Coconuts fix the shore.

Coir logs sit by a river in Neptune, New Jersey. They help keep the riverbank in place. (AP/Wayne Parry)
Coir logs help keep a riverbank in place in Neptune, New Jersey. (AP/Wayne Parry)
Coir is coconut fiber woven into mats or logs. (AP/Wayne Parry)
Captain Al Modjeski checks on a sandy beach. He works on the shoreline restoration project in New Jersey. (AP/Wayne Parry)
Wooden stakes hold coir in place. (AP/Wayne Parry)

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Whoosh! Storms wash away the beach. What will help?

Try cheap coconuts. Crack the fruit. Peel the husk. Use the strings to weave mats. These hold land together.

Pray: Thank God for new ideas to help care for His world. Pray for people harmed by big storms.

Read More: Coconuts don’t seem to belong in New Jersey. Now they’re holding it together! People use coconut husks to build up damaged shores. This material is known as coir (COY-yuh or COY-yer). It’s cheap, easy to get, and used on beaches around the world. Coir breaks down over time. But first, shoreline plants and grasses take root in it. Coir leaves behind exactly what the shoreline needs: dirt and native plants.

“The Earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein.” (Psalm 24:1)