The Marco Island Shell Club is a non-profit organization dedicated to the appreciation of all aspects of the beauty and science of seashells. Our mission is to bring together people interested in collecting and studying seashells and mollusks; to encourage shell-related interests, such as shell craft and shell art; and to inspire others to discover the beauty and facination of shells.

Every year, the Marco Island Shell Club donates $4,200 for scholarships to local students. Two $1,500 scholarships are awarded to graduating seniors from Lely and St. John Neuman High Schools. There are several criteria for eligibility; the most important is the intended pursuit of a degree in marine biology or engineering, oceanography, malacology, environmental sciences, or a related field.

The Shell Club also presents two $600 grants to Florida Gulf Coast University students. One award goes to a senior to help defray expenses in preparing a senior thesis in the fields of marine biology, oceanography, or related subjects. The other grant goes to a graduate student pursuing a master's degree in environmental science.

From November through March, our club conducts weekly workshops to produce the shell craft and jewelry that we sell to raise money for scholarships. We provide the shells and all other material to fashion the crafts; members are only required to bring their own glue guns - we even provide the half inch glue sticks! If you're interested in making jewelry, we provide all the findings and other material as well. Workshops are held every Tuesday, 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon, at the:

Wesley United Methodist Church

Fellowship Hall

350 South Barfield Drive

The first Thursday evening of each month, January through April, the Shell Club conducts an evening meeting at 7:00 p.m. Members watch interesting presentations on shells and marine life, have the opportunity to win door prizes (usually shells!), and enjoy refreshments and more camaraderie. Visitors are always welcome. These meetings are held at the:

Marco Presbyterian Church

875 W. Elkam Circle

During January and February, we also produce a fashion show luncheon and go on various field trips. These all lead up to the highlight of our season - the Annual Shell Show! There you will see both facinating exhibits of shells from around the world and breathtaking artistic creations. We also sell our shell craft and jewelry at the show.

Annual membership is $15.00 per person or $20.00 per household. The membership year is January 1 to December 31. For informations about joining, Call Joan Robbins, membership chairperson, at 389-9404 (November through April) or email jmrfl@marcocable.com.

Deadline for exhibit entries - March 4, 2008

E-mail marco-sheller@earthlink.net to request an application.

To download an application, click below:

Rules and Awards

Scientific Categories

Artistic Categories

Exibit set-up day & judging - March 12

Show (open to public) - March 15-17 from 10 a.m. to

4 p.m.

Judges for 2008 Show will be:

Scientific Division: Bill Lyons from St. Petersburg and Wayne Harland from Crystal River

Artistic Division: Sandy Moran from Sanibel and Jeff Oths from Ft. Myers

Exhibit entries will not be available for purchase. However, all the shell craft, artwork, and jewelry completed during the morning workshops will be for sale, along with shells and coral. Additionally, a number of outstanding pieces will be up for raffle, to be awarded to the lucky purchasers of winning raffle tickets. The proceeds from the show and raffle will benefit the Marco Island Shell Club Scholarship Fund.

Shell Craft Projects