Beachcombing more than meets the eye

Beachcombing is not just for retired guys with metal detectors in hand, searching the sands for hidden coins, jewelry and other treasures.

It's also a hobby for those seeking sea glass, shark teeth, seashells or simply peace and quiet along the shore.

"It's such a growing niche. It's growing exponentially," said Deacon Ritterbush, a Bay Ridge resident and beachcombing expert who is organizing the first International Beachcombing Conference this weekend.

The conference will be held Saturday and Sunday at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation near Annapolis. The first day will feature classes and lectures, with the second day focused on field trips and hands-on workshops on topics such as photography and making seaglass jewelry.

Ritterbush, nicknamed "Dr. Beachcomb," said she hopes the variety of speakers and topics will appeal to all types of beachcombers, no matter what their interest.

"The whole idea is to turn people into consummate beachcombers," she said, adding that beachcombing often starts as a simple hobby, but can open doors into the worlds of history, geology, ecology and more. She said she's learned about history, for example, in hunting down details of pipe stems and pottery shards she has found on local beaches.

And beachcombers tend to care about the health of the beaches and the oceans, lakes and rivers they border. Climate change and pollution can become important areas of knowledge for beachcombers.

"It's really a vehicle to open your eyes up to the wider world," she said.

Ritterbush has had help in organizing the conference from the Society for Ocean Sciences, a fledgling organization that focuses on ocean education and research.

Claire Hudson, executive director and co-founder, said she helped line up scientists to speak at the conference on topics such as erosion and sea-level rise.

She said beachcombers are a great audience for scientific talks on ocean issues.

"We felt it would be useful to educate people about what's happening to the beaches," Hudson said. "Hopefully we can allow them to become stewards of the ocean."

In addition to the scientists, other conference presenters include a number of authors who have written about seaglass and beachcombing. Well-known Chesapeake Bay writer Tom Horton and photographer Dave Harp also are involved.

Ritterbush said she had no troubles in luring speakers to the conference.

"I think we're all coming to learn from each other," she said.

Richard LaMotte, a Chestertown author who wrote "Pure Sea Glass," said he's looking forward to helping people identify their beachcombing finds.

A Saturday evening cocktail party will benefit Box of Rain, a local charity that connects disadvantaged children with boating and other water-related activities.

Ritterbush said she hopes this first-ever conference might lead to future conferences, here in the Chesapeake Bay region, or perhaps in other coastal areas.

She also would like to establish an international beachcombing organization - a network for sharing beachcombing-related information. Government agencies and nonprofit groups would then have a way to contact the beachcombing world about important issues, she said.

The International Beachcombing Conference is Nov. 7-8 at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, 6 Herndon Ave. in Bay Ridge. Attendance is by preregistration only and the cost is $125. For information, visit www.beachcombingconference.com