How can we find joy and purpose in tough times?

It’s hard to reconcile

In these turbulent times, it can feel difficult to reconcile our love for beautiful things with the urgent need for political, social and environmental justice. Like many of you, I feel the weight of current events. The news cycle feels like a relentless storm, and it's easy to get lost in the despair. As someone deeply invested in the well-being of both people and the planet (especially my beloved manatees!), the challenges we face can feel immense.

It feels like walking a tightrope: on one side, the urgent need to stay informed and engaged; on the other, the vital importance of preserving our own mental and emotional well-being so we can continue to fight for what we believe in.

This cognitive dissonance isn’t just a passing thought; it’s a core part of my experience. On one hand, I cherish vintage fashion as a form of self-expression and creativity, and on the other, I am acutely aware of the pressing issues we face—looming autocracy, climate change, social injustices, and the fragility of wildlife. Instead of allowing these feelings to pull me apart, I focus on the fact that wearing vintage is a sustainable fashion choice—a way to advocate against the fast fashion industry that contributes to environmental degradation. Each vintage piece I wear or sell acts as a statement, a conversation starter where my customers and I can educate others about sustainability and inspire those around us to consider the implications of their choices.

Joy is not frivolous; it's fuel

Can we take pleasure in vintage fashion while the world feels like it's on fire? It can feel frivolous, self-indulgent, even. But I've come to realize that it can also be a form of resistance.

Vintage fashion brings me joy. Maybe it does the same for you.

It’s the history: There are never-ending rabbit holes of information about the history of fashion. This is the richest of histories, at the intersection of sociology, geopolitical events, art and craftsmanship.

It’s the quality: Just hold a fine piece of vintage clothing and you can feel and see the thoughtful design. These were not items destined to be thrown away. They were meant to be mended, cleaned and appreciated for as long as possible.

It’s the self-expression: Our choice of clothing is a powerful statement, and vintage clothing speaks to our desire for quality and sustainability, individuality and beauty. It’s also a form of armor—while expressing our values, it projects our strength.

It’s the community: I meet so many interesting, thoughtful, warm and generous people through my work in vintage fashion. We’re a diverse group with a shared passion.

It’s the sustainability: Vintage clothing is a rejection of fast fashion, consumerism, and the environmental impact of new clothing production.

There are days when I just want to shut all the bad news out. But the plight of the manatees, the injustices I see around me, the future I want for the next generation—these pull me back in. The question becomes, how do we stay engaged without burning out?

Small ways to help yourself

I try (not always successfully!) to limit my news consumption to designated times and reliable news sources (my choices are NPR, AP, Reuters, and BBC). If I come across a big news item on social media, I hold off reacting until I can verify the story.

Spending time in nature is essential for my well-being. Whether it's a walk in the park or a visit to see the manatees (I wish!), connecting with the natural world reminds me what I'm fighting for.

I actively look for things to do that are creative. For me, that's vintage fashion, writing, music and design. When I spend time in creative pursuits, I come up with original solutions—sometimes for completely unrelated problems.

Do you meditate? I used to think that meditation was just another thing I had to do—a burden. But when I consider taking deep breaths and looking out a window for a minute, or going to sleep giving thanks, I know I am calming my mind and reducing stress.

I am an introverted, independent person, but I still need to talk with others who share my values and passions. I know a few wonderful people with whom I can talk about anything, and just knowing we are there for each other helps us cope. My work volunteering time for the nonprofits Vintage Fashion Guild and Save the Manatee Club gives me a sense of belonging and purpose.

Self-care isn't just bubble baths and face masks (though those are nice too!). It's about finding ways to calm our minds, whether it’s by setting boundaries, lifting our spirits, or nourishing our souls. I have to say to myself over and over: Self-care isn’t selfish, it’s strategic. It’s a conscious act of defiance against despair. It's about reclaiming your energy and fueling your resilience.

Turn Passion into action

I have many passions, and one of the biggest involves a very big, very gentle creature: the manatee. We humans have imperiled these wonderful animals to the brink of extinction and while their population has rebounded, several years of tragic losses have threatened the progress that has been made. I give 10% of my vintage fashion earnings to Save the Manatee Club for the protection of this beloved and vulnerable species. I write about them often. I once was stopped in a local store by a woman who asked if I was “that manatee lady.” You can call me that any day!

