News

Make A Manatee Puppet

Cs Puppet Photo

Transform a simple paper lunch bag into a whimsical manatee puppet that’s ready to come to life. Whether you’re a seasoned crafter or just looking for a fun creative activity, this project is perfect for all skill levels.

Materials Needed:

Instructions

  1. Click on the link above to download the Manatee Puppet Cutout Sheet.
  2. Save the Manatee Puppet Cutout Sheet to your computer, then open the file and print it.
  3. Color the manatee’s face, mouth, flippers, and tail.
  4. Cut out the manatee’s face, mouth, flippers, and tail.
  5. Glue the manatee face on the bottom of the paper lunch bag.
  6. Glue the manatee mouth under the paper lunch bag flap.
  7. Fold the tail and flippers on the dotted line.
  8. Glue the tail to the back of the paper lunch bag.
  9. Glue the flippers to the inside fold of the bag.

Congratulations! Your puppet is complete!

More Recent News

Gator was in the midst of a large aggregation on one of the coldest winter days on February 4.

Manatee Sightings Update: April 2026

We had a prolonged cold front in early February that brought in a record count, but Manatee Season at Blue Spring State Park officially ended on March 27.

HaileyB

Volunteer Spotlight: Hailey Boisvert

Hailey is a dedicated environmental educator and one of our newest Virtual Volunteer presenters! Read more about Hailey’s volunteer story.

SMC staff member Elizabeth Neville speaks in front of the Florida House Budget Committee in support of restoring the Ocklawaha River and breaching the Rodman/Kirkpatrick Dam.

Momentum Builds for Manatee Protection

Late 2025 and early 2026 saw lots of engagement on bedrock environmental laws and exciting updates on state-level priorities to further manatee conservation.