Marram grass and dune protection: why you must never pick the dune grass
The tough, yellow-green grass that waves over the dunes along the whole west coast may look like perfectly ordinary grass. But marram, as it is called, is one of the most important things on the coast. Without it the sand would drift, and the whole landscape would look different. That is why the dunes are protected, and why you must never pick the grass.
The grass that holds the sand
Marram has long, deep roots that bind the sand together, and the plant thrives on being covered by new sand: the more sand, the more it grows. In that way marram builds and holds the dunes, which are the coast's natural defence against sea and wind. Without the dunes, storm surges would reach much further inland.
The story of sand drift
A few hundred years ago sand drift was a serious problem in West Jutland. Because the natural plant cover had been removed, enormous amounts of sand drifted in over fields, roads and whole villages and buried them. In the end the state stepped in and planted marram and later dune plantations on a large scale to bind the sand. Much of what you see today is the result of that effort.
Why the dunes are protected
The dunes are protected nature in Denmark. That means you may walk on the wide, established paths, but not pick marram, dig in the dune or make new paths through it. Every bit of wear counts, because when the plant cover breaks, the wind can take hold of the sand again. So it is not just a rule, it is what holds the coast in place.
How to move about the right way
Use the built crossings when you walk to the beach, and stay on the paths. Bring the children and tell them why the grass matters. It is a small thing, but when many do it right, the dunes last for generations.
We live and work in the middle of this landscape every day, and we care about it. When we clean holiday homes for guests, that is also part of looking after a place worth coming back to.
See also: our holiday home cleaning in Blåvand and Oksbøl.