I have volunteered for the Vintage Fashion Guild, of which I am a member, for years. I have dedicated my passion for fashion history to creating the VFG’s Fabric Resource, and I have written blogs, created videos, answered questions in our forums and researched and written about designers and manufacturers of clothing for our Label Resource. Long after I’m gone, the collective knowledge to which I have contributed will live on.

My love for vintage fashion and my passion for protecting manatees might seem unrelated, but they both stem from a desire to preserve what is beautiful and precious in this world.

What are your unique skills and passions? How can you use your gifts to contribute to a better world? My suggestion is to take just what you have, right where you are, and do what you can, no matter how small. True heroism is not often flamboyant, but incremental and cumulative.

Let's use our collective passions to create a future where joy and justice can thrive

Tell me what you do for self care, what gives you joy, and what actions you want to take. I’d really love to hear from you.

Once more with feeling, for the manatees

I have been asked by Save the Manatee Club to help spread the word that November is Manatee Awareness Month. Yes, the real mermaids have a month! One thing you can do for manatees this month: Wear vintage fashion.

—Wait, what?

Not only are vintage clothing items a beautiful form of recycling but you can specifically help manatees by purchasing vintage fashion from me! I donate 10% of my denisebrain Etsy shop sales to Save the Manatee Club.

This November it is my goal to raise an additional $500 for SMC, and I’d be so grateful for your help! I have a justgiving.com fundraising page:

I'm a Manatee Appointee! Margaret's fundraiser for Save The Manatee Club Inc

Let’s spread the word about the real mermaids!

Manatee appointee

I have been asked by Save the Manatee Club (SMC) to help spread the word that November is Manatee Awareness Month. This is the time of year when manatees travel close to shore and into warm springs and inner waterways, where they feed primarily on seagrass.

Recently, due of decades of human-produced pollution, seagrass beds have been choked out by algae blooms leading to a massive loss of seagrass. This has lead to a horrific loss of manatees from starvation. Those that have ventured out of their winter safe havens risked cold stress and boat strikes. It’s not an easy time to be a manatee.

When SMC reaches out
I will say yes without a doubt
To raise a bit for the manatee
(You know they are my cup of tea!)

So I am doing this all November
Sharing that we must remember
The gentle giant of the sea
Otherwise known as the manatee

With boating dangers and pollution
We must provide a real solution
The many insults that they face
From the reckless human race

Entanglements with fishing line
The lack of veggies where they dine
Endangerment from climate change
Risks across their watery range

Thirty million years they’ve been around
Perfecting the art of slowing down
The manatee is ancient stuff
Although that hasn’t made her tough

The sea cow is a gentle sort
Not prone to take us into court
That’s why she needs an advocate
A helping hand that will not quit

So I support the SMC
Because they help the manatee
They clearly made the admirable choice
To be the sea cow’s human voice

All this month please help by giving
To keep the manatee simply living
To prevent her progress from regressing
—Even five bucks is a blessing!

All year round, I give 10% of my earnings from the small business of selling vintage clothing at denisebrain on Etsy. This November it is my ambitious goal to raise an additional $500 for Save the Manatee Club. You can find my JustGiving page here: https://www.justgiving.com/page/margaret-wilds-1699293737104 Thank you for your support!!

It's Manatee Awareness Month!

For the 43rd year, November is Manatee Awareness Month

November is Manatee Awareness Month, an annual month-long dedication to manatees and their conservation in Florida and beyond. Former Florida Governor Bob Graham first declared November as Manatee Awareness Month in 1979, when the state began designating manatee protection zones in areas where manatees gather during the winter. November is typically when manatees return to Florida’s warmer waters from their summer migratory routes.

(from the Save the Manatee Club website)

It is estimated that in the late 1960s the Florida manatee population was just several hundred. In 1973, the year the federal Endangered Species Act was passed, manatees became charter members of the endangered species list. 

Jimmy Buffet and Patrick Rose, SMC Executive Director, at the time of the founding of the Save the Manatee Club in 1981.

At the time of the awareness month designation there were 800 to 1,000 manatees. Two years later, Save the Manatee Club was founded by Jimmy Buffet (yes, Mr. Margaritaville) and the then-governor of Florida, Bob Graham.

