THORNTON BEACH RESTORATION PROJECT

Thornton Beach was once a beautiful stretch of coastline in San Mateo County. It is located next to Fort Funston where numerous people go to walk their dogs, hike, paraglide, relax and enjoy the beautiful scenic views. Thornton Beach however, has been closed to the public for almost 20 years.

The beach was severely damaged by the effects of the El Nino storms of 1982-1983. These storms were so severe that many buildings were damaged, landslides occurred, and the sea cliffs and beaches became heavily eroded. Heavy surf during the storms of 1982-1983 stripped the protective beach near a building constructed close to the cliff edge and cut the cliff back to about 20 meters, destroying the building. Unprotected, the cliff was again cut back 7 meters by just moderate surf in the winter of 1983-84. The effects of erosion and the resultant coastal hazards forced park officials to close Thornton Beach.

The lack of care for this area over the past 20 years caused non-native plants to take over the land, thus driving out the native plants and wildlife. On a recent visit to Thornton Beach, I noticed there was no local wildlife. No bugs, no birds, nothing. Since most of the native plants are gone, the bugs aren't there to feed on the plants, therefore the birds aren't there to feed on the bugs. This has created a chain reaction and thus affected the life of Thornton Beach.

Now almost 20 years later, local environmentalists and some private citizens want to assist the Parks and Recreation Department in cleaning up the beach to make it safe and beautiful again. Before this can occur, a survey of the land must be made. This includes determining the amount of soil erosion and structural damage, and how the local wildlife has been affected.

Growing Planet is in the beginning stage of this project. We want to do everything possible to restore Thornton Beach. We estimate it will take 10 to 15 years to complete as we must remove the invasive plants and transplant native plants to revive the area again. Growing Planet is compiling a team of environmental specialists and geologists to survey the land to determine what work needs to be done to restore Thornton Beach. If you would like to volunteer, go toinfo@growingplanet.org. If you would like to make a contribution, go to donations@growingplanet.org.

Thank you for your support.