More than 40 volunteers gathered at Southend-on-Sea seafront to spend the morning planting on the beach as part of a climate change project.
SARCC (Sustainable and Resilient Coastal Cities) is part of the European Regional Developmental Fund and has given Southend-on-Sea funding to create five nature-based solutions to enhance coastal defences and offer additional benefits for species of plants and animals.
The scheme took place on Thursday 23 March, along the stretch of seafront in Thorpe Bay and many of the plants used in the project were grown in the council’s own nursery, from seeds collected along our own coastline. The team also tackled sand dune restoration in East Beach as part of the project.
The overall objective of SARCC is to help mainstream nature-based solutions (NBS) into coastal management and policy making, whether that is as stand-alone projects or NBS-hybrid, where they are integrated into existing grey infrastructure and flood defences.
John Burr, executive director for neighbourhoods and environment, said: “We need to think outside of the box when it comes to becoming more resilient to the risks of sea level rise and coastal erosion because of our changing climate.”
The SARCC scheme has also seen the creation of:
- a climate resilient garden at Chalkwell beach, with accessible access for wheelchairs users
- a green seawall at Two Tree Island
- vertipools at Leigh Wharf
Mr Burr added: “Thank you to everyone who volunteered to help out with the final element of this project. A lot was achieved in a small amount of time, and it will make a difference to our seafront, the protection it offers the City and our local wildlife.
“By collecting existing seeds from the plants already on the beach and nurturing them in our park nursery, I’m pleased we have stayed true to the objective of the project.
“I hope residents can appreciate the beauty and the benefit of these wonderful plants.”
To find out more about the SAARC project, visit SARCC - Sustainable And Resilient Coastal Cities or email coastal@southend.gov.uk
Photos can be found on our Flickr site.