Save the Manatee Club’s efforts have been critical to the recovery of the manatee. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission recorded as many as 6,620 manatees in its 2017 aerial survey. Since then the population has dropped, with last year the deadliest on record. The FFWCC recorded 1,101 manatee deaths. In 2022 so far, 718 animals have been found dead along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts.

This horrific mortality rate was precipitated by fertilizer runoff which created an algae bloom that devastated the seagrass beds that are the staples of the manatee’s diet. Many animals are perishing from starvation. If manatees venture out from their usual winter zones in search of food they risk deadly cold stress and boat strikes.

This is not an easy time to be a manatee.

How can we help?

Save the Manatee Club has a list. Of course.

If you are in Florida, there are many things you can do, from reporting sick and injured animals to simply respecting boat speed limits in manatee zones. However if you, like me, live far from Florida, you can still help. The Adopt-A-Manatee program is a classic.

I work to raise awareness of these wonderful animals and their plight, donating 10% of my vintage fashion sales earnings to Save the Manatee Club. This year, in honor of Manatee Awareness Month, I am dedicating 25% of my earnings to SMC. Some of the items to be listed through the rest of the month will be entirely for the manatees. Your purchases will help now more than ever!

Vintage items from my shop in manatee-approved shades of blue (Manatee photo by Koji Kamei from Pexels.)

Manatees: Unprecedented need

Can you help manatees with a $5 donation? Please visit my GoFundMe page.

Updated for 2022—with manatees in even greater need.


Last year my friends, colleagues and customers helped me raise a bit over $1000. Please help me raise an additional $1500 for the Save the Manatee Club for 2022. The cause has never been more urgent.


The fact that March is Seagrass Awareness month has never been more vitally appropriate.

Manatees are creatures of habit, returning to their limited safe havens during the cooler part of the year. In these spots, they rely principally on seagrass to eat and warmer waters to protect them from deadly cold stress. Manatees have very little protective fat—their round shape is due to the bulk of their digestive tract.

The safe havens, because of decades of human-produced pollution, are being choked out by algae blooms leading to a massive loss of seagrass. Marine biologists state that the current tragic die-off of manatees is due to starvation.

More than 1,100 manatees died in 2021. Most of these starved to death. Those that venture along the coast in search of food may die of cold stress or boat strike. This year so far, more than 270 manatees have perished, trending the same as last year, which was the deadliest year on record for these beloved animals.

Rescue crews have been rushing to save as many manatees as they can, but this loss can't be sustained. Manatees were prematurely removed from the Endangered Species List in 2017—prematurely because all the threats that could lead to extinction of this iconic species are still present. This recent death count is proving that.

Manatees have been around for between 30 and 60 million years. We can't let human carelessness and selfishness wipe this gentle and intelligent species off the face of the earth.


Save the Manatee Club has a page showing ways to take action:
https://www.savethemanatee.org/how-to-help/take-action/floridas-algae-blooms/


More information about Save the Manatee Club, Inc.: To protect imperiled manatees and their aquatic habitat for future generations by raising public awareness; fostering education; sponsoring research and rescue, rehabilitation, and release efforts; supporting land acquisition; promoting aquatic habitat protection; advocating for improved protection measures, and funding education and conservation efforts in other countries.

Update on manatee fundraiser + Manatee Appreciation Day

March 31 is Manatee Appreciation Day

There couldn’t be a better day to give these gentle giants our advocacy.

Over on GoFundMe, I am raising $1,000 for manatees, and we’ve reached a total of $650. So many generous donations have brought us this far! It would be absolutely wonderful and so appropriate to raise the remaining $350 on March 31. Are you able to spare $5 towards this goal for these wonderful animals?

If you’ve seen the news about manatees recently, you’ve probably had to look away. So many are dying that this season may reverse years of progress in manatee recovery. It’s gut wrenching.

My GoFundMe page directly supports Save the Manatee Club and its emergency efforts to save and protect manatees and their environment. The organization is the voice for manatees.

Manatees need our help

Please help me raise money for the Save the Manatee Club. The cause is urgent right now.

I imagine many of you know that I give 10% of my denisebrain sales to Save the Manatee Club—manatees are a year-round cause for me. Their survival is precarious because of the things we as humans do that cause manatees harm. But there is a special urgency this year.

