COMMUNITY | Students prepare ‘Living Shoreline’ at UNE campus

[Contributed story and photos, courtesy of UNE]

By ALAN BENNETT | University of New England

Approximately 20 students from the University of New England strapped into their boots on Wednesday, April 29, to remove invasive plant species from the shoreline along the Saco River on the university’s Biddeford Campus.

The uprooting is part of ongoing efforts to build a “Living Shoreline” along the cove spanning Jordan Point and Hills Beach Road.

This project is part of UNE’s broader effort to develop a model living shoreline that uses natural systems — such as native vegetation and organic materials — to reduce erosion, restore coastal habitats, and build climate resilience.

Such projects have been completed at Wharton Point and Maquoit Bay in Brunswick.

Backed by a two-year, $138,432 grant from the Builders Initiative and the Broad Reach Fund through the Maine Community Foundation, the initiative is designed not only to protect UNE’s shoreline but to serve as a scalable model for coastal communities across Maine.

Said UNE senior Jamison Saunders: “I love being out of the classroom and doing the hands-on work. It’s so rewarding to take what we’ve learned over the past four years, getting our hands into the dirt, and helping in a way that we can look back on fondly and continue helping the future.”

_____

STAY CONNECTED | SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE TODAY