or coastal environment? We believe that every child should experience the wonders of our beautiful British coastlines. Therefore, we aim to remove this barrier and provide children with the opportunity to visit, learn and fall in love with the beach. By providing a hands-on inspirational learning environment, we are already seeing the positive effects which outdoor learning has on children.

We believe that if a child has not had the opportunity to play and learn at the beach, they will not grow up feeling a connection to their local coastline. If the next generation is disconnected from the coast, they will not feel passionately enough to want to conserve and protect it in the future.

Beach School

What does Beach School involve?

Through a variety of games and activities, Beach School sessions aim to educate children about their local coastal environment and how they can help to sustain it for future generations.

The topics explored during beach school sessions may include:

  • How to behave sensibly and act responsibly when using the beach
  • Exploring the natural coastal environment (beach combing/strandline searching, rockpooling, mud dipping, exploring the sand dunes etc.)
  • Seasons and tides
  • Pressures on the marine environment (pollution, marine plastics, climate change, overfishing, development at sea etc.)
  • Marine protected areas
  • Species identification and information
  • Coastal habitats
  • Understanding sea defences – hard/soft defences
  • How marine flora and fauna are adapted to survive in their environment
  • Practical conservation on the sand dunes (planting dune grasses, digging dune slacks to increase biodiversity etc. - Can be used towards DoE or John Muir)
  • Mini beach cleans/litter picks
  • Environmental art
  • Survival skills: including navigation, building shelters, fire lighting and outdoor cooking

Within these activities children will also develop primary skills such as team working, basic instincts, confidence in an outdoor setting, emotional intelligence, social skills, and health and safety initiatives.

We recognise the vital importance of promoting an understanding of the natural world and believe our Beach School programme is an ideal platform for delivery.

Beach School Collage

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Guided walks

We offer FREE regular guided walks on the sand dunes. The walks occur on the first Sunday of every month (except January) and start at 10am from North Beach in St Anne's. The guided walks aim to promote the importance of our amazing dunes and to provide information about the project and our local wildlife. 

Find out more about our sand dune guided walks including how to book in our events section:

Events 

There's all these things living so close to my home that I didn't know were there! The people who run it are so knowledgeable, they've got fantastic volunteers working alongside Lancashire Wildlife Trust & Fylde Council to answer all your questions - It's a great morning!
Julie
Join us for a guided walk on the Fylde Sand Dunes

Get involved

The Project really wouldn't be what it is today without the help of our wonderful, hard-working and dedicated volunteers.

Our volunteers help with practical conservation, surveys, events, lead guided walks and many more!

If you'd like to get involved by volunteering with the Fylde Sand Dunes Project, please sign up to be a Lancashire Wildlife Trust volunteer using the link below:

Volunteer with us

"I feel really good after a day of practical work on the dunes. It's rather therapeutic, and I've learnt a lot about dune processes, vegetation and wildlife whilst volunteering with this project”

Leaflets & reading materials

Contact us

For information about the Fylde Sand Dunes Project please contact Amy, our Project Officer:

Email

For information about volunteering with this Project, please visit our volunteering page, fill out the online volunteering form, or contact our volunteer co-ordinator:

Find out more about volunteering 

Register as a volunteer

 Contact our volunteer co-ordinator

Other contact options:

Head Office

 

Social media:

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