This winter season has been devastating for manatees, with more than 430 dying since the beginning of the year. Many appear to have starved to death. Their winter safe havens are so polluted that their food sources have been choked off.

I have set up a Go Fund Me page to raise emergency rescue funds for the Save the Manatee Club. If you go to that page, you can read more about this issue, and find more ways to help. Please, if you can, make a donation. If you are not able, please share the page: Manatees: Unprecedented Need.

Manatees have been around for between 30 and 60 million years. We can't let human carelessness and selfishness wipe this gentle and intelligent species off the face of the earth.

Manatees have a month

And November is it

Of course manatees are to be celebrated and cared about all year, but November is a special month for them. Since 1979, November has been set aside as Manatee Awareness Month.

This is the time of year in which manatees move in from their warm weather migratory routes to hug the shoreline. The natural warm springs and power plant effluents to be found there don’t just make manatees more comfortable—as a sub-tropical species, they need water above 68 degrees Fahrenheit to survive. As the animals move closer to the shore, there are inevitably more boat strikes, fishing line entanglements and pollution poisonings that lead to injuries and deaths for manatees.

Without natural enemies, humans do manatees the greatest harm. So I believe we must also be their biggest advocates.

One thing you can do for manatees: Wear vintage fashion.

—Wait, what?

Not only are vintage items a beautiful form of recycling, but you can specifically help manatees by purchasing vintage fashion from me! I donate 10% of all denisebrain sales (not profit, but sales) to Save the Manatee Club. I began this on September 7, 2016. Before that, I raised funds and awareness for manatees at various times of the year, but I felt I had to do more.

I am not wealthy by a very long stretch, but by consistently putting a little towards helping manatees, and with the kindness and generosity of my customers, over the years I have been able to donate over $12,200.

Would you help me raise a little more for imperiled manatees?

I have set up a GoFundMe page with the goal of reaching $200 in donations by the end of November. I know it is hard to put together any extra money these days, but take it from me, if you have $5 to give, that little bit can help add up for this magnificent species.

Long live the manatee!

Manatee Appreciation Day

Yes, there’s a lot going on in the world right now, but I can’t let us forget that March 25 is Manatee Appreciation Day. If you follow anything I say or do, you know I appreciate manatees, and can not let this day go by without advocating for my favorite species.

NOAA image/Unsplash

Happily, many of you also appreciate manatees. Some people have actually purchased from the denisebrain Etsy shop simply because they want to support me in giving 10% of my earnings to the Save the Manatee Club.

March is an important time of year for these gentle herbivores, as manatees start moving from warm springs out into their summering areas in the open sea, making them especially vulnerable to boat strikes.

With the unprecedented challenges of the pandemic this year, there is further vulnerability. As the Save the Manatee Club says “When wild manatees become sick, injured, or orphaned, they need to be rescued and provided with around-the-clock care. Save the Manatee Club works together with rescue and rehabilitation partner organizations to help provide care for manatees, like treating injuries or bottle-feeding orphaned calves.” That kind of 24/7 care has become very difficult. Further, stir-crazy people are heading out in their motor boats to get away from home—great for them, not so great for manatees. 20-22% of manatee deaths in Florida waters are caused by boat strikes.

Financial support for manatee care is the imperative message on this Manatee Appreciation Day.

You can donate directly at Save the Manatee Club, or you can purchase any item from the denisebrain Etsy store*, with 10% going to the SMC.

*Exception: The Pink Heart Shop of my Etsy store benefits Dress for Success.

On a very personal note: I’m sure it must be obvious that I am a vintage clothing seller, not the CEO of a major corporation. The money I am able to give to the SMC is not all that much in the grand scheme of things, but it is quite a lot for me. Since 2007, between online fundraisers, personal giving, and, more recently, 10% of sales, I’ve been able to donate $10,816.14 to the Save the Manatee Club. More important than the money is knowing that people have become aware of the plight of manatees from things I’ve shared through the years. It means the world to me that I have been able to crowdsource help for this awe-inspiring species. #giveuntilyousave

Update on Save the Manatee Club Donations

November is Manatee Awareness Month.

Wait—MONTH? Why should the manatee get an entire month for awareness?

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 had slipped by me. You will be forgiven if you too didn’t know that manatees have barely any fat on them, that they are related not to seals or walruses but to elephants, that they can’t turn their necks, that their tails are called paddles, that the species is between 30 and 60 million years old, that they have flipper nails, and that they are absolutely gentle. Hardly anyone lives near manatees and sees them in the wild.

