Endless Sunner

Sea Turtle Nesting Season is May 1st - October 31st

I took this photo in Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, one of my very favorite places!

Every summer, between May and August, here in Cape Hatteras, as well as elsewhere along the coast, sea turtles make their way ashore, dig nests, and lay hundreds of eggs. Eggs take approximately two months to incubate. Then, baby turtles crawl out of their nests and head for the water.

The cycle has been going on for millions of years. So why be concerned?

According to another of my very favorite places, the City of Sanibel:

The rare opportunity to witness this ritual on a dark summer night is both an honor and a great responsibility. Sought by predators and susceptible to dehydration, sea turtle hatchlings have only a 1 in 1,000 chance of survival. Human activities can further reduce that chance.

The main human activity that disrupts the sea turtles is too much light on the beach at night. This disorients the sea turtles, and hinders their ability to head for the water.

So please be aware of this, and do your part to ensure the survival of these magnificent creatures!

You can read more sea turtle protection guidelines from the City of Sanibel, in partnership with the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation, here.

See you on the beach!

Escape to Endless Sunner…
Wish you were here!
Warmly, Maria

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Rare Supermoon March 19 Affects Tides

A rare “supermoon” will occur today, when the moon will make its closest approach to Earth in 18 years — making this supermoon the biggest full moon in years.

What does that mean for your sea glass hunt?

According to Richard LaMotte, author of “Pure Sea Glass: Discovering Nature’s Vanishing Gems”,

Three to four times a year, the moon is at its closest point to earth in a position called “perigree”. If the event coincides with a spring tide, the resultant tide change is even greater, and extra time for a good sea glass hunt should be considered.

Spring tides

occur twice a month, when the earth, moon, and sun are in a line that creates a greater than normal gravitational pull or push on the water. During a spring tide, a much broader width of shoreline is exposed at low tide, increasing the chances of extracting sea glass embedded in the sand.

And today is the best situation in 18 years!

Be sure to check out your local tides here.

And more sea glass resources here.

See you on the beach!

Escape to Endless Sunner…
Wish you were here!
Warmly, Maria

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What inspires you?

I’m inspired by the sun, the sea, and the natural environment.

Today I was inspired by these crocuses in my front yard. They’re a welcome sign of spring.

But you know what? I didn’t plant them.

They came up on their own, which makes them all the more surprising and special.

They inspired me to design this lavender and spring green sea glass pendant:

My inner quality control voice won’t let me sell the pendant because the lavender glass has a fault in it, and may break somewhere down the line.

But you know what? It gave me an opportunity to do something that I don’t often do.

Keep it for myself!

And I’ll enjoy it for as long as it lasts, much like the crocus.

What inspires you? There’s beauty all around you …

Want to express your eco-conscious style?
Escape to Endless Sunner…
Wish you were here!
Warmly, Maria

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photo source
The following story appeared in The Bay Daily, an on-line publication by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, of which I am a member. The story really resonates with me, given my focus on the environment and my love of the Chesapeake Bay region, where I live.

The story gives a real-life focus to the effects of climate change and rising sea levels.

It’s a sadly romantic story.

Who were the people that lived on this island, and what happened to them?

According to William B. Cronin’s book, The Disappearing Islands of the Chesapeake, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Holland Island, located on Maryland’s lower Eastern Shore, was home to more than 360 residents and about 70 homes and stores. It also had a two-room school house, community hall, church and championship baseball team. Most of the Holland Island residents made a living by harvesting oysters in the winter and fishing and crabbing in the summer.

Over the decades, the rising waters of the Chesapeake, the natural sinking of the island, and storms took their toll.

photo source

For the last several years, the last house (as shown above) was surrounded completely by water at high tide. With all the human residents gone, the island had now become home to wildlife such as eagles, egrets, and heron. And amazingly, hundreds of brown pelicans, usually found in warmer waters than the Chesapeake, have established one of their northernmost nesting beachheads in the United States here.

photo source

According to writer Tom Horton,

Holland has become mainly a “progging” place—you go there at low tide, particularly after storms have chewed at the shores, to wander the edges, turning up all manner of arrowheads, old coins, pottery, and bottles that date back as far as the American Revolution and the War of 1812, when they were likely cast away by British sailors.

These remnants of history at Holland Island echo the romance and beauty behind the sea glass gems and other treasures that wash ashore on other Chesapeake Bay beaches, as well.

Places such as Love Point at Kent Island, Maryland, at the site of a long-gone turn-of-the-century hotel. Who were the people who vacationed here, and what are their stories?

And the sea glass and hundreds of tiny glass beads that wash ashore at Brownie’s Beach on Maryland’s Western Shore. Why do so many tiny glass beads wash ashore here? Theories include an Native Americans, an old shipwreck, and the site of an old amusement park.

All of this gives a glimpse into the history of our ancestors… And that’s the beauty behind collecting sea glass and other coastal treasures …

Want to express your eco-conscious style?
Escape to Endless Sunner…
Wish you were here!
Warmly, Maria

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Manatee Spotted in Baltimore Waters

photo source
The Baltimore Sun reported on October 20, about possible sitings of another manatee in Baltimore waters (one was spotted here a year ago, and transported back to Florida). According to savethemanatee.org, manatees live in areas such as Florida, where they can be found:

…in shallow, slow-moving rivers, bays, estuaries and coastal water ecosystems. They can live in fresh, brackish, or salt water.

