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Christmas trees safeguarding UK coastline

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Wolf-Christian Ulrich in Lancashire, England
March 22, 2026

On England's Fylde coast, discarded Christmas trees are helping to protect fragile coastal dunes by trapping sand and forming new natural barriers.

Residents around Blackpool give their Christmas trees a second life by helping restore England’s eroding coastline. Volunteers place thousands of trees in trenches where wind and tides trap sand in the branches, forming new dunes. With 90% of natural dunes lost and climate change intensifying storms and sea‑level rise, the project protects homes and wildlife.

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