Photo courtesy of Save the Manatee Club

One thing I can say about this manatee awareness stuff: Once you know them, you love them. So it is of vital importance that people learn about manatees, and how to protect them from our boat propellers along with other encroachments on their environment. With no natural predators, man is the manatees only “enemy,” and the toll we take is pretty terrible.

In honor of 2019’s Manatee Awareness Month, I’ve made another donation of 10% of my earnings to Save the Manatee Club, bringing the total to over $1200 this year. I trust SMC (THE human voice of the manatee since 1981) to get the word out about this wonderful species, to advocate for their protection, and to help rescue them when they are injured or sick.

To all my customers who appreciate my donations of earnings to manatees—Thank you for caring right along with me! You keep me afloat!!

International Manatee Day

Manatee Hugger...guilty as charged! 

If you have read my blog for any length of time you know I'm awfully fond of the manatee. Some people even know me as "the manatee lady" — I think that's supposed to be a compliment!

But can we get serious for a minute?

Humans are the gentle herbivores’ only threat, with our fishing lines ensnaring them, our pollution poisoning them, our boats striking them and our living space encroaching upon theirs.

The pressure on this species is greater all the time, with increased human population, loss of habitat, and more use of watercraft. 

Loss of wintering grounds, harassment of manatees at some locations, degradation of water quality and the loss of vegetation upon which manatees depend have all taken and will continue to take a toll.

This year's huge manatee death toll due to red tide is evidence of the tenuousness of the survival of the species in Florida waters.

This is not a story that can end well for the manatee without our help.

Consider the importance of these animals to our national conscience. Heather Sellick of the US Scuba Center wrote: “the manatee is one of the most magnificent marine mammals...it is also the one that tugs at our heartstrings and reminds us of the great damage humans have inflicted on the creatures with whom we share this planet.” 

I don't want to live in a world without these wonderful creatures.

Photo: Public domain

Illustration of me by Anna Davies Art

Today is International Manatee Day, and the day marks the 2nd anniversary of my setting aside 10% of all denisebrain sales to Save the Manatee Club for the protection of these beloved and imperiled animals. I will make another donation on behalf of denisebrain's customers today, with gratitude to all who support me in this.

One year in sales benefitting Save the Manatee Club

Manatee on my mind. Illustration of me by Anna Davies.

I am a manatee hugger, pure and simple. Years ago, when I stood with my husband on the banks of the St. John River and watched a rehabilitated manatee being released back into the wild, I fell in love with these gentle giants. 

It was at this time last year that I decided to donate 10% of my earnings to saving manatees. Before September 2016, I ran fundraisers here and there...but I felt it was time to take the plunge and make this a full-time relationship. 

According to Save the Manatee Club, I have been able to donate $1665.00 since September 2016. I couldn't do this without my customers, who have told me so many times how much they care right along with me. 

At nearly the same time, I created the Pink Heart Shop section of my Etsy store, the shop-within-a-shop with 100% of sales going to Dress for Success. I'll update you soon on total sales for that great cause.

What can I say? Denisebrain has the best customers.

My warmest thanks and appreciation to you!

Manatee fundraiser

If you follow my blog, my Facebook page, my Tweets, my Instagram feed, or have spoken with me in person, you know I love manatees. 10% of my sales go to Save the Manatee Club year round.

Right now I've intensified my efforts. Through August 7, 25% of my vintage fashion sales will go to Save the Manatee Club, along with 100% of donations made directly on my YouCaring page set up for this special fundraiser.

Why the fundraiser at this moment? The reason is that I (along with countless others) am heartbroken by the tragic accidental death of Snooty, the world's most famous manatee. Perhaps you heard about his death, just a day after his 69th birthday was celebrated with thousands of people singing and cheering for him.

Having been born in captivity on July 21, 1948, Snooty was known by generations of visitors to the South Florida Museum, where he lived in a special aquarium. He contributed greatly to what is known and thought of manatees—and his personality stole our hearts. 

Snooty's aquarium at the South Florida Museum also hosts and rehabilitates wild manatees that have been rescued. The Museum states that they will continue this important program.

