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Surfrider San Francisco is building a more resilient Ocean Beach, one native dune grass at a time.
Nearly one-third of San Francisco was once a vast, dynamic dunescape. Today, only fragments remain—and they are increasingly threatened by erosion and rising seas.
Surfrider San Francisco, in partnership with the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department and the National Park Service, planted over 900 native dune grasses to help stabilize the dunes at Ocean Beach. Over six events from November to February, more than 150 volunteers harvested and transplanted the native dune grass, Leymus mollis, into the dunes at Judah.
Healthy, vegetated dunes help absorb storm energy, retain sand, and support native habitat while reducing reliance on hard infrastructure. As climate change accelerates, scientists project that up to 75% of California’s sandy beaches could disappear by 2100, placing coastal neighborhoods at heightened risk of flooding and erosion. Restoring and protecting San Francisco’s remaining dunes is essential to the safety, resilience, and long-term well-being of our community.
Through community engagement and long-term stewardship, Surfrider San Francisco is helping ensure that this dynamic shoreline can continue to protect both people and ecosystems in the years ahead.
Read more about this project and the history of the dunes at Ocean Beach.
Video by Chloë Fitzmaurice
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