Duxbury Beach Reservation

Beach structure: restoration and resilience: dbr utilizes a green infrastructure approach to coastal management. This approach involves coastal resiliency projects to create living shorelines using native vegetation and dune and Beach nourishment to reduce wave and wind velocity and minimize storm alterations. To proactively strengthen and preserve the barrier Beach, the Reservation works with partners to monitor changes in the barrier Beach, model future predictive processes, and analyze outcomes. Large-scale projects are undertaken, supported by data-driven analysis. This continuous maintenance includes materials from fine sand to cobble, Beach grass to woody vegetation, and fence installation where appropriate.

Beach operations and access: with a multitude of access points over several different ecosystems, the Reservation continuously works to maintain and improve pedestrian and roadway access. Projects include a boardwalk and water access opportunities for people with mobility issues, fencing to guide visitors away from sensitive habitats, and maintaining pathways, crosswalks, and parking areas. A building at high pines serves as the storage and maintenance center, housing vehicles, fencing materials and historical record. This reservation-owned property is the on-site home base for 45+ seasonal employees of the coastal ecology program where they attend trainings and review data collection.

Coastal ecology program: the coastal ecology program researches and manages projects that preserve the Beach and saltmarsh, and protect the native vegetation and wildlife. Projects include invasive plant management and native plantings; species inventorying to determine baseline populations and species habitat usage on-site; and maintenance of multiple ecosystems - from rocky intertidal and mudflats to dunes and salt marshes. An important focus of the coastal ecology program is the protection of state and federally listed species on Duxbury Beach. Dbr has developed an extensive and robust training, monitoring, and reporting program to track and manage listed species.

Duxbury Beach park: Duxbury Beach park is located at the northern end of the Beach and is open to visitors for a daily parking fee. Folks come to bike, swim, paddle or simply rest on the Beach and enjoy the outdoors. Located on-site is a full-service bathhouse along with a snack shop and restaurant open during the summer months. The Reservation maintains a guarded swimming area, the building and the parking lots, all which offer ada accessibility. The natural shoreline is preserved through coastal resiliency projects including vegetation and dune/beach nourishment.

Community outreach and education: dbr works year-round to ensure visitors, local communities and other stakeholders understand and appreciate the importance of Duxbury Beach as a barrier that protects the shoreline. This messaging is vital as the intensity and frequency of storms increase due to climate change. This work is accomplished through Reservation supported, on-site public education programs in partnership with south shore-based organizations ranging from municipal school systems to environmentally-focused non-profits. The Reservation's mission is supported through community outreach, including events, education programs, communications and volunteer opportunities.