Dune builders

Volunteers with Keep Manatee Beautiful plant sea oats July 26 on Coquina Beach in Bradenton Beach. KMB, an affiliate of Keep America Beautiful, exceeded the 300 volunteers called for to plant 12,000 sea oats in Bradenton Beach and Holmes Beach before the Atlantic hurricane season peaks. “Sand dunes and sea oats are the island's natural armor,” says Jennifer Hoffman, KMB executive director. “They absorb wind, they block surf, they reduce flooding.” Event sponsors included the cities of Holmes Beach and Bradenton Beach, the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Anna Maria Island Garden Club. For more coverage, check out The Islander on Instagram and Facebook. Islander Photo: Lisa Neff