Shell talk captivates young and old at Umtamvuna Marine Conservancy
Those bottles of gran's shells should rather be used in creations or pot plant mulch instead.
Keen Port Edward conchologist Debbie King, a local Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife Honorary Officer, transported audiences to faraway beaches without forgetting about locally sourced shells, at the Umtamvuna Marine Conservancy’s (UMC) recently.
“Debbie could have continued chatting for another hour as her relaxed approach encouraged participation from the 30-strong young-and-old audience,” said UMC chairperson Renée Alcock.
The hands-on activities with touching and looking at shells encouraged great discussions and explanations for everyone, from children to adults.
King will return to UMC for a follow-up visit early next year, and the audience can bring their own shells for identification.
Helen Ueckermann, UMC vice-chairperson, said an interesting snippet King shared was not to return shells to the sea if you are uncertain of the place of origin.
“Those bottles of gran’s shells should rather be used in creations or pot plant mulch instead. It could lead to great confusion for serious shell collectors, for instance, finding a Hawaiian shell on Port Edward’s Granny’s Beach.”
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