In October 2012, the Jersey shore suffered the most severe winds and wave surge from Hurricane Sandy, a storm of unprecedented intensity for the Northeast’s coastal and metropolitan areas. Besides the damage to area homes and businesses, Island Beach State Park, a 10-mile-long barrier island and haven for anglers and kayakers, took a beating when the island's dunes were breached in six places. Months after the storm, every change of tide still brings more trash and debris onshore, and cleanup is critical.

Members of the New Jersey Beach Buggy Association have already put donated Christmas trees in place, to serve as structure for new dunes. Volunteers on this workday, including Field & Stream editorial staff, will join the Friends of Island Beach State Park to plant beach grass plugs, which help form a stabilizing root system in the dunes and protect them from erosion. Volunteers will also clean up trash and debris, and help to define footpaths between the sensitive dune areas.