by SC Feature Writer Reanna Haase
On Sanibel, nothing says you love the beach quite like shelling. This was on the minds of those behind the scenes of the first-ever Love Sanibel Back Shell Stroll set during Beach Kindness Week.
Sue Van Oss, communications director and one of the minds behind the initiative at St. Michael & All Angels Episcopal Church, said she was talking with Sarah Jacobsen, co-owner of Bubbly Latitude, when the idea for the Week 7 kick-off struck them.
“We just started talking and said, ‘Oh, but people love collecting shells.’ You know, there are shell fairies on the island that sprinkle them all over, and we thought, why not make it a shell stroll,” Van Oss said. “Kind of like the luminary that’s held in December, but based on shells. So, we asked businesses, and we got an incredible response and ended up having to cut it off at 40 stops.”
Love Sanibel Back is an annual initiative hosted by St. Michael’s Church, which began in 2024 as part of a community-wide initiative to buy local, spread joy and give back.
The Shell Stroll will take place on Monday, July 13, from 12 to 4 pm. The stroll will begin at Bubbly Latitude, 2400 Palm Ridge Rd, where shell hunters will collect a map highlighting the participating businesses. Each stop on the map will have natural or painted shells to hand out to the participants, and each shell collected will be paired with a stamp for the hunters’ maps.
“The map has ten circles on it. Each place has a stamp, and once they get ten stamps, they can come back to St. Michael’s,” Van Oss said. “We’ll have shell painting stations, but they’ll actually turn in their map for a shell-themed prize.”
Participants do not have to sign up for this free event and can visit as many stops on the map as they would like. Any ten stamped stops will qualify the hunters for their very own shell-themed prize. At the end of the stroll, at St. Michael’s Church at 2304 Periwinkle Way, free ice cream and seashell-shaped cookies will be up for grabs, courtesy of The Shack of Sanibel and Pinocchio’s Original Italian Ice Cream.
“There’s something magical about searching for shells on Sanibel,” said Sarah Jacobsen, co-owner of Bubbly Latitude. “The Shell Stroll turns that experience into a fun, island-wide adventure. We’re thrilled to be the starting point and hope participants discover new places, make great memories and enjoy all the surprises along the way.”
This year, the Love Sanibel Back organizers are focusing on weekly themes to bring more engagement and recognition to island businesses. This shell-themed event marks the beginning of Beach Kindness Week, which challenges island residents and visitors to pick up at least ten pieces of trash during a beach visit.
This week also coincides with opportunities to learn more about Sanibel’s environment – these highlighted opportunities include beach walks hosted by Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation and Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum & Aquarium’s Beat the Heat Beach Walks.
And the opportunity to show support does not stop there. Love Sanibel Back features ten weeks of summer fun – here is what’s to come in the following weeks:
• Week 8 (July 20 – July 26): Wild Mile Week
• Week 9 (July 27 – August 2): Give Back Week
• Week 10 (August 3 – August 9): Celebrate Local Love
More details on Love Sanibel Back and its weekly themes can be found here.
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