Once again we’ve come around the sun to the last Wednesday in March, officially known as Manatee Appreciation Day.
When did you first learn about manatees? Some people grew up with Sesame Street and this catchy number:
I can tell you that even though I loved animals as a child, I didn’t know of the manatee’s existence. When I finally came around to finding out about them as a teenager, I was shocked that such an endearing animal was at risk of extinction.
You will be forgiven if you too didn’t know a lot about manatees, such as that they have barely any fat on them, they are related not to seals or walruses but to elephants, they can’t turn their necks, their tails are called paddles, the species is between 30 and 60 million years old, they have flipper nails, and they are absolutely gentle herbivores.
Here’s the thing about manatees: To know them is to love them! So it is of vital importance that people learn about manatees, and how to protect them from boat propellers, fishing lines, loss of seagrass, red tide and climate change. With no natural predators, man is the manatees only “enemy,” and the toll we take is horrifying.
What can I do?
You can find out about manatees and opportunities to help them through Save the Manatee Club. There you can volunteer, donate, shop their store or partake in the classic Adopt-A-Manatee® program. Over the years I have adopted Bama, Brutus, Chessie, Deep Dent, Elsie, Flash, Howie, Lenny, Lucille, Margarito, Merlin, Georgia, Ilya and Rosie. It gets pretty crowded around here! 😂
I donate 10% of my denisebrain sales to Save the Manatee Club, so if you purchase vintage fashion from my Etsy shop, you help the manatees! I’m so grateful that my wonderful customers often express their support.
“I was deliberating between this dress and a couple others from different shops. Then I saw your note about donating to Save The Manatees. Done! Sold! I have loved manatees since I was a child, and I “adopt” one every year. His name is Floyd. Anyway - completely obsessed with the dress and 100% will be supporting your shop as often as I can afford!!!”
Now on Zazzle too
To commemorate this Manatee Appreciation Day I’ve just opened a Zazzle shop with print-on-demand manatee items and I pledge to give 10% of sales from that shop as well. Today, in honor of Manatee Appreciation Day, I will donate 100% of sales. Have a look:
It seems that even the United States Postal Service has gotten into the act this year, with a new manatee stamp issued today:
What are you doing this Manatee Appreciation Day? I plan to stand by my manatee!
Please note: There are a couple of affiliate links in this post. These allow me to earn a little at no cost to you.