Collecting Coral

Coral Branch $24.00

Mine is a body that should die at sea!

And have for a grave instead of a grave

6 feet deep and the length of me, 

All the water that is under wave! 

(excerpt from "Burial" by Edna St. Vincent Millay)

Vintage Coral Print 8x10 $14.00

What a magnificent animal. Coral is in the Anthozoa class of marine organisms, which also includes sea anemones. These builders of reefs are an integral part of the sea's ecosystem. By secreting calcium carbonate, they create hard skeletons which build up over time to form coral colonies known as "reefs". Spanning over 1,600 miles, The Great Barrier Reef is the largest. 

Sea Fan Coral $10.50

Coral reefs are being threatened by many things including coral mining. If you are interested in having one of these nautical natural history pieces in your home, it is best to find one that has already been mined vs. going into the sea and gathering it yourself. Organizations like the United States Coral Reef Task Force are working to protect what is left of the worlds coral. This includes the conservation, restoration and protection of. As the reef population dwindles, it is important to do our part to keep what is left in the ocean, in the ocean. That being said, there are many places to find coral like aquarium stores, garage sales and the internet (especially places like ebay and etsy).

Coral Branch $42.00

If you are interested in collecting corals you may find these titles (available on amazon.com) helpful; "The Super Simple Guide To Corals," "Corals; A Quick Reference Guide,"  and "Aquarium Corals: Selection, Husbandry and Natural History." If you are looking to identify corals in your collection you may want to use the Coral Genus Identification CD. The Coral Science website (found here) is also a great resource of information and links. If you are curious to see a large coral collection in action check out the Waikiki Aquarium's massive coral collection, said to be one of the largest in the world. And please take the time to check out the crotchet coral exhibit at the Smithsonian's Natural History Museum. It is amazing.

Thank you etsy sellers for the use of your beautiful images. Everything you see here is available for purchase on Etsy.

Collecting: Sea Glass

I moved to California after having spent almost 22 years (my entire life at that point) having never seen the ocean, or any body of water bigger than Lake Superior. I was amazed the first time I sat down in the sand and faced the great expanse of the Pacific Ocean. It seemed to go on forever, and the waves crashed and it was serene and beautiful. And after awhile I got bored. I started to dig around in the sand and see what I could find. Shells, rocks, and a cigarette butt, nothing too exciting, but I kept on digging. It wasn't long after that I found my very first piece of Sea Glass. It was as tiny as a pebble, smooth all around and kelly green. I'd never seen anything like it. I thought it was a rock and put it right into my pocket. A little while later I found another piece. Then I was hooked. 

I lived in the Bay Area for 6+ years. Not to far from where I stayed is an amazing stretch of water known as "Tepco Beach" or more formally as "Point Isabel." It's in Richmond, near the Central exit, accross from the big costco. You have to jump a little fence, but it's worth it. It is an extreamly polluted shore, mostly occupied with ceramic pieces dumped there by the Tepco china factory. The Tepco factory produced out of El Cerrito from 1930 until 1968. 

The broken, cracked and unwanted pieces dumped at the Point Isabel site have spent many years in water, washed over by tide and bathed in the suns rays. They are soft on the edges, and in their colors. I spent many a (low tide) afternoon here digging and picking. 

Over the years I found many a interesting piece; A small green chunk washed down, which looked to me like the shape of Minnesota. A tea cup missing a handle, A fragement with a chickens head printed on it, The most marvelous pink sliver, A handful of (what seemed to be) clay buddah heads....and so on and so on. I found the best pieces of sea glass on this beach. Every visit I'd leave with 20 or so pieces, a whole poccet full. I'd add them to my collection as soon as I got home. I have green glass, white, clear, brown, amber, yellow, a tiny orange bit, and even a tiny red one too. But mostly it's green and clear. 

Though far from Tepco Beach, and California, I still keep my collection close to me. 

If you have any questions about sea glass, what certain colors signifiy, where good collecting spots are, etc. Or if you want to connect with other Sea Glass collectors check here: North American Sea Glass Association