Abstract
The Beachgrass Baler was designed for the Friends of the Dunes organization by team FWBTD. The team was tasked with re-purposing the abundance of invasive European beachgrass, which is periodically weeded out by volunteers. The Baler provides a means of organizing the waste beachgrass into tidy blocks, thereby making it more convenient to transport and to use as one would use a bale of conventional straw.
Background
Friends of the Dunes is a non-profit organization based in Humboldt County. The organization is focused on coastal ecosystem restoration and community education. As part of their restoration mission, Friends of the Dunes is working to eradicate the invasive European beachgrass (Ammophila arenaria). The grass was originally planted in the area, and all along the west coast, in the early 20th century as a sand stabilizer. However, as this non-native species spreads, it crowds out native plant species and compromises nesting areas for local birds, thereby negatively affecting biodiversity. Thus, Friends of the Dunes works to eliminate this species. Volunteers manually tear out the beachgrass, leaving it in piles along the dunes, or piling it up in the vicinity of the Humboldt Coastal Nature Center in Manila, CA. Several times a year, these piles were burned. Friends of the Dunes desired to have a use for all of the waste beachgrass.
Problem Analysis and Criteria
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