ENGLEWOOD SHELL CLUB

THE SHELL SCOOP – SHELL SEEKERS

Volume 13, Issue 2 Nov- Dec 2017

Newsletter Editor – MaryLinda Coward CLUB WEBSITE:

escnewsletter@aol.com www.englewoodshell.club

President’s Message Linda Powers

On November 1, 2017 I received the biggest honor of my life. Dr. Ed Petuch, Dept. of Geosciences, Florida Atlantic University, named the little brown cone seen here Jaspidiconus lindapowersae. What makes this occasion so remarkable is the collaboration between the scientists and the amateurs within the Conchological community. By providing Ed samples and details about where this cone was being found in the Dominican Republic, I was thus made the namesake. We all share this passion for shells; from the most educated PhDs to

the enthusiasts walking the beaches. Finding that passion in your life brings amazing blessings. November is promising to be an exciting month for ESC. Our speaker, Joyce Matthys, is a well-known shell educator and a true shellebrity. I know she is very excited about presenting her program to us. Crafters and Study Group also

have innovative programs planned. It was a beautiful beach walk day, and the trip to Big Hickory was a delight. This is a pivotal and transitional year for our Club. Many of our leadership team have been in their positions for many, many years. We’ve slowly been bringing in ―new blood‖ and big thanks is extended to all. But a lot of team members would like to pass the baton. Three board positions are going to be open:

President, Vice President, and Treasurer. Team member positions for Historian, Membership, Merchandise, Parliamentarian, Outreach, and Social will also be open. Please do not be intimidated to volunteer because you may feel you lack knowledge of shells or that you are not a full-time resident. These are not requirements. I think everyone leaving the board would agree it has been fun and satisfying. The people leaving these positions will be available to assist you and mentor you. The nominating committee will be appointed by the board in

January. But if you have even an inkling to serve, please contact our Directors-At-Large, Wayne Cormier, Candy Niziol, and/or Sue Rundle. It’s a talented group to work with and be a part of. We will need leaders and active participation for our club to continue and thrive. Enjoy the upcoming holidays. We have so much to be thankful for, being a part

of this wonderful shelling community and all of the friends we have in the Englewood Shell Club.

Inside This Issue

President’s Message

Newsletter Editor

General Meeting Program

Carefree Learner Excursions

Beach Walks

Study Group

Membership Dues & Application 2017-2018

Library – Sale and New Books

ESC Holiday Luncheon

Pizza Box Shell Display

A Message from your

Newsletter Editor MaryLinda

Thanksgiving and the start of the holiday season bring so many memories to mind of days gone by and loved ones no longer with us. How fortunate we are to live in a country to have so many kinds of freedom that our

veterans have fought and died for. While the country celebrates November 11th as Veterans’ Day, I think it most appropriate that Veterans’ Day is celebrated in the same month that officially commemorates Thanksgiving. For the men and women who have heroically

fought (and died) for my freedom, I am most grateful. The war you fought may not have been popular in the USA, or you may not have been recognized and appreciated for your sacrifice at the time you came back to this country; but I see the tide changing. I see our country’s acknowledgement that to treat a

soldier poorly for doing the job he or she was required to do in an unpopular war was a bad

reflection on our society. For those veterans to be told to not wear their uniforms when they returned stateside for fear of being spat on, cursed or even worse, is unimaginable today.

Only now are there examples of thanks and respect being given to our Viet Nam soldiers. Yes, the tide is changing. So, this Veterans’ and Thanksgiving days, as one watches the tide come in and out bringing those lovely shells, let’s hope and pray for our country’s future and

for peace and respect of all those living in our wonderful country. It’s the time I spend on the beach that allows me to reflect on all that I have to be thankful for......for those wonderfully small coquinas to make the beautiful flowers Diane Herger has

taught me to do, for the fighting conch that come in abundance one day; not to be seen for a long time, for that Junonia shell waiting to find me, (I know you are out there) and for the opportunity to belong to a great group of shellers.

Have a blessed Thanksgiving.

The Englewood Shell Club’s Discount Merchants have been

updated for this year. Check your membership packets and the website for the current participants.

General Meeting Program

Candy Niziol

Our featured speaker for our upcoming

November 21 shell club meeting is Joyce

Matthys. Joyce is a resident of Beaverton,

Oregon, but spends the winters in Fort

Myers. She is a member of the Oregon

Society of Conchologists and the Sanibel-

Captiva Shell Club.

