Garrett is now 17 and a senior in high school. He’s also a volunteer with the American Littoral Society (ALS). Littoral means having to do with the seashore. The organization works to repair beaches along the Atlantic Coast.

Waves constantly crash onshore and rush back out to sea. The waves pick up tiny bits of sand and carry them away. This process is called erosion (see Vocab Lab). Some erosion on beaches is natural, explains Alex Modjeski. He works at the ALS on restoring coastal habitats.

Natural features like oyster reefs and sand dunes can help combat erosion (see Beach Protectors). They slow down the waves, making them less powerful. Slower, weaker waves sweep away less sand.

Garrett is now 17. He’s a senior in high school. He’s also a volunteer with the American Littoral Society (ALS). Littoral means having to do with the seashore. The group works along the Atlantic Coast. Members repair beaches.

Waves crash onshore and rush back out to sea. The waves pick up tiny bits of sand. The water carries them away. This is called erosion (see Vocab Lab). Some erosion on beaches is natural, says Alex Modjeski. He works at the ALS.

Natural features can help combat erosion (see Beach Protectors). They include oyster reefs and sand dunes. They slow down the waves. That makes them less powerful. Slower, weaker waves sweep away less sand.

Modjeski tries to re-create the natural features that reduce erosion. “Human-made structures can create more damage,” he says. “But nature knows how to handle these things.”

In 2022, ALS and volunteers like Garrett began work on a beach in the coastal town of Neptune, New Jersey. Years of storms and rising sea levels had worn down the shore to a narrow strip.

Workers first delivered 150 truckloads of sand to replace what had washed away. Next, the team placed nets filled with rocks and shells in the water along the shore. The nets work like an oyster reef to slow down waves. Workers also piled sand into new dunes. They planted native grasses on them. Their roots hold the sand in place.

This past summer, Garrett visited the beach again. He noticed the beach had survived the previous year’s storms with less erosion.

“I felt accomplished,” says Garrett. “Clearly it’s working, and you can already see the result.”

Modjeski tries to rebuild natural features on beaches. They reduce erosion. “Human-made structures can create more damage,” he says. “But nature knows how to handle these things.”

ALS and volunteers like Garrett began work on a beach in 2022. It was in the coastal town of Neptune, New Jersey. Years of storms and rising sea levels had worn down the shore. All that was left was a narrow strip.

Workers brought in 150 truckloads of sand. It would replace what had washed away. Then the team filled nets with rocks and shells. They placed them in the water along the shore. The nets work like an oyster reef to slow down waves. Workers also piled sand into new dunes. They planted native grasses on them. Their roots hold the sand in place.

Garrett visited the beach again this past summer. He saw that it had survived the previous year’s storms. There was less erosion.

“I felt accomplished,” says Garrett. “Clearly it’s working, and you can already see the result.”