In memory of Snooty, my hope is to raise $1,000 by August 7, 2017, to be donated to Save the Manatee Club specifically for the rescue and rehabilitation of these beloved animals. Raising this much money in two weeks, I admit, is pretty ambitious. I only dare set such a goal because so many people have expressed their love for manatees to me. So many seem eager to help.

If you've had your eye on any items in my Etsy shop, know that you will be helping this cause a bit more than usual with your purchase through August 7, 2017. If you see nothing to tempt you right now and still wish to contribute, my YouCaring page is there for you too.

Thank you so much for your help! No way could I do this without you.

The Manatee Hugger is back to tell you...

It is Manatee Awareness Month! Of course you’re aware of manatees all the time, right? But this is the time of year in which manatees move from their warm weather haunts to their winter spots. These natural warm springs and power plant effluents don’t just make manatees more comfortable—as a sub-tropical species, they need water above 68 degrees Fahrenheit to survive. As the animals move closer to the shore, there are inevitably more human-caused deaths and injuries to manatees, so this is the time to go all in for manatee awareness and protection.

See Save the Manatee Club’s

Free Resources for Manatee Awareness Month

 for information and ideas for taking part.

A suggestion from me: Wear vintage fashion.

—Wait, what?

Not only do you contribute to a greener planet by recycling fashion instead of buying it new, but you can specifically help manatees by purchasing vintage fashion from me! I donate 10% of all denisebrain sales (not profit, but sales) to Save the Manatee Club. I began this on September 7, International Manatee Day. Yes, manatees have several appreciation days and months—they deserve it because there is so much to appreciate!

Save the Manatee Club photo by David Schrichte

And, may I suggest that in the gut-wrenching turmoil of these election season days, nothing could be more calming than watching healthy, safe, contented manatees on the Blue Springs State Park Manatee Cam (aka ManaTV)?

Announcing 10% of sales to save endangered manatees

Some of you know I often raise money for causes, including the protection of endangered species. In fact, I do enough fundraising for the manatee that some people think of me as “The Manatee Lady”...which is OK by me!

(Check out Manatees are in Fashion, a feature in the Save the Manatee Club newsletter)

Today, on International Manatee Day, I am announcing that from now on 10% of denisebrain sales (not profits, but sales) will go to Save the Manatee Club for the important work they do.

For the Manatees, my 2015 Holiday fundraiser

Painting by Anna Davies/Anna Davies Art

I love manatees.

The West Indian (Florida) Manatee was once plentiful around the coast of Florida, but now its survival as a species is in jeopardy. Humans are the gentle herbivores’ only enemy, with our fishing lines ensnaring them, our pollution poisoning them, our boats striking them and our living space encroaching upon theirs. Heather Sellick of the US Scuba Center wrote “the manatee is one of the most magnificent marine mammals...it is also the one that tugs at our heart strings and reminds us of the great damage humans have inflicted on the creatures with whom we share this planet.”

Manatees are awesomely large, perfectly gentle creatures. How could anything so wonderful be at risk of extinction?

Manatees are intelligent (“capable of understanding discrimination tasks, and show signs of complex associated learning and advanced long term memory.” [Gerstein, E. R. (1994). The manatee mind: Discrimination training for sensory perception testing of West Indian manatees (Trichechus manatus). Marine Mammals 1: 10–21.] They demonstrate complex discrimination and task-learning similar to dolphins and pinnipeds in acoustic and visual studies. [Marine Mammal Medicine, 2001, Leslie Dierauf & Frances Gulland, CRC Press]. The manatee’s closest land relation is the elephant, not the cow, despite their being called sea cows in many parts of the world. They are thought to have evolved from four-legged land animals some 60 million years ago.

Think about it: Manatees have made it 60 million years on the Earth and now their survival is threatened.

I know that many of you share my concern and love for the manatee. That’s why, starting today and going to the end of the year, 25% of your purchase price on any items you select from my Etsy shop or my web store will go to the Save the Manatee Club. If you don’t see any vintage finery to suit you during these weeks, I encourage you to donate on my YouCaring page, where every cent you give will be channeled to SMC. My goal is to raise $650 [edit, now $1250!], and with your help I know this is possible.

For the Manatees,
Maggie/denisebrain

Photo ©Cora Berchem via Save the Manatee Club

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; 

indeed, it's the only thing that ever has. —Margaret Mead