She is a volunteer at the Bailey-Matthews

National Shell Museum since it opened its

doors, and she credits her knowledge of

mollusks and shells to her experiences at

the museum.

Five years ago, Joyce read about a woman

in Sardinia who claims to be the last woman

in the world to spin sea-silk from the

byssus of pen shells. Because she had seen

the byssus on some dead pen shell bodies

on Sanibel’s beaches, she decided to try her

hand at spinning it and making some sea-

silk herself. At that time she had no idea it

would be the start of a whole new

educational adventure and that she would

become the first person in the world living

outside the Mediterranean to create a piece

of sea-silk.

She developed an exhibit on sea-silk for the

2017 Sanibel Shell Show and it won both

the DuPont Trophy for the best exhibit in

the show, as well as the People’s Choice

Award. She will share her experiences

―Rediscovering Sea-Silk‖ at our November

21 meeting. You certainly won’t want to

miss this presentation.

General Meeting Candy Niziol

Our featured speaker for our upcoming November 21 Shell Club meeting is Joyce Matthys. Joyce is a resident of Beaverton, Oregon,

but spends the winters in Fort Myers. She is a

member of the Oregon Society of Conchologists and the Sanibel-Captiva Shell Club. She is a volunteer at the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum since it opened its doors, and she credits her knowledge of mollusks and shells to her experiences as the museum.

Five years ago, Joyce read about a woman in Sardinia who claims to be the last woman in the world to spin sea-silk from the byssus of pen shells. Because she had seen the byssus on some dead pen shell bodies on Sanibel’s beaches, she decided to try her hand at spinning it and making

some sea-silk herself. At that time, she had no idea it would be the start of a whole new educational adventure and that she would become the first person in the world living outside the Mediterranean to create a piece of sea-silk.

She developed an exhibit on sea-silk for the 2017 Sanibel Shell Show and it won both the du Pont Trophy for the best exhibit in the show, as well as the People's Choice Award. She will share her experiences "Rediscovering Sea-silk‖ at our November 21 meeting. You certainly won't want

.

Membership Application and Dues

Sandy Ouderkirk

Our new year has started so it's important to get your membership renewal in. Our year runs from October 1-September 30 so if you want to be able to participate in our trips, classes, etc., you must

be a member in good standing. We have a wonderful year planned so you won't want to miss out! A membership application is included in this newsletter. Just print it out, complete and return to me.

Beach Walks

Deborah Hubbard

Strolling along somewhere Beach

Photo by Ross Bergen

Our November beach walk was held at Stump Pass Beach with lunch afterwards at Lock N Key.

We had a small group this time and the shelling was ok, but the weather was wonderful, and the lunch afterwards was great. Our next beach walk will be held on Wednesday, December 13th at the Boca Grande Beach (880

Belcher Rd, Boca Grande, FL 33921) at 10:00a.m. Following the beach walk; we will meet for lunch afterwards at a nearby restaurant. Just look for our group with our Shell Flag nearby (usually within walking distance to the restrooms).

Also, please make note that our January walk will be on Wednesday, January 10th, at 10:00 a.m. at Nokomis Beach (100 Casey Key Rd, Casey Key). Bring your suntan lotion, beach chair and water. Looking forward to seeing everyone!

Carefree Learner Carol Ayers

Don’t forget to sign up for the Carefree Learner, always a popular outing out of Sarasota Bay. If you have never been on an outing, these field trips aboard the Carefree Learner give participants the opportunity to observe

organisms living in and around Sarasota Bay through hands on activities. Yes, that means you will be getting in the water. The trip is 2-3 hours on the sand flats of Sarasota Bay. It’s January and may be cold, and it will be muddy, so dress accordingly. Water shoes are a must! The dates of the two 2018 outings are Wednesday, January 17th - 6:30 a.m. departure and Thursday,

February 1st - 6:45 a.m. departure. Sign-up and more information will be available at the November General meeting or members can call Carol Ayres with any questions at 941-830-8252. As this excursion is always subject to weather

cancellations, we need a phone number or cell to notify you in the event the weather isn’t behaving, and we will have to cancel. This is a non-refundable trip unless it is cancelled due to weather. More information is available on the carefree learner website at http://carefreelearner.com

Previous outing of ESC members ‘hitting’ the flats on SRQ Bay

Study Group Anita Wilson & Homer Rhode

Study group will meet Wednesday, Nov. 29, at 2 p.m. at

Cedar Point Park, 2300 Placida Road, across from Lemon Bay High School. Candy Niziol will present the study session on Olive shells. We will also be discussing the Pizza Box Shell Display Competition which will be at the February ESC General Meeting and showing shells that members have found since our last study group session. There will not be a Study Group meeting in

December because of the Holidays.

