This Listing is for ONE NEW Sheet of 10 Kelp Forest 44¢ Stamps from 2009

Mint. MNH. No flaws. From a Smoke-free and Pet-free Environment. 

On October 1, 2009, the U.S. Postal Service issued this sheet of Kelp Forest self-adhesive 44¢ stamps in Monterey, CA. This was the 11th issuance in the Nature of America series of educational stamps to promote appreciation for the beauty of 12 different North American ecosystems. These large sheets (9.2" x 6.7") were designed by Ethel Kessler of Bethesda, MD, and illustrated by artist John D. Dawson of Hilo, HI. Each sheet consists of a large panoramic image of a U.S. geographical region, with the region’s flora and fauna clearly visible. Ten stamps were die cut onto the design, each composing one or more species indigenous to the depicted ecosystem. The back of the sheet has a brief descriptive text, accompanied by a graphic outline of the stamp images. The flora and fauna depicted are identified and labeled with both their common and Latin names.

Hundreds of species live in the kelp forest, a lush undersea ecosystem in which the largest seaweeds, known as kelp, grow as tall as trees. The artwork on this sheet features a kelp forest in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (a federally protected area encompassing 5,322 square miles of ocean off the central California coast), and includes 27 animal and plant species from this area. The 10 die cut stamps include: Brown Pelican; Harbor Seal and Blue Rockfish; Yellowtail Rockfish and White-spotted Rose Anemone; Pacific Rock Crab and Jeweled Top Snail; Vermilion Rockfish and Senorita; Northern Kelp Crab; Western Gull, Southern Sea Otter and Red Sea Urchin; Lion's Mane Nudibranch; Copper Rockfish; and Monterey Turban Snail, Brooding Sea Anemone and Treefish.

Scott # 4423

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