Christmas trees to help protect flood defences in Mablethorpe

The agency are working alongside the Rotary Club of Louth who recently gathered a hoard of trees from the local area for a donation - which will be pumped back into community projects.

Five teams from the Rotary Club went out to collect the trees, and with a list of nearly 200 it proved to be another successful collection for the club.

John Barker, public relations officer for the Rotary Club of Louth, said: “Louth Rotary Club has again had a very successful weekend collecting Christmas trees and donations from houses.

“People have been very generous this year and we collected nearly 200 trees!

“All the money will go to local charities.

“This has saved people from going to the tip, using time and petrol and getting their cars full of needles from the tree.”

Mr Barker added: “Also the trees are then being recycled by being given to the Environment Agency for use on the sand dunes in Mablethorpe.”

Nick Bromidge, operations team leader with the Environment Agency, said: “We’re pleased to be able to work with the Rotary Club to recycle these trees into a project that will help extend the life of our flood defences.

“Sand dunes themselves can serve as a type of flood defence by taking the brunt of the force of the waves, which means hard defences behind them – like sea walls – are damaged less frequently and last longer.”

The trees will act as a further defence source to help stabilise the dunes and will be eventually covered by sand and will help to encourage grasses to grow.

Mr Bromidge added: “These trees will also have additional benefits for the environment and coastal ecology.”

The Environment Agency explained that trees will be half-planted in the sand and bundles of other woody material (such as hawthorn or buckthorn) might also be used.

They will create a windbreak, so when it’s windy, blown sand will accumulate.

Over time this will create new sand dunes in front of the old ones.

The agency reviews the dunes annually to see if this sort of work is required.

The trees are to be be planted some time this spring once the agency has determined where they will do the most good.