ESC Holiday Luncheon

Pam Orozco

Remember there is still time to sign up for the Christmas Luncheon on Tuesday, Dec. 12th. Cost is $26.00 and there are three options for you to choose from. Lunch will be served promptly at noon, so members can start arriving by 11:15 a.m. I would appreciate receiving your lunch entrée selection and checks by the November General meeting. However, the final deadline will be the end of November to sign up, decide your entrée and pay. Please call or email Pam with any questions @ 941-681-2462 or pcorozco54@yahoo.com. There will be no gift exchange this year as we will be making donations to Toys for Tots. All gifts need to be unwrapped. No gift cards or clothing please. You can make cash donations online. Gifts for teens are the most needed. Stuck on what to donate? Here are some suggestions Toys for Tots provided:

Adult coloring books, colored pencils or markers Toiletry gift sets Curling irons Hair Dryers Books Backpacks Board games Sporting equipment Purses/wallets Hand held electronics Skateboards/helmets

Toys for Tots also needs volunteers to help sort the donations. If you can spend a little time helping them out, they could really use your help. What I know right now is that one of the buildings in the plaza across from Englewood Bowl will be used for the sorting. I will have more information about this at the general meeting. Your donation of gifts and time will make someone’s holiday a little brighter.

Library

Judy Kauk

Book Sale at the November Meeting!

Be sure to stop by the library table at the November meeting to get some great deals on a variety of shell and

shell-related books that will be for sale. All proceeds from the sale will be used for new books and any suggestions that would meet the needs of our club members and help our library to grow would be appreciated.

Our newest additions to the library are "The Living and Fossil Busycon Whelks: Iconic Mollusks of Eastern North America" and "Rare and Unusual Shells of Southern Florida."

Our November "Shell of the Month" talk will be given by Martha Dehne on Cowries and you won't want to miss it!

Pizza Box Shell Display

Coming in February Anita Wilson & Homer Rhode

Do you like pizza? Well if the answer is yes or no, it doesn’t really matter as the club has a fun activity coming that requires pizza boxes, but no love of pizza. ESC is sponsoring a mini shell show just for its members. ―It will showcase your work and provide another

opportunity for all of us to learn more about shells‖, says Linda Powers, club president. The show will be held at the February club meeting. Each member who wishes to participate will receive a pizza box courtesy of Rob’s Pizzeria in Merchant’s

Crossing. In that pizza box, you can display your shells. Your display may feature your favorite shell or shells, shells gathered in one place, say the recent Beach Walk to Stump Pass, trip to Sanibel or boat excursion to Big Hickory Island. It might feature shells of a genus all specific to Florida, or shells of one species that have interesting color or pattern variations. ―The sky is the limit! Use your imagination,‖ says Linda. Linda is being assisted by Homer Rhode and Anita Wilson, who will provide additional tips and answer questions at November and January Study Group sessions at Cedar Park. ―There will be prizes for the top three winners,‖ promises

Homer. For more information, see the special pages with contest rules and tips below.

PIZZA BOX SHELL DISPLAYS

What is the Purpose? To learn more personally about one or more shells and translate that learning into a visual display to inform others about the shell(s). To have fun sharing what everyone learns and to enhance our creativity as we develop and share our shell displays. Possibly to encourage members to enter shell shows around the state. When Will Our Shell Displays Be Shown? At the February general monthly meeting. There will be

prizes for the top three displays!!! Where Do I Get My Pizza Box? Boxes, courtesy of Rob’s Pizzeria in Merchants’ Crossing, will be distributed at the November general meeting. If you cannot attend, they also will be available at Study Group or you can pick up your own at Rob’s. Thanks, Rob.

Tips for Building a Display: *It is important to have a theme for your display. Just a few examples follow: shells found on rocks, in sand, or in the bay or freshwater rather than beach; shells gathered on one trip; shells of one family; unique specimens such as fossils, freaks, miniatures, or albinos; shells of one color or shells of one species that come in a variety of color or pattern forms; the same species at different stages of development, maybe with egg casings; one shell or shell group that is special to you, either self-collected

or obtained some other way. ―Self-collected‖ means personally collected from the species’ natural habitat; personally retrieved on a boat from a trap, net or dredge, or personally retrieved on shore from beach drift or scallop dump. ―Self-collected‖ does not include loaned, gifted, purchased or traded specimens. *Use quality specimens, but they do not have to be rare or uncommon.

