You’ve seen them everywhere.  Signs posted asking you to “Keep off Dunes.”  But as a resident, I can tell you that many ignore these signs, allowing their children to slide up and down the dunes for hours.  It can’t hurt, right? Wrong.  And let me tell you why. The sand dunes are nature’s way of protecting everything behind them.  A homeowner’s dream is to have high, thick sand dunes marching steadily down the beach.  The dunes protect the houses, wildlife and vegetation.  Looking at our stairway picture to the left, imagine what would have happened if the dunes were not in place when this nor'easter hit. Throughout the year, nor’e...