The photo above was taken in August of 2010, and possible sitings have been reported since then. The National Aquarium staff in Baltimore have been busy trying to confirm recently reported sightings of a manatee in the Patapsco River (as reported by a fisherman near Harbor Hospital), and Fort McHenry (spotted by the crew aboard a city fire boat). The only confirmed sighting was in August, when Ryan Neal snapped the above photograph from the railroad bridge at Swan Park near the mouth of the Middle Branch.

Current water temperatures in the area are quickly becoming too cold to support a manatee and its natural food source.

For now, the National Aquarium is monitoring the area by land, air and sea to determine location and health of this manatee. You can help by reporting any sightings to the stranding hotline at 410-373-0083, or by submitting recent photos of the manatee to marp@aqua.org.

Want to express your eco-conscious style?
Escape to Endless Sunner…
Wish you were here!
Warmly, Maria

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This week marks the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, and we find ourselves thinking about our friends in the Gulf who are now dealing with yet another disaster … The coast is not clear yet, but these bright items reflect the strong spirit that I see in the region!

Be sure to visit all the Etsy sellers that I’ve featured here. I’ve provided links to their shops below this treasury of items.

Featured sellers:

Top row, left to right:
wildmustangs, JudyBFreeman, lauratrevey, MaisonBeegeoux
Second row, left to right:
TomBjornDesigns, SydnorWorks, CattyWhompusPainter, silapp
Third row, left to right:
annasrainbow, imagiro, overthetopoverstock, pencilandpastel
Bottom row, left to right:
handmadelouisiana, TimelessPaper, artbyron, BowtiqueNOLA

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Etsy, the online community that my Endless Sunner shop is part of, has rallied to create a collective shop to help the Gulf Coast recover from the massive BP oil spill. Etsy sellers have donated their items so that 100% of the proceeds are given to two charities — OxFam America and the National Wildlife Federation.

To date, the site has donated over $8,500!

The Help the Gulf Coast shop will remain open until approximately December 31, 2010, so please check it out! Do your part to help the cause! Make a positive difference for the people and animals suffering from the oil spill in the Gulf.

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Like everyone else, I’ve been watching the Gulf Oil Spill.

Did you catch Jimmy Buffett on CMT recently? He gave a free concert in Gulf Shores, Alabama, his whole purpose being to attract tourists and business to the area, at a time when they need it the most.

I LOVED his take on the whole oil spill thing:

“Some people claim that there’s a woman to blame, but I know…It’s All BP’s Fault!”

As for me, oil spill or not, I know I’M still planning a return visit this winter to my very favorite little beach cottage on Sanibel Island, Florida.

And I’m counting on the fact that the oil that covers me will be suntan oil…

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Here at Endless Sunner, I’m inspired by the sun, the sea, and the natural environment. But even in my corporate life outside of Endless Sunner, my love of the environment has always been evident, as most of my career has focused on marketing environmental services related to clean water and air.

I just renewed my membership to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, and proudly support its mission:

The Chesapeake Bay and its tributary rivers, broadly recognized as a national treasure, will be highly productive and in good health as measured by water clarity, lack of toxic contaminants, and abundance of natural filters in the water and on the land.

Please click here to find out more about how you can support the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

Endless Sunner Supports the Chesapeake

Endless Sunner jewelry designs feature natural and recycled elements, with a special focus on sea glass. Collecting sea glass from the Chesapeake Bay beaches (and elsewhere), helps to keep our beaches clean! And wearing sea glass jewelry is the ultimate in eco-conscious style!

The glass that has been carelessly discarded is shaped and recycled by nature, and then given yet another life as it is transformed into wearable art. As Richard LaMotte states in his book, “Pure Sea Glass”, “A diamond is created by nature and arduously refined by man, while sea glass is what man creates and nature refines for us.”

Relax, knowing you’ve done something good for the environment!

Endless Sunner Supports the Environment through Eco Etsy

Endless Sunner is a proud member of the Eco Etsy team. Eco Etsy team members are not only dedicated to using recycled materials in their creations, but also in their packaging. The team focuses on the safety of the environment and is heavily focused on promoting eco-living as a whole.

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Wearing sea glass jewelry is the ultimate in eco-conscious style! Glass that has been carelessly discarded is shaped and recycled by nature, and then given yet another life as it is transformed into wearable art. As Richard LaMotte states in his book, “Pure Sea Glass”, “A diamond is created by nature and arduously refined by man, while sea glass is what man creates and nature refines for us.”

Go green! Express your eco-conscious style with this unique “Eco-Chic” green sea glass pendant.

Or make a statement with this reclaimed Chesapeake Bay area sea glass (shown right) that displays the words “No Deposit”.

No Return? Forget about that part, since you’ve now taken an item that was clearly intended to be disposed of, and returned it to a new life as wearable art (with a cause!).

Relax, knowing you’ve done something good for the environment!

See these items and more eco-conscious designs featuring sea glass and natural elements at Endless Sunner.

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