Maine students rebuild dunes washed away by 2024 storms, plant 20,000 grass stalks along the beach

University of New England students plant dune grass at Biddeford Pool beach in Maine. A beach in Biddeford Pool, Maine, is being rebuilt with the help of dune grass. In March 2026, University of New England students and local volunteers planted 20,000 stalks across about 20,000 square feet, continuing a restoration effort that began after severe storms damaged the dunes in 2024.The 2024 storms caused an estimated $90 million in damage across the Maine coast, according to the state, Univerisity of New England reported. The storms also washed away dunes at the Biddeford Pool beach, prompting the conservation trust and UNE to discuss ways to restore the damaged area.The 2026 effort was the second year in a row that UNE students worked with the trust. This time, the trust bought 66% more dune grass than the previous year. The 20,000 stalks are expected to cover about 20,000 square feet of beach.Students test how dune grass strengthen beachOn March 10, students from UNE Assistant Professor Will Kochtitzky’s Geographic Information System (GIS) course helped plant the grass. The volunteers made holes in the sand and buried the dune-grass stalks.The planting was also designed to support tw...