By DONALD WITTKOWSKI
Plastic bucket in hand, 5-year-old Liam McCollick scoured the 29th Street beach Tuesday morning as though he was searching for Blackbeard’s legendary buried treasure.
But it wasn’t the notorious pirate’s gold coins or shiny baubles that Liam was after hidden in the sand. He was hunting for some prized seashells.
“I’m finding shells,” he exclaimed as his grandmother, Dee McCollick smiled.
Liam showed his bounty to tour guide Carol Goldstein, who, just minutes earlier, had told the little boy all about seashells and marine life during one of Sea Isle City’s family friendly beachcombing excursions that have returned for the summer.
For 33 years, the city’s Environmental Commission has been teaching children, their parents and grandparents about the Jersey Shore’s diverse ecosystem by hosting beachcombing tours that combine fun with education.
Last year, as the pandemic raged on, the commission took special precautions to protect children and adults during the tours by observing social distancing and making masks optional in the outdoor setting.
Beachcombing guides literally drew a line in the sand to create a safe distance between themselves and the tour-takers in the summer of 2020.
To prevent the possible spread of the coronavirus, children were not allowed last year to touch the assortment of seashells, crabs, starfish and other marine life that are used by the beachcombing guides to illustrate their remarks about the shore.
But this year, things are back to normal. Children are allowed to handle the shells and other marine life again.
“Last year, we weren’t even allowed to pass these around,” Goldstein, one of the expert beachcombing guides, told the adults on her tour Tuesday while the children held the shells in fascination.
Moreover, there are no lines drawn in the sand anymore to separate the guides from the tour-takers.
Abby Powell, an Environmental Commission member who heads the beachcombing program, expressed relief that such a long-time and popular tradition can continue in Sea Isle without the pandemic-related restrictions anymore.
“Honestly, it’s just been great,” Powell said. “I feel that it’s nice not having to wear a mask. Last year, we gave people that option.”
Powell noted that the tours have resonated with multiple generations over the years. Parents who used to bring their children have since become grandparents and are now bringing the next generation of their family to enjoy the beachcombing, Powell said.
“Generations of families have been down over the past 32 years. I always thought this was special,” Powell said of the impact of the tours on Sea Isle’s summer vacationers.
Dee McCollick, little Liam’s grandmother, skipped the beachcombing tours last year during the pandemic.
“We didn’t do a whole lot last year because of the crowds,” said McCollick, who lives in Langhorne, Pa., and has a summer home in Sea Isle.
Now that she is vaccinated against COVID-19, McCollick feels it is safe for her and Liam to join the tours. Tuesday’s tour was their first ever.
“Are you excited?” McCollick asked Liam.
“Yeah!” he replied, while telling his grandmother that he was looking forward to finding some shells.
Children taking the tours are given some environmentally themed goodies, including shell-collecting plastic buckets. They also receive a beachcomber bracelet, a coloring book decorated with marine life and a certificate proclaiming them as stewards of the environment.
Matt Funk, a vacationer from Allentown, Pa., brought his sons Levi, 7, and Aaron, 3, out for beachcombing so they could learn more about seashells and the ocean.
Levi and Aaron used toy shovels to dig into the sand near the water’s edge in their quest to find some shells. Holding a plastic bucket, Funk joined his sons in their search.
“We always find shells on the beach, but we never really knew anything about them before. But it’s great to teach the kids about the kinds of shells that are in Sea Isle,” Funk said of the beachcombing tours.
If you go: Weather permitting, the hour-long tours are held 10 a.m. Tuesday at the 29th Street beach and 10 a.m. Thursday at the Townsends Inlet Waterfront Park on 94th Street. They will continue through Sept. 2. There is no charge, but donations are accepted.
