Manatees: Species In Peril
Video Is Released
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For Immediate Release: November 18, 2002
A new manatee video titled Manatees: Species in Peril has recently been released. The video is a joint project between Save the Manatee Club (SMC) and International Video Projects of Florida. The video features beautiful underwater footage of manatees at Blue Spring State Park, Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park, and other areas in Florida. Viewers can learn about manatees, the conservation efforts designed to protect them, and what they can do to save manatees for future generations. The release of the video coincides with Manatee Awareness Month, which has historically taken place during the month of November in Florida.
Manatees: Species in Peril is the culmination of a yearlong effort. The video was initiated in December 2001, after being partially funded by a grant from The Kenneth A. Scott Charitable Trust, A KeyBank Trust. Club staff worked with International Video Projects to suggest topic areas to emphasize as well as interview subjects and locations. Patti Thompson, SMC Director of Science & Conservation, and Suzanne Tarr, SMC Staff Biologist, reviewed the script for technical accuracy.
The video is narrated by Peter Thomas, whose work has been heard on programs such as Nature, National Geographic, and Nova. It includes information on the manatees' natural history, their habitat, and problems affecting manatees in Florida. It also features manatee research and rescue/rehabilitation efforts that are being conducted by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's Florida Marine Research Institute, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Florida oceanaria such as Sea World Orlando, the Miami Seaquarium, and Lowry Park Zoo. Highlights of the video include the release of "Stormy" at Blue Spring State Park in Volusia County, and a manatee capture at Salt Creek in Sarasota County. Manatee protection tips, information about SMC's Adopt-A-Manatee program, and opportunities for volunteer work are also included.
"We're very excited about the new video," said Judith Vallee, SMC Executive Director. "It's a terrific tool to help educate people about manatees. Plus, a portion of the sale of each video will go to benefit Save the Manatee Club programs to protect manatees." In addition, International Video Projects has generously donated 200 copies of the video to SMC to distribute to schools, environmental education centers, and several state parks in Florida.
Manatees: Species in Peril was shot on Sony DV Cam digital video. Editing was done in-house on International Video Project’s MAC Firewire non-linear edit system. The DVD and VHS copies are "broadcast quality." The video is available in VHS ($17.95) or DVD ($24.95) format from Save the Manatee Club at our Manatee Gifts page at http://www.savethemanatee.org/shop/.
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