LONG BEACH, CA—Creatures of California’s kelp forest swim into the nation’s mail stream on the U.S. Postal Service’s newest 44-cent First-Class postage stamps ? the Nature of America: Kelp Forest stamp pane. To celebrate their arrival, a special ceremony will take place at the Aquarium of the Pacific at 9 a.m. on Wed., Oct. 21, 2009, where divers will unveil an enlargement of the beautiful sheet of underwater stamps …underwater.
The Aquarium of the Pacific is located at 100 Aquarium Way in Long Beach. Stamp ceremony attendees who arrive prior to 9 a.m. on the day of the event will receive free admission to the Aquarium at the Members Express Entrance. For those arriving after 9 a.m., general admission may be purchased at the main ticket window. For directions, visit www.aquariumofpacific.org or call 562-590-3100.
“Stamps are fun and educational tools that commemorate America’s history, heroes and leaders,” said Long Beach Postmaster Ken Snavely. “They also pay homage to the land we love and the great diversity and natural beauty of our country.”
The Nature of America stamp series was introduced ten years ago and is dedicated to the unique ecosystems across our nation. The Kelp Forest set — the 11th in the Nature of America series — not only highlights the complexity of the kelp forest as an ecosystem, but also captures the incredible beauty of this remarkable undersea wonderland. Each of the 27 species depicted in the colorful acrylic painting by Artist John Dawson are identified on the backside of the sheet.
The Postal Service will have stamps available for purchase at the Aquarium on Oct. 21 until 10:15 a.m., and will also offer a special pictorial postmark based on the Aquarium’s logo to commemorate the event. This collectible postmark may also be obtained via mail by enclosing item to be postmarked, with applicable First-Class postage affixed, inside a cover envelope with requestor’s return address and mailing to:
Special Pictorial Postmark
c/o Postmaster
300 Long Beach Blvd.
Long Beach CA 90802-9998
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The non-profit Aquarium of the Pacific, founded in 1998, is dedicated to instilling a sense of wonder, respect and stewardship for the Pacific Ocean, its inhabitants and ecosystems. It is the only major aquarium in the nation to be in its eighth consecutive year of attendance increases. The Aquarium of the Pacific is also the first among U.S. museums, aquariums and zoos to become a Climate Action Leader™ and was recently named as the most energy-efficient businesses with revenues under $150 million. In addition to housing over 11,000 animals and public program offerings, the Aquarium is involved in numerous conservation efforts, including sustainable seafood, watershed education, ocean literacy, and more. Their scientific diver team collects critical data used by a variety of ocean research institutes and reporting agencies. The Aquarium hosts a myriad of educational programs, cultural festivals, classes and courses, offsite nature adventures, renowned guest speakers, and more to connect the diverse community with each other and the ocean.
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An independent federal agency, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 149 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes, six days a week. It has 34,000 retail locations and relies on the sale of postage, products and services, not tax dollars, to pay for operating expenses. Named the Most Trusted Government Agency five consecutive years by the Ponemon Institute, the Postal Service has annual revenue of $75 billion and delivers nearly half the world’s mail.
