I work with a team of folks dedicated to measuring the habitat quality of Delaware Bay beaches for horseshoe crabs and shorebirds. As part of this effort we dig a lot of holes.
To dig a hole you need a shovel. If you are digging a hole or two, any shovel will do. But we are on pace this season to dig more than 8,000 sample holes to estimate the density of horseshoe crab egg clusters across 20 different beaches.
With this level of digging, the type of shovel matters. And when you find just the right one, you tend to become attached to it. I’ve written before about my quest for the perfect shovel and this quest continues.
Anyone who depends on the repetitive use of a tool to make their living can relate to this. A harpoon for a Nantucket whaler, a baseball glove for a ball player, a Valyrian steel sword for a character in Game of Thrones….
This season a new shovel has emerged: an old military shovel found on a local beach decades ago that’s been in my family since then. It has the perfect weight and handle for digging in a variety of beach conditions, rivaling any of the other shovels in our quiver.
But it was a bit worn out, with a split in the shovel blade and a splintering handle. This shovel didn’t have much digging left in it.
One of our team members, Wayne Russel, brought the shovel back to his shop for rehab.
Wayne healed the split with some expert welding work and sanded and varnished the handle. What emerged is a true heirloom-grade horseshoe crab egg digging shovel, perfect in every way.
This shovel will be passed down through the generations and in the offseason, it will be displayed over the mantel. The quest for the perfect shovel is over!
