#607: Sand Dunes

I've previously posted about Bill Sutherland's Conservation Concepts videos.

This one on Sand Dunes was filmed at Holkham beach.

Format and contents of the video:

• How wind speed affects sand movement and accumulation 
• The role of pioneer plants in trapping and stabilising sand 
• How marram grass structures and strengthens dunes through rhizome networks 
• The succession of dunes from bare sand to woodland 
• The effects of human disturbance and coastal management 
• How natural dynamics — storms, floods, and fencing — continue to shape dune systems today

Thanks to Jake Fiennes of the Holkham Estate for making this possible and explaining the history.

This is a place that we used to visit for many years when I was Head of Geography at a school in King's Lynn.

I am developing a resource on the Holkham Estate for possible use as a case study by teachers, including reference to their WONDER strategy.

#221: Making Space for Sand

Making Space for Sand is a project I was made aware of recently. Sand Dunes are an important habitat, but they face a number of threats.

The ‘Building Community Resilience on a Dynamic Coastline by Making Space for Sand’ project (also known as Making Space for Sand or MS4S) is one of 25 national projects funded by DEFRA as part of the £200 million Flood and Coastal Innovation Programme (FCRIP). 

The programme will drive innovation in flood and coastal resilience and adaptation to a changing climate.

The project website has an excellent section outlining the formation of Sand Dunes, particularly within the located context of Cornwall.

Sand Dunes are an important part of the coastal defences in the locations where they are found. I am particularly familiar with the dunes on the North Norfolk Coast at places like Holkham. 

I've previously carried out fieldwork on those dunes with both GCSE and 'A' level students, and also 

Atkins has provided GIS support and created some visualisations of future landscapes.