Adopt-A-Manatee for Mom or Dad!
By Janice Nearing
Last year in honor of
Mother’s Day, Rebecca Miller from northern Virginia,
adopted an endangered
manatee for her mom, Gayle. “I knew my mom loved
manatees and that she would be extremely pleased to receive a gift that would
help them,” said Rebecca.
From the 32 manatees featured in Save the
Manatee Club’s three
Florida adoption programs, Rebecca chose Howie. For
her donation, the Club sent her mom an adoption certificate, a color photo of
playful, popular Howie, his biography, and a fact-filled handbook. The adoption
also included a subscription to the Club’s quarterly newsletter, The
Manatee Zone, and the bi-monthly e-newsletter,
Paddle Tales.
This year for
Mother’s Day, each new member who joins the
Adopt-A-Manatee program online for a $35 tax-deductible donation, will receive a
colorful beaded bracelet with
manatee charm, along with a cute, plush 8-inch
manatee. Give these to mom along with her
manatee adoption, or keep one, or both for yourself!
A third-year biology major, Rebecca discovered manatees with her family when she
was a youngster vacationing in
Key Largo. While there, they observed manatees in
the wild and were disturbed by the number that were scarred from injuries caused
by motorboats. “My concerns are that manatees must keep their endangered status
so they can continue to get the attention they need, and
Florida boaters need to slow down to reduce
manatee injuries and deaths,” she explained.
Last year, Aaron Levy from
Washington, DC, broke free of traditional
gift-giving and adopted a
manatee for his dad, Barry, who lives in
Massachusetts. “My dad already has more ties and
golf paraphernalia than he knows what to do with,” explained Aaron. “I wanted to
get him something different and he certainly wasn’t expecting a
manatee for
Father’s Day, although I know he has a soft spot for
endangered animals. Of course, I also realize it is a gift that supports a good
cause.”
Aaron adopted Ariel for his dad from Save the
Manatee Club’s adoption program at Homosassa Springs
Wildlife State Park in
Homosassa, Florida. This
Father’s Day, each new member who joins the
Adopt-A-Manatee program online for a $35 tax-deductible donation, will receive
the Club’s official T-shirt with a beautiful full color underwater design by
renowned artist, Nancy Blauers, whose artwork is also featured on Florida’s new
official
manatee automobile license tag.
If you really want to evoke that twinkle in your dad’s eye, you can also enter
the Club’s donation drawing to name a baby
manatee after him. Go to
http://www.savethemanatee.org/namesake_drawing_form.cfm
to find out more.
The population of the slow-moving aquatic marine mammals is estimated to be
about 3,000 concentrated year-round in
Florida. Manatees are listed as endangered at the
state, federal, and international levels.
“A record number of manatee deaths in 2006, and a high level in 2007, is
dismaying and unacceptable to Floridians and all those around the world who care
about these unique and defenseless animals,” said Patrick Rose, Executive
Director of Save the Manatee Club.
The Club’s Adopt-A-Manatee program helps to fund education and public awareness
endeavors; research, rescue, rehabilitation, and release projects; and advocacy
and legal efforts to help protect manatees and their habitat. Save the Manatee
Club was founded in 1981 by singer/songwriter Jimmy Buffett and former U.S.
Senator and Florida Governor, Bob Graham.
For more information, contact Save the Manatee Club at 500 N. Maitland Ave.,
Maitland, FL 32751, call
(800) 432-JOIN (5646), visit:
www.savethemanatee.org
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