PIZZA BOX SHELL DISPLAYS (cont.)

*Have neat labels for each specimen. Scientific name, author, date, and locality of collection are required. Common name and other pertinent data are optional, but often included. The scientific name should be underlined or in italics; there is a comma between the author and date, Genus is capitalized; species is not. Start locality found and other data on a new line. An example of a good label is below.

*It helps to have background material (felt, colored paper, etc.) under your shells. You may wish to coordinate the color beneath the shells with colored paper beneath each of your labels. *The color of your shells can be enhanced by coating shells with a very light mixture of lighter fluid and silicone or mineral oil. Shells for displays should not be sprayed with acrylic, lacquer or another artificial glaze. *You may wish to place shells on the bottom of the box and place placards that tell about the shells on the inside of

the box lid. Be short, sweet and to the point because members will not have a long time to read things in each display. Include a little handout if you so desire. Use your own creativity in your presentation. *Have a card with the reference books used to identify your shells, i.e. Abbott, R.T. and S.P. Dance. 1998. Compendium of Seashells. 8th printing. Odyssey Publishing, El Cajon, CA. or Witherington, B. and D. 2017. Florida’s Living Beaches: A Guide for the Curious Beachcomber. 2nd Ed. Pineapple Press, Sarasota, FL This is important because the names of shells are frequently changed, especially recently. As long as your reference

uses the name on your label, you are right—even if the name is different in a more recent book. *Do not crowd your specimens in the pizza box. *Displays will be judged on originality, accuracy of labeling, quality of specimens, educational value and craftsmanship/eye appeal. Do not include your name visibly in your display until after judging is completed.

*Working on a shell display for the shell club or a shell show is an effective way to learn about shells and shell families. It should be a learning experience and not a competitive exercise. It should be fun to do.

Oliva annulata form carnicolor (Dautzenberg, 1927) No common name

Collected in sand trails during low tide. 1987

Off Bantayan Island, N. Cebu, Philippine Islands

APPLICATION FOR ESC MEMBERSHIP 2017-2018

(October 1, 2017– September 30, 2018)

(PLEASE PRINT)

Please complete application and include your check made payable to the Englewood Shell club. Send to:

Sandra Ouderkirk

8984 Bantry Bay Blvd

Englewood, FL 34224

Individual Membership

Renewal ………………….$20.00

New* ……………………….$30.00

Family Membership

Renewal …………………$35.00

New* ………………………$60.00

Name ______________________________ Spouse (optional) ___________________________

Florida Address:

Street __________________________________________________________________

City/State/Zip ____________________________________________________________

Phone # __________________________ Cell # _______________________________

E-mail __________________________________________________________________

Other Address:

Street __________________________________________________________________

City/State/Zip ____________________________________________________________

Phone # __________________________ Cell # _______________________________

Would you be willing to serve on one of our many committees? Yes No Maybe

Interested in ____________________________________________________________________

Please contact me to discuss opportunities within the Club Yes Phone _______________

RELEASE OF LIABILITY I understand and agree that pictures taken during Englewood Shell Club activities in which I may appear

may be displayed in ESC publications. I agree that I am individually responsible for my own safety and my

personal property when I participate in any club field trip activity. I will not hold the Englewood Shell Club,

field trip leaders, nor the property owner liable for any injuries should they occur.

Signed __________________________________ Date _______________________________

Signed __________________________________ Date _______________________________

*covers one-time cost of name tag

DO NOT COMPLETE

Check # _______________ Amount ____________ Dated ________________________

ESC Dec 12, 2017 Christmas

Luncheon Options

Gulf View Grille, Manasota Key

Name: ____________________________________________

Option #1 – Red (meat). Sliced roast beef plate.

Option #2 – Blue (seafood). Orange glazed salmon salad.

Option #3 – White (chicken). Chicken avocado 🥑 salad.

If you are unable to attend the October or November General meeting

and wish to attend the luncheon on Dec 12th, please complete this form

indicate your menu selection and return with a check in the amount of

$26.00 payable to Englewood Shell Club to:

Pam Orozco

950 Elwood Ave., Englewood, FL. 34223