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FORMBY9 January 2013 Vol 20 • Issue 2 FREE NEWSPAPER OF THE YEARALL WHITE TAXIS537777LOWEST FARESIN TOWN1115517Letters 12 · Crossword 16‘Don’t risk it’warn policeCan council call onits cash reserves?VOLUNTEERS DIG INTO SAVE SAND DUNESReport byStephanie O’ConnorNational Trust staff, volunteers and visitors who turned up at Formby Point last Saturdayto plant discarded Christmas Trees in a bid to slow down erosion. Code1055643A MAJOR operation to help protect Formby’ssand dunes is now underway.Volunteers gathered on Saturday morning tobegin planting over 5,000 Christmas trees,donated by Homebase, in the famouslandscape at the National Trust’s site atFormby.The trees help to combat coastal erosion byslowing up movement of sand dunes – andhave proved extremely effective in the past.The team at Formby has been acceptingdonations of Christmas trees for a number ofyears from local residents and businesses andthis is the second time they have received acontribution on this scale.The Christmas trees that were planted onSaturday will be used to create more than amile of brush fencing, placing the trees in rowswhere the dunes are most vulnerable.The process will hopefully slow down erosionby catching sand to help build up the dunes.In the coming months, the trees will graduallybe buried, helping to hold the dunes together.Andrew Brockbank, Countryside Manager forthe National Trust at Formby, said: “Formby ispart of the beautiful Sefton Coast sand dunesystem with its typical dune habitats andwildlife of national and European significance.“The dunes are under constant pressure from...another tree plantedthe forces of wind and tide, and are activelybuilding and moving inland as the coastlineretreats at a rate of around four metres a year.“We are trying to slow the sand as it blowsacross the dunes and these trees make anexcellent material for building these brushfences to effectively trap sand in the dunes. Themobile dunes are a natural sea defence whichhelp to buffer high tides and storm surges.”The National Trust are now calling on Formbyresidents to get involved in the project.Mr Brockbank added: “We’d still like moremembers of the public to come along and bringtheir Christmas trees: we’ve another collectionand planting session this Saturday, January 12,between 11am and 2pm, so if you’ve still gotyour Christmas tree and some time to sparewe’d love to see you.“If you belong to a group and would like tohelp plant the trees, contact the Formbycountryside office on 01704 878591.”1115509