When you sink your toes in the sand on Alabama beaches do you marvel at how soft and white it is? “Sugar-white sand” is a common way visitors describe our beaches, and we’re proud of those spectacular shorelines. Just take a quick look at tripadvisor.com reviews of our beaches to see what we mean: “Nice white sand that doesn't ever seem to get hot.” “Great day and the water was perfect, greenish blue with white sand.” “Right at the end [...]
When you visit our Alabama beaches, you may notice signs that prohibit walking on sand dunes or damaging the sea oats. There’s a reason we protect those dunes. Our coast and beaches need them. Why? Glad you asked. Those hills of sand act as a natural barrier to protect inland areas against storms and waves. When these barriers are damaged, high surf and strong waves brought on by storms are free to flow farther inland, potentially bringing greater devastation to [...]
Ever toss a can or bottle off a boat? Drop a cigarette stub in the sand? Leave a food wrapper or plastic bag to blow away? Alabama beaches are beautiful, but they are not immune to the effects of debris and litter. Think your little bit of trash doesn’t matter? On International Coastal Cleanup day in 2016, volunteers collected: 4 million pounds of trash on shorelines 41,000 pounds of underwater trash Top items collected were by far cigarette butts at [...]
Don’t you just love walking barefoot on the beautiful, soft sands of our beaches? (It’s a rhetorical question - we know you do.) But did you know that those barefoot walks at sunrise or sunset have benefits to your physical and mental well-being? Walking barefoot in the sand stimulates thousands of nerve endings on the soles of your feet. It grounds us. Sand, like grass and other ground surfaces, has negatively charged ions that experts say are a source of [...]
Summer is quickly fading and fall is just around the corner. That means it’s time to plan for all the exciting events that take place once the temperatures drop a little along the Alabama coast! One of the biggest activities of the fall is the annual National Shrimp Festival, set for Oct. 11-14 at the main beach in Gulf Shores. This is the 47th year for the event, which attracts 300,000 people each year, serves up thousands of pounds of [...]
Did you know our Alabama beaches are a prime nesting ground for sea turtles? Unfortunately, with development along our coastline comes some dangers for these nesting turtles and for the hatchlings as they make their way to the water. But volunteers are on duty to help keep them safe. How does that work? Share the Beach was formed in 2005, and now comes under the umbrella of the Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge and The Alabama Coastal Foundation. The Share [...]
We’re coming up on the 31st Annual Alabama Coastal Cleanup, the day our community and visitors come out to actively clean up those beaches and waterways we enjoy year-round. Whether it’s just you or your church group, family or organization, we need your help. Come lend a hand to pick up debris from Alabama’s coastal waterways and beaches on Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018, from 8 a.m. to noon. You’ll be among the 87,000+ volunteers who have assisted in this event [...]
Y’all know we’re in the middle of hurricane season here on the Alabama Gulf Coast, right? The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30, with the peak occurring between the middle of August and late October. That’s not meant to scare you away from a visit to the beach. With improved technology over the last decade, experts can now predict the path of hurricanes with a much higher degree of accuracy. Warnings give folks plenty of time [...]
Leave Only Footprints has a mission to keep our beaches clean and healthy for visitors and wildlife, and we’re proud to work alongside other groups that share that mission. You may not know the names of these organizations, but if you enjoy the beauty of our coast, you benefit from their work. The Alabama Coastal Foundation, started in 1993, works to find the balance between protecting priceless coastal resources and the pressure of economic growth and construction. They research issues, [...]
For most of us, plastics are part of our daily life. Water bottles, straws and plastic bags are just the start. There’s also plastic in food packaging, computer parts and your car. Those plastics can end up in our waterways, causing danger for wildlife. Plastic has been found in more than 60 percent of seabirds and 100 percent of sea turtle specimens, according to the Ocean Conservancy. Reducing the use of plastics is a good way to protect the Gulf [...]
