
Getting involved can be fun. By engaging California beach-goers, we can re-wild and protect our beaches from rising sea levels.
14 week project including:
On Site Research
Material Development
Storytelling
Environmental Advocacy

The beach needs our help.
Sea levels are rising at an alarming rate in California ( & beyond ). While we have built a huge infrastructure around this culture, we have so much to lose when the beaches wash away.
They are meant to be wild.​
​
Our desire for the perfect beach sand has devastated the natural beach ecosystems that protect the area. Beach manicuring has created a false narrative of what a wild California beach should be.


My research at the Los Cerritos Wetlands highlighted a disconnect from the community.​
The community is locked out
of being part of the solution.​
​
Unfortunately, conservation efforts often keep the public from taking part. We lack a real connection to native ecosystems.

Flat beaches of the California coastline.

How can we get our communities involved in beach preservation?
Hiring nature as our contractor.
This sandy architecture is a tested and true way to get people to play at the beach, as well as being a great 'brick' for modular construction. These will protect native plants and animals and collect washed in sediment.
​
Structure meets involvement.

[The final idea]

Let's build
sandcastles together!
Change starts with a connection to our surroundings. By involving the community, we take an immersive educational approach to beach re-wilding.

The league is a cyclical project that
grows together with natural biological and social environments. Beachgoers build sandcastle structures to reinforce ecosystems that protect the beach.

1 Community campaign.​
​
Inspired by surf culture, a campaign is launched that speaks directly to the people who spend most of their time at the beach.


2 The buildout.
​
People build their castles the same way they always have. The special part is that they can mold their names right into them, meaning they can leave a physical mark to return to again and again.



Safe and sound!
​
The interior of these castles make perfect micro environments for native plants and sea creatures, as well as sand traps to stabilize the land below.
Built to last!
​
By utilizing specialized bacterial processes, we can make these castles much harder so they can stand the test of time.


Check it out!
​
People love to revisit their mark. By creating a sense of ownership, people have a real stake in the project.
3 Seasons of change.​
​
Things in nature grow and change with the seasons. These structures were never intended to be permanent, but a foundation to build a wilder, and stronger connection to the magic of the beach.
​
Together, we grow stronger.

