Help Better Beaches OBX Grow

Better Beaches OBX has been operating as a grass roots organization for over five years now, evaluating and building dunes in Dare County since 2016. Our volunteer base has grown to over 250 people who stay actively engaged and we “work” on the beach as often as three to five a days a week, weather depending, mainly during the Winter and Spring. To date we have planted over 500,000 sprigs of American Beach Grass, 12,000 Sea Oats, and placed over 8,000 Christmas Trees on the dunes. We have helped build over five miles of dune lines which grown an average of 20 to 25 feet in width throughout all of Kitty Hawk and in portions of South Nags Head. Our volunteer force has racked up over 3,000 hours of work with some volunteers topping 100 hours themselves. There are many miles to cover and many people to still meet and we have big opportunities coming up in the Fall of 2022 moving in to 2023 with Beach Nourishment projects adding to the potential for a lot of dune growth which will help to establish a living shoreline capable of handling larger storm events.

We are requesting money to help further organize our group as well as buy supplies and storage capabilities for all of our supplies and equipment. As our projects grow, they require much more organization and leadership, as well as coordination with the different townships in Dare County. We also hope to expand our scope to the Southern Beaches once we have the contacts and resources to do so. We have a strong group of motivated individuals who have agreed to be on our board and will be taking more steps to not only acquire more equipment and supplies, but also hire professional help to form our group into a non-profit organization capable of expanding with the growing needs on the Outer Banks. We are willing to do the work on the beach and we are beginning to realize our potential. If we can manage our groups in more of a systematic nature, we will be able to coordinate more effectively as we expand our reach and help protect one of the most important reasons we are all here – the beach!