Photo By Chief Petty Officer Ian Cotter | Air Force Airman 1st Class Allon Mazkin and Air Force Airman 1st Class Malaki Flores,...... read more read more
Subscribe
PENSACOLA, Fla. — Volunteers from Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola and the local community planted more than 2,500 native wetland plants on White Island May 2, in celebration of the installation’s 200th birthday and as part of a shoreline restoration project.
“Forming this island as part of the project and getting it planted so that the sand can hold is something the county undertook and they asked us to provide some volunteers,” said Steve Opalenik, NAS Pensacola’s community planning and liaison officer. “Lo and behold, we had more than we expected today.”
More than 40 volunteers signed up through NAS Pensacola’s Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) program and were ferried from Bayou Grande Marina to the nearby White Island by MWR personnel. Once on the island, they got to work planting native species.
“This island was not here before,” said Paige Lansky, a Coastal Restoration Coordinator at the Pensacola & Perdido Bays Estuary Program. “What we’re doing is helping create what once was. We are restoring the function of these islands by putting in native wetland plants all along them.”
As part of the Living Shoreline initiative, a conservation project led by Escambia County in close coordination with NAS Pensacola, volunteers worked closely with Pensacola and Perdido Bays Estuary Program professionals to ensure the 2,500 specimens representing three species of native wetland flora were planted correctly.
“Before this event, I didn’t really know the importance or significance of doing this, but now that I’ve come out here and see the damage and the history of what happened here, it resonates with me,” said Air Force Airman Jevon Hilton, assigned to the Air Force 316th Training Squadron at NAS Pensacola’s Correy Station Annex, and one of the event volunteers. “I want to make sure the plants and everything are safe in my area. Even doing this, it kind of makes the soul feel good.”
Historically, White Island was an integral part of NAS Pensacola, hosting a railway leading onto the installation. Washed away by hurricanes and erosion, White Island was restored through the Living Shoreline initiative by dredging the sand back into its historic place. Volunteers then installed the native plants along the shoreline in an effort to prevent future erosion and maintain the island as an NAS Pensacola recreation area.
“We enjoy the community; we enjoy doing things for it when we can get folks to come together,” said Opalenik. “They may not have known what White Island was until today, and maybe they’ll come back in five or 10 years when they’re stationed here and say ‘hey, I planted that plant.’ Anything that we can do to help keep that community spirit alive and to celebrate our 200 years is an awesome day.”
Along with numerous aviation and cyber warfare training activities, Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola maintains an operational airfield and deepwater port, preserving U.S. Armed Forces operational platforms.
| Date Taken: | 05.02.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 05.04.2026 15:56 |
| Story ID: | 564332 |
| Location: | PENSACOLA, FLORIDA, US |
| Web Views: | 14 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, NAS Pensacola Volunteers Restore White Island Shoreline, by CPO Ian Cotter, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
