Egg cases and nature tables

When I was a little girl I used to love playing on the beach - looking for shells, seaweeds, pretty stones, and any thing else deposited by the sea on its daily tides.

I'm on holiday this week. Strolling along the beach enjoying the fresh air and the wide open expanse of sand and sea I watched a huge posse of children with their teachers rushing along the promenade above me and pour into the expensive and very artificial sea life museum - you know the kind of thing - seals and otters, turtles and sharks - OK there is rescue and conservation work going on as well - but also the inevitable gift shop - huge - through which one has to exit - and of course the kids clamour to buy stuff they don't need that will be tomorrow's land fill.

There is a place for this kind of entertainment, especially on a wet day! But I hope those kids have also been on the beach, beach combing. There had been some wild weather over the previous few days and loads of interesting stuff had been washed up that would grace any nature table back at school - and it is FREE! Or don't they have nature tables any more? 

Here's an empty skate egg case - like a purse! There were loads of them. And at least two different seaweeds to identify here.

And here's another skate egg purse alongside a whelk egg case and half a mussel shell, on a bed of seaweed. 

But what's this? A plastic mobile phone case - the top bit! Not good. 

. 

Further along the beach I came to this starfish - shame about the plastic pot alongside!

Perhaps if children could see for themselves the richness of our fauna and flora in its natural habitat there might - just might - be greater respect for nature and less thoughtless and ugly litter?

I had a lovely walk. Should I feel sorry for those kids?