How to collect nature treasures from the beach. Collectors can collect sand , stones, shells, driftwood and washed glass and preserve these scientific finds.
If you are headed for the sea shore this year, you will want to spend time searching for treasures. Your find may not be buried in a pirate’s chest, but it may rate as a treasure anyway. The treasures of the seashore are the wonderful things a child might find washed up along the beach. If he is prepared he can carry some of these things home, preserve, and collect them.
Have you thought of collecting anything besides sea shells? How about stones, washed glass, driftwood, starfish, sand dollars, or sand? People who walk the beaches searching for interesting nature finds are called beachcombers.
Sand:
The sand on beaches is as different as the types of soils on different farms. If you are going to lakes, streams, creeks, rivers, or the ocean; find a set of containers with tight lids to keep the sand in. The sand should be dried and free of debris. You could use small plastic craft containers (like hobby beads come in). If larger amounts are kept, you could try using dried water bottles. The water bottles look cool with small stones and shells left in the sand. Label each bottle with the name of the place collected from and the month and year.
NOTE: Mothers hate it when sand gets in the car so be certain to keep your sand containers neat and contained in a box or plastic storage tub.
Sea Shells:
Everyone loves sea shells and they are easy enough to find –small ones, anyway. The collectors and merchants know when the tides and storms have brought in large shells and they will beat you to these. You may want to buy some at shops also.
If you don’t go to the beach you can still find snail shells and mussel shells near lakes and streams, Hobby stores like Hobby Lobby and the craft departments at Wal-Mart stores carry small packages of craft sea shells. These are great for starting a collection.
Display and label the types of shells. To find the names of shells try: Sea Shells of the World, a Golden Nature Guide, by R. Tucker Abbott, Ph. D. from Golden press.
Sand Dollars, Sea Horses, Star Fishes:
These tiny sea animals can’t usually be found in good traveling condition. If you find some and have time to dry them, lay them in a shallow box or pan of sand in the direct sunlight for enough days to thoroughly dry them. If that is not possible, you can place them in plastic storage bags. They may spoil and smell bad in the vehicle.
On some beaches it is illegal to collect plants or animals. Be sure to check the rules with an authority.It might be best, and you may be able to get better specimens ,at a beachside shop. These can later be displayed in shadow boxes with glass over them or glued to plaques and hung as room decorations.
Driftwood:
Pieces of driftwood are twisted and gnarled nature sculptures. They are fun to collect and decorate with. A nice piece can be used as a desk lamp base, by drilling a hole through the center and inserting a lamp kit. Other pieces have hollows where small plants can be potted. A large collection makes a nice flowerbed border, especially with cactus.
Sea Glass or Washed Glass:
What is sea glass? Pieces of colored or clear manmade glass that have been on the beach for a long time, maybe washed out by waves, where they are pummeled and polished by the sand and waves are called “sea glass.” The glass most likely came from beverage bottles. Eventually, it makes it back to the beach and these colored pieces are real treasures. The edges are smoothed and the glass has a frosted look. These are fun to display in a shallow basket or pretty glass dish, so that people can pick them up and feel their smoothness.
Beach Bulbs: After storms along the northwest beaches of Washington and Oregon, beachcombers have found large glass balls that were buoys from fishing boats in the Orient. They may have floated for years on the ocean and finally washed ashore. These balls are beautiful old mottled colored glass. You may see some on display in museums, restaurants or stores, but they are rare finds.
Sea Stones and Beach Pebbles:
Sea Stones are unusual rocks that are found in the sand along the beaches Some beachcombers have found stones with cracked and patterned surfaces. Some are pieces of sea coral that have broken loose and been smoothed by the sand and waves. Petoskey stones are some that can be found along the beaches of the Great Lakes. They are actually fossilized sea corals.
Beach pebbles are highly colored when wet. They are the stones that have become rounded by the waves and roll in the flow of the water. When they dry they look gray or dull brown. You can coat them with puzzle coat (made for finishing jigsaw puzzles) and they will show their pretty reds and bright oranges. Another way to show off the collection is to provide a pan of water for your friends to dip the stones in to view the colors and designs.
These are some of the most popular treasures that beachcombers find to sell or collect. This year is a good time to begin your collection.
