The Astronaut Trail Shell Club has always been interested in educating
our children.
It is amazing how little is in the biology textbooks about this subject.
 
For years our members have been going into local schools to help educate
in this area.
We often give shells to the students.  I go every year and spend a full
day at the local high school educating them on conchology.  Again very
little in the textbooks on this subject.
I have set up exhibits of various families to help them with
identification to borrow while they are talking about marine life.
 
We have also started a Jr. Club about a year ago.   The Jr. Club lis
taught by a different member each month....so they get the expertise
from many interests.  Our Jr. Club hour is held one hour before our
regular club meeting so the parents can be there too.
They get about 20 minutes of scientific information...then a craft
project of some kind to go with it.  We often give them shells.  Last
month I taught them all the body parts of the mollusc animal and then
they took clay and made the animal to go in a bonnet shells. They loved
it.
 
We give away shells to all the children who come into our shell show and
have a children's area where they can touch and talk about shells.
 
AND last but not least we give a scholarship to a graduate student each
year from the proceeds from our shell show.
 
I am sure there are many shell clubs that are doing the same thing.
 
Our members are always available to volunteer for shell talks...it makes
interesting programs for Sr. Citizen groups, churches, scouts, 4H, etc.
etc.
 
 
 
 
 
--
Jim and Bobbi Cordy
of Merritt Island, Florida.
 
Jim Specializes in Self-Collected
Caribbean & Florida Shells
 
Bobbi in Shell Creations