Save the Manatee Club

Save the Manatee is a 501(c)(3) non-profit group and membership organization. They are the world's leading manatee conservation group [1]. It was created by singer and song writer Jimmy Buffett and former U.S. Senator, Bob Graham in 1981 [2]. Save the Manatee Club raises funds from the Adopt-A-Manatee program to go toward public awareness and education projects, manatee research, rescue and rehabilitation efforts, advocacy and legal action to ensure better protection for manatees and their habitat. There are currently about 40,000 members who belong to Save the Manatee Club [3]. The Club has also assisted state and federal governments with research projects in Florida such as aerial surveys, seagrass studies, telemetry studies, manatee photo identification projects, population modeling and the compilation of over twenty years of research on the population of Blue Spring manatees [4]

Save the Manatee Club
Formation 1981
Type 501(c)(3) non-profit
Purpose/focus The recovery of the manatee species as defined by the federal Endangered Species Act of 1973.
Location Maitland, Florida
Co-Host Jimmy Buffett and Helen Spivey [5]
Website http://www.savethemanatee.org/

Contents

International Efforts

Save the Manatee Club has provided the funds for tracking Manatees in Belize, to help the Caribbean Stranding Network in Puerto Rico to provide care for orphaned manatees, and to educate villagers in Nicaragua on Manatees. [6]

Save the Manatee Core Values

  1. Supporting the most effective conservation actions possible
  2. Making science-based decisions and supporting science-driven policies
  3. Demanding accountability from policy-makers
  4. Working cooperatively

Adopt a Manatee

Save the Manatee Club offers a program called Adopt-A-Manatee. People can adopt a manatee for as little as $20 USD. In 2002, Save the Manatee cared for about 30 manatees. The proceeds from this program mostly go to rehabilitation, research, and education of manatees. Save the Manatee Club gives adopters a picture of their adopted Manatee along with a biography of it. [7]

References

  1. ^ http://skopemag.com/2009/02/07/jimmy-buffett-continues-to-do-good-with-save-the-manatee Skope Magazine
  2. ^ http://www.savethemanatee.org/smchist.htm Save the Manatee Club
  3. ^ http://www.lizasreef.com/save_the_manatee_club.htmLiza's Site
  4. ^ Save the Manatee Club http://www.gulfbase.org/organization/view.php?oid=stmc Gulf Base
  5. ^ 2009 Roster of the Officers and Directors of the Board of Directors http://www.savethemanatee.org/Membership/board_09.pdf
  6. ^ International Efforts http://www.lizasreef.com/save_the_manatee_club.htmLiza's Site
  7. ^ "Teens Helping Manatees From Extinction", Y Press, Indianapolis, October 13, 2002