Jurassic Coast ammonite badges travel the world in this lovely Christmas-themed article by Joan and Peter Clarke. Why not pick up your own set of five ammonite badges at our online shop?
It started with a Christmas card.
Let us explain. We have two grandchildren who live in New Zealand; Ewan (10) and Amelie (7). They attend Onerahi Primary School, which is on the north-east coast of the North Island, and about 11,000 miles away from us in Oxfordshire.
In 2016 Ewan’s teacher, Ella Hollows, began to use a social media app as a way of improving the links between the school and the children’s families. She regularly posted pictures of their work and video clips of some of their activities and, even though we are so far away, we began to feel more involved in our grandchildren’s education. So at Xmas last year we sent the class a Christmas card, which led to an invitation to visit and talk to the class when we were in New Zealand in February 2017.
In the summer back home in the UK, we were at Durlston Castle when we noticed a ‘Jurassic Coast’ picture postcard. Knowing how children of Ewan’s age can be fascinated by dinosaurs and fossils we decided to send it to the class. We mentioned that it was a World Heritage Site, believing that, should she want to, Ella Hollows would use it as the basis for some research activity by the children. What we did not expect was 26 individual letters of thanks and questions about England and the Jurassic Coast from the children! Ella had used the postcard I’d sent as practise in letter writing for the class.
We were thinking ahead to Christmas 2017, and whether a simple card would be enough this year. At the Visitor Centre at Lulworth Cove we noticed the Jurassic Coast Trust’s ammonite pin badges on sale. A ‘light bulb’ moment later and we had decided that a badge for each child would be just the thing! The centre only had a small number in stock, but an email to the Jurassic Coast Trust’s office produced 30 of them, in plenty of time to post for Christmas.
Students at Onerahi Primary School in New Zealand proudly show off their Jurassic Coast ammonite badges.
So that’s how 30 Jurassic Coast ammonite badges travel and end up 11,000 miles away. I wonder if this make them the furthest-travelled ammonite badges, or do you know some that have gone further? Email the Jurassic Coast Trust if you do!
