VIDEO: Rockaway Dune Planting with the Nature Conservancy’s LEAF Ambassadors!

The Nature Conservancy’s Leaders in Environmental Action for the Future (LEAF) Ambassadors are a group of high school students helping NYC residents build healthy coastal ecosystems to protect against storms and rising sea levels. On Earth Day 2017, the LEAF Ambassadors partnered with the Rockaway Waterfront Alliance and local residents to restore a natural storm buffer on the Rockaway Beach sand dunes in commemoration of the 5-year anniversary of Superstorm Sandy.

By planting native shrubs and grasses, the Ambassadors and volunteers are helping create a more resilient NYC coastline while engaging the community about the importance of natural buffers and coastal resilience in the context of rising sea levels and a changing climate.