Forget #BroomstickChallenge, on the Outer Banks its #ShovelChallenge for better dunes

While the ‘#BroomstickChallenge‘ has been trending again across social media, one Outer Banks organization championing the cause of improving our beaches and dunes has come up with their own version.

While Better Beaches OBX volunteers were out planting American beach grass sprigs along dunes in Kitty Hawk on Monday, the group’s spearhead, Donny King, came up with the ‘Shovel Challenge’.

You’ve heard of the Broom Challenge… How About the Shovel Challenge? Place a shovel straight up on the beach before the Spring Equinox and it will stay straight up for you! Not amazed? Try putting two sprigs of American Beach Grass in as you pull the shovel out and watching a dune form throughout the season! It’s not rocket science… And there are plenty of people around to do it with you! See you on the beach! [Better Beaches OBX/Facebook]
King is owner and chef at Ocean Boulevard Bistro and Martini Bar in Kitty Hawk, and organized Better Beaches OBX as a community effort to improve the dune lines that protect the barrier islands from overwash.

Along with collecting thousands of Christmas trees from as far away as Virginia Beach to place along dunes to collect sand, they are also planting beach grass to stabilize the dunes.

Their goal is to have a fully-vegetated dune running the length of Kitty Hawk’s beaches by 2021.

“At Better Beaches OBX, we want to plant ‘A Plot on Every Lot’ in Kitty Hawk! We are almost there, but we have around 100 lots left to plant some vegetation on,” King posted Friday on Facebook.

The plan is to plant a 10 foot by 10 foot plot on each of the unvegetated lots that remain, which means a plot of beach grass along at least every 50 feet.

King said time is running out on the planting season however, and less than two weeks to get the grass on hand so it can all be planted by mid-March.

To support the Better Beaches OBX “A Plot on Every Lot” effort, click here to “Buy A Bundle” for $33. The deadline to make a donation is February 20.

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About Sam Walker 1512 Articles
Sam Walker was news director for OBXToday.com, Beach 104, 99.1 The Sound, Big 94.5 WCMS and Z 92.3 from August 2011 to March 2022.