News

By Tonya Higgins, Director of Development and Operations

As cooler weather approaches (at least by Florida standards), so do some of Save the Manatee Club’s most engaging events—and we need your help to make them successes!

Our biggest focus this fall is the Save the Manatee 5K, taking place on November 15 at Blue Spring State Park in Orange City, Florida, just in time to kick off manatee season! Preparing to bring this longtime, supporter-driven race to the Sunshine State has been both heartwarming and a little overwhelming—but we’re excited to see it come to life. We’ll need on-the-ground help with logistics, check-in, and sharing manatee materials at the event, along with virtual support before and after.

We’re also gearing up for winter festival season, including manatee outreach booths at events throughout the state like the Orange City Blue Spring Manatee Festival, Florida Manatee Festival, Central Florida Veg Fest, and more. Volunteers make these appearances possible—whether it’s staffing a table, helping transport materials, or simply being a friendly face to talk manatees with the public.

You may have noticed we’re in a bit of a transition, as our former Volunteer Specialist has moved on, and we’re still in the process of hiring a replacement. In the meantime, we’re gathering materials, refining event lists, and mapping out roles—and we’d love to know who’s interested in helping out this season.

Your patience and care as we continue to grow and refine our volunteer program has been simply mana-team-riffic! If you’ve volunteered before—or are ready to dip a toe into manatee-friendly action—we’d love to hear from you. Drop us a line at volunteer@savethemanatee.org and let us know your interests and availability.

Thank you, as always, for all you do to help us accomplish our work for manatees.