Celebrate Earth Day 2006

On Earth Day 2006, there's lots of things you can do to help manatees. (Photo © David R. Schrichte)

Earth Day 2006 is right around the corner. Celebrated on Saturday, April 22, it's a good reminder to take a little time to help protect planet Earth and its diverse wildlife.

First commemorated in 1970, the original Earth Day was conceived by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson as a way to put environmental issues in the the national spotlight. Over 20 million demonstrators and thousands of schools and local communities participated on the first Earth Day, and the event is now observed around the world.

"Earth Day worked because of the spontaneous response at the grassroots level," Senator Nelson said. "The American people finally had a forum to express its concern about what was happening to the land, rivers, lakes, and air -- and they did so with spectacular exuberance."

So on Earth Day 2006, make a vow to express your concern for manatees and the environment and take action! There's lots of ways that you can help -- and you don't necessarily need to leave home to do it. Check out our Earth Day Action Tips below.

XEarth Day XAction Tips

Get Involved
You have a voice in governmental processes. When you make your wants and needs known, you can improve the world. No one is too young (or old!) to get involved. Here's two important issues for manatees:

1. Just Say No to Downlisting (for both U.S. and international residents: send a quick and easy online letter)

2. Save the ESA! (for U.S. residents: a bit more work, but worth every ounce of effort)

Clean It Up
Debris in waterways, such as discarded plastic bags or fishing line and hooks, is dangerous to manatees and other wildlife. Be sure to recycle your litter or throw it in a proper trash container. Better yet, join these cleanup and recycling efforts:

1. Florida's Monofilament Recycling and Recovery Program

2. International Coastal Cleanup


Join or Donate
Of course, nonprofit organizations always have a use for cold, hard cash! But we make it fun for you. You can adopt a manatee, purchase a manatee gift item, or donate to our manatee protection, legal action, or emergency rescue funds.

1. Adopt-A-Manatee

2. Purchase Manatee Gifts

3. Donate to Save the Manatee Club


Help Researchers
If you live along a river, estuary, canal or coastal area in Florida, you can help provide valuable information to researchers who are tracking manatees. When you spot a manatee, just fill out our simple one-page form:

Manatee Sighting Report Form


Spread the Word
First, learn about manatees and why they are endangered. Next, educate others and let them know what they can do to help.

1. Get the scoop on manatees at our Manatee Info section.

2. Write a letter to the editor or an article on manatees for your school or community newspaper. Or contact a reporter to write a story.

3. Include a link to Save the Manatee Club on your web page. Our URL is http://www.savethemanatee.org and you can copy and paste our web banner below:

 

To get additional Earth Day Action Tips, visit our More Things You Can Do To Protect Manatees page.