Last August, I was beachcombing the morning after a minor nor'easter swept through my coastal Maine town, scanning the wet sand for sea glass and fossilized shark teeth, when I spotted a flash of cobalt blue half-buried in the dune toe just above the high tide line. I stepped off the hardpack sand to reach for it, and that's when I saw it: a tiny, pale green American beach grass sprout, no bigger than my thumbnail, crushed under the heel of my boot. I'd been beachcombing for years, collecting smooth sea glass, empty scallop shells, and tumbled stones as mementos of my trips to the shore, but I'd never stopped to think about how my steps were hurting the very habitat that washed those treasures up to me.
Dunes aren't just piles of wind-blown sand, as it turns out. They're living, breathing ecosystems that act as the first line of defense against storm surges, protecting inland homes, roads, and wetlands from erosion. Their sloped faces are nesting grounds for endangered species like piping plovers and loggerhead sea turtles, and their deep root systems of beach grass hold tons of sand in place, preventing entire stretches of coastline from washing away during hurricanes and winter storms. When we trample dune vegetation or dig into dune sand for souvenirs, we don't just damage a few plants---we weaken the entire coastal ecosystem that makes beachcombing possible in the first place.
Over the past year, I've worked with local coastal conservation groups to adjust my beachcombing routine, so I can still collect small, meaningful natural souvenirs without harming the dunes I love. If you're someone who loves hunting for sea glass, shells, and driftwood, these simple, low-effort practices will let you keep collecting without leaving a negative mark on the coast.
Start Your Hunt on the Hardpack Wet Sand (And Stick to Marked Access Points)
Before you even step onto the beach, check local regulations: some coastal towns ban removing sea glass, shells, or driftwood entirely to protect the ecosystem, so make sure you're following local rules before you pocket any finds. When you do head out, stick to established boardwalks, marked access paths, or the compacted wet sand below the high tide line for the bulk of your search. 90% of the best natural souvenirs---sea glass, shark teeth, smooth pebbles, empty shells---wash up and get sorted by waves on this lower stretch of shore, so you don't need to climb up into the dunes to find treasures.
Never cut across unmarked dune slopes, even as a shortcut: every footstep crushes beach grass roots, and repeated trampling can cause entire sections of dune to collapse during the next high tide event. If you use a metal detector to hunt for small finds, limit your use to the wet sand only---digging in the dunes with a metal detector can destroy root systems and disturb nesting sites for birds and turtles.
Only Harvest What's Already Dislodged, No Exceptions
Never dig into dune sand to hunt for buried souvenirs. Dune sand is held together by the dense, fibrous root systems of beach grass, and even a small hole dug to retrieve a half-buried piece of sea glass can kill a large section of root system, leading to dangerous erosion. If you spot a souvenir (a piece of sea glass, an empty shell, a small piece of driftwood) resting on top of dune vegetation, gently pick it up with your hand or a small handheld scoop, without stepping on the grass, and don't dig deeper into the dune to see if there's more buried there.
Also, never take anything that's still part of a living ecosystem: leave live shells (if you pick up a shell with a hermit crab inside, gently place it back in the wet sand), don't take live sand dollars or sea urchins, don't take driftwood that's still attached to living dune vegetation, and never take pieces of coral or rock from rocky intertidal zones, which are critical habitat for mussels, barnacles, and anemones. If a find is too embedded in dune grass or sand to remove without damaging the habitat, leave it---it's not worth harming the dune for a single souvenir.
Time Your Visits to Avoid Nesting and Breeding Season
Most coastal regions have strict nesting seasons for protected species: for sea turtles, it's typically May through October, and for piping plovers and least terns, it's April through August. During these months, avoid beachcombing on the upper beach and dune areas entirely, even if you're staying on marked paths---your presence can scare nesting birds off their eggs, or disturb sea turtles coming ashore to lay nests. Stick to the lower intertidal zone during these months, and if you see a bird acting injured (flopping on the sand, calling loudly), that's a distraction display to lead you away from its nest---back away immediately and leave the area. Many coastal towns also have restrictions on beach access after dark during nesting season, so check local rules before you plan a sunset or early morning beachcombing trip.
Prioritize Abundant, Low-Impact Souvenirs
Not all beach finds are equal when it comes to ecological impact. Small, abundant items like tiny sea glass shards, fossilized shark teeth (which are naturally shed by sharks, so collecting them has no impact on shark populations), tiny empty snail shells, and small tumbled pebbles that have washed up from offshore are low-impact, because there are thousands of them available, and removing a few doesn't harm the ecosystem.
Avoid taking larger, rarer finds: whole intact sand dollars (which are important for beach nutrient cycles, even after they die), large pieces of driftwood that provide habitat for sand fleas, small crabs, and shorebirds, or intact shells that are still being used as homes by hermit crabs or other small creatures. If you find a rare or unusual item, take a photo of it instead of taking it home---you'll still have a memento, without removing it from the ecosystem.
Leave the Dune Better Than You Found It
The easiest way to offset any minor impact from your beachcombing trips is to give back to the habitat. If you visit the same beach regularly, join a local dune restoration volunteer day: most coastal conservation groups host events where you can plant native beach grass, remove invasive species like Japanese knotweed or beach rose, and help rebuild eroded dune sections. Even small, regular actions help: pack out all your trash (and any other trash you see on the beach, as long as it's safe to pick up), avoid bringing single-use plastics to the shore, and if you see someone trampling dune grass or digging in the dunes, politely let them know how important the dunes are for the coast.
I still collect sea glass and shark teeth, of course. Last week, I found a perfect frosted piece of amber sea glass on the wet sand, no need to step foot in the dunes at all. But now, when I pick up a find, I think about the dune grass that holds the sand in place, the plovers that nest on the slope, the turtles that lay their eggs in the upper beach. The best souvenirs aren't the ones you take home with you---they're the stretches of healthy, intact dune that will still be there for the next generation of beachcombers to explore. If we take small, simple steps to protect the habitat, we can keep collecting those tiny, perfect treasures for years to come, without costing the coast anything in return.