National Seashell Day 2023
 |
I've had a number of them of which I was particularly fond and they too became lost to posterity never to be seen again.
I like sea shells for their shape and color and it's obvious that I am not responsible enough to transport items of value around with me. So much of that which I have treasured has been lost over the years for the very same reason.
Some sea shells are both beautiful and valuable. It depends on the market and the item and I've been in shops selling shells priced in the range of several hundred dollars. I once found a large cowrie shell in the Bruneau sand dunes of Idaho which was likely an ancient artifact when I was in the second grade. I gave that to my second grade teacher, Mrs Ann Esther Stalker.
Today is both the first day of Summer and National Seashell Day. So each June 21st you are encouraged to travel to some nearby coast line and enjoy the shells left by creatures who use them and deposited by the surf. If you observe shells which are in use by animals for habitation you might enjoy looking at them momentarily then gently releasing them back into the ocean.
It's the conservation oriented thing to do — and in some jurisdictions a legal requirement for shells containing occupants !
National Seashell Day was first held under the auspices of the Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau on the first day of summer in 2016. It was a tourism gimmick to attract travelers to the beaches of Fort Myers and Sanibel.
Happy National Seashell Day (and first day of Summer) to you !
 |