News

Introduction by Tonya Higgins, Director of Development and Operations

We’re so excited to shine a spotlight on Jennifer, one of our outstanding volunteer partners in the Florida Keys. Jennifer doesn’t just love manatees—she’s committed to making sure they’re seen, supported, and celebrated. Her persistence is the reason Save the Manatee Club was represented at this year’s “Just a Few Friends” Second Line Parade in Key West, held in honor of Jimmy Buffett Day of Celebration. She rallied other volunteers, coordinated details, and kept on me to ensure we didn’t miss this meaningful event honoring one of our co-founders. From her local advocacy to her connection with Zelda, the only adoptable manatee from the Keys, Jennifer brings a deep sense of purpose to everything she does.  We’re honored to have her on the team.

What inspired you to start volunteering with Save the Manatee Club?

I met SMC employee Cora at an event down in Key West. I have always loved manatees but didn’t know about any outreach opportunities or ways to help. She is so incredibly enthusiastic about manatee conservation, and we had a really great talk about all the work SMC does. Shortly after, she set me up with a contact at the FWC to do manatee rescue and release. It’s been amazing!

After starting that volunteer position, I received an email from SMC asking if I would be willing to do an event representing the organization down in Key West, and it just grew from there. I feel very fortunate for these opportunities, and I feel that I am making an impact in helping manatees, which is so very important to me.

Do you have an adopted manatee? If so, who is it, and why did you choose them?

I do! In a nutshell, shortly after we moved to our house, I started noticing a very identifiable manatee returning to our canal several years in a row. I was documenting these sightings and sending them to the Club.

Cora had notified me with my first sighting that this was a known manatee, and her name is Zelda. Zelda has visited my canal—and the canal of friends in the Lower Keys—year after year. She always seems to have a new calf, too, which makes me happy.

With so many sightings, Cora campaigned for Zelda to become adoptable, and now she is the only adoptable Florida Keys manatee! Again, I feel so lucky to be a part of this!!!

Do you have a favorite memory or experience while volunteering?

My favorite memory would be the first “Just a Few Friends” Second Line Parade in Key West. Many organizations participate to show their love of Jimmy Buffett and our environment, but it is particularly special to be representing Save the Manatee Club in this parade, as Jimmy Buffett co-founded the organization with former Florida Governor Bob Graham.

What’s one surprising or interesting thing you’ve learned while volunteering with us?

I think I was most surprised at the number of facilities in the U.S. that assist with manatee rehabilitation. There are so many zoos and institutes involved, as well as places like SeaWorld, who are dedicated to rehabilitating manatees for release—or to providing continued care to those who will not survive in the wild.

With so many organizations involved, it is so great to see how they all work in partnership. The only goal is to help. I recently saw that the Columbus Zoo & Aquarium is now taking manatees for rehab, and I thought, “How fantastic it is that manatees are even being cared for in Ohio!”

Tell us a little about yourself—your background, hobbies, or anything you’d like to share!

My background is in social work. I spent years working in the medical field—from hospitals to nursing homes to hospice. I spent most of my career as a hospice social worker and bereavement counselor.

The work was a gift, and I think caring deeply about people and wanting to take care of them translates quite well to the volunteering I now do with both Save the Manatee and the FWC.