UNE students assist Biddeford nonprofit in making local beaches more climate resilient
Sophie Cronin (Environmental Studies, ’26) said she was drawn to the project specifically because it involved working alongside local residents and helping to provide natural resilience along the coast through a green solution was also a point of pride for her.
“It’s meaningful,” Cronin said of the experience. “The community has been so supportive of us helping, because I think everyone recognizes that we really have an issue, and we want to try and find the best solutions.
“I think that 2024 was kind of a wake-up call — especially for students who aren’t from Maine — that this is a very real thing and it can really be very jarring how quickly (natural ecosystems) can change.”
It’s meaningful. The community has been so supportive of us helping, because I think everyone recognizes that we really have an issue, and we want to try and find the best solutions.” — UNE senior Sophie Cronin
John Montenegro (Environmental Science, ’27), who hails from Houston, appreciated working side-by-side with locals on a conservation project because it made him feel more of a part of the Maine community.
“It’s pretty special to see this and be able to chat with them about why they’re passionate about this. To be out here also kind of shows them that it matters to us, too. I think that’s important to any community,” Montenegro said.
Biddeford Pool Conservation Trust President Lucie Fontein turned to look at some 1,200 feet of newly planted dune grass that reached down the beach and pointed at the far back row where last year’s dune grass could be seen. The stalks were much shorter because the older stalks were covered by sand this past winter.
But, Fontein said: That’s the whole point.
“The sand is supposed to come in and get trapped and then the grass grows taller and, as a result, it traps more sand. Ultimately, the idea is for the dunes to get taller,” she said.