Eight-year-old Felicity Burton found an empty black and white striped shell while swimming in Somerset.

Curious, she kept the shell and brought it to her school for identification.

The shell was identified as a rare West Indian Topshell that had been the descendant of the original reintroduction project on Nonsuch Island by Government conservationist David Wingate in 1982.

St. David's Primary principal Eddie Wright told her that her shell had migrated the farthest from the original reintroduction site than any other so far.

Felicity then wrote a letter and hand sent it to Dr. Wingate.

In the letter, she asked him if the shell was the furthest traveled one from Nonsuch Island.

She also asked Dr. Wingate to come to her school and tell the students the story about the shell.

Dr. Wingate was happy to oblige.

He told them how he helped to reintroduce the species at Nonsuch Island in 1982.

In 1986, the shells began to spread and by 1989 they were spotted in Castle Harbour.

In 1989, some workers -- restoring the warden's house on Nonsuch Island, searching for bait -- came across the colony of Topshell sea snails.

Not knowing about the reintroduction project, they harvested most of them, using some and leaving the rest to die in the sun.

Dr. Wingate, however, was not disappointed for long as he soon found that the sea snails had already migrated as far as Castle Harbour and Cooper's Island.

"The Topshell is now a protected species,'' he said. "We hope this will keep the populations from dwindling again.'' Mr. Wright had taught the students at St. David's Primary some history on the shells as part of a project to enrich the children's language experience.

"The octopus is the natural enemy of the Topshell,'' he said, explaining that they can suck them out of their shells. "However, the empty shells are sometimes used by Hermit Crabs.'' He warned the students that when they see a live shell, they should put it back.

"Kids like to do things that are real,'' said Mr. Wright "to learn words like `reintroduction' help to build their vocabulary.'' Little Felicity was modest about her discovery.

"I think it's a baby shell. I found it when I went swimming,'' she said. "I didn't know what it was.'' Showing what she had since learned, she said: "I learned that if the shell is rough, that a hermit crab got it. If the shell is smooth, that an octopus had eaten it.'' Dear Dr. Wingate, I went to Somerset to go swimming. I went overboard and I saw a black and white shell. I didn't know what it was, so I took it to school and Mr. Wright told me that it was a West Indian Topshell.

Is this the furthest one that's traveled from Nonsuch Island since you reintroduced it all those years ago? Please come to P4 and tell us the story about my W.I.T. and meet me, Felicity Burton, and my friends Blakeni, Tabitha, Brittany and Ashley.

We'll be looking forward to seeing you! From Felicity, Blakeni, Tabitha, Brittany, and Ashley