Lancashire’s coast featured on BBC’s Countryfile last night (10 April) as the show examines how the county is tackling coastal erosion.
Presenter Tom Heap visted Lytham St Annes to discuss the Fylde Sand Dunes Project with a representative of Lancashire Wildlife Trust.
In the episode, Tom explained more than 80 per cent of sand dunes in Lancashire have been lost over the last 150 years.
The remaining dunes need protection as they act as a sea defence barrier to prevent coastal erosion.
The Fylde Sand Dunes Project is working to improve and restore and the local sand dunes, protecting hundreds of local properties from the effects of coastal eroson.
On the show, Lancashire Wildlife Trust project officer, Amy Pennington, spoke to Tom Heap to tell him all about the project.
Amy, from Preston, said: “I love the dunes and would come here for a day out out at the coast as a kid.
“I feel privileged to come here and look after them and make sure they are sustainable for future generations.
“It’s important that we give nature a hand. It’s important for the local towns, for sea defence.
“As long as we can build the dunes at a faster rate than they’re taken away, it means project is going to be sustainable.”
Thanks to volunteers, the dunes will continue to grow around 10 meters per year.
One unique way volunteers provide improved coastal defence against sand and sea for residents of Lytham, St Anne’s and Blackpool is to plant Christmas trees in the sand.
Speaking about this, Amy said: “The trees act as a buffer when the wind blows the sand. They help to grow the sand dunes.”
A spokesperson for the Lancashire Wildlife Trust said: “It is fantastic that Countryfile's Tom Heap came along to support our work on the Fylde Dunes.
“Using marram grass and recycled Christmas trees, we have managed to create more than 100 metres of dunes, where erosion has severely destroyed them in the past.
"These dunes provide protection for some amazing wildlife on the dunes and the St Anne's local nature reserve and they stop more than 400 homes being buried under sand and water.
“The dune work has meant we can protect important wildlife and rare plants, like the Isle of Man cabbage, and release sand lizards, which were extinct here until a couple of years ago.
“The release of the lizards and the appearance on Countryfile are great rewards for the work of officers and volunteers on our beautiful dunes.
“Our partnership with Fylde and Blackpool councils prove that you can share resources and do something magical for nature and for people.”
Catch up on BBC's Countryfile over on iPlayer.
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