Do you have some friends or family members who "have everything"? Well, then, how about giving these hard-to-buy- for loved ones a manatee of their own through the Save the Manatee Club (SMC)?
The Adopt-A-Manatee Program is the primary source of funding for the Save the Manatee Club, a national, non-profit organization established in 1981 by U.S. Senator Bob Graham and singer Jimmy Buffett, dedicated to protecting endangered manatees and their habitat.
SMC produces public awareness and educational materials, funds manatee research, supports rescue and rehabilitation programs, and lobbies for the protection of the endangered manatees and their habitat. The Adopt-A-Manatee Program is the primary source of funding for SMC.
For a small $20 yearly membership fee, you can buy the guy or gal who has everything an adoption certificate for their own endangered manatee, the manatee's photo and biography, and a membership handbook with educational information about manatees. In addition, adoptive "parents" receive a newsletter subscription featuring updates on their manatee.
SMC's manatee adoption programs are located at Blue Spring State park in Orange City, and Homossa Springs State Wildlife Park inHomossa, both in Florida. Twenty-two manatees who live in the wild and have a good history of returning to Blue Spring year after year have been chosen for the adoption program.
Homosassa Springs State Wildlife Park serves as a rehabilitation center and refuge for manatees who have been orphaned or injured.
SMC researchers can tell each manatee apart from the design of their scar patterns.
Unfortunately, many bear scars from watercraft collisions. Because they are mammals, manatees need to surface to breathe. They are also herbivores, which means they frequently feed in shallow waters where seagrass and other aquatic plants are found. All of these factors combine to make manatees vulnerable to boat hits.
Then there are discarded fish hooks, monofilament line and other litter that gets mixed in with the plants manatees eat which can cause internal damage or death to these gentle creatures. Entanglement in fishing and trap lines can also cause death.
Harassment and loss of habitat is the overall threat facing manatees today. Only about 2,600 of them remain alive in the U. S. at this time.
So give the gift that keeps on giving all year long-- to the preservation of Florida's "sea cows" so they can continue to glide through our waters. Call the Save-A-Manatee Club and Adopt-A-Manatee Program at 1-800-432-JOIN (5646) or check out their website at: