Manatees on the Move

It’s December, and that means Florida manatees are on the move. This time of year, these gentle “sea cows” seek warm-water sites to spend the winter. That means boaters must be on the lookout for manatees and obey changing speed zones on waterways. The slow-moving mammals generally start traveling to warm water when the air temperature drops below 50 degrees or when the water temperature dips to 68 degrees. Seasonal speed zone signs were changed in mid-November on many waterways to accommodate manatee migration.

Read these simple steps to take when heading out on the waters.
 

Bristling for the Bay

Alaska’s Bristol Bay is home to endangered Northern Pacific right whales, threatened Steller sea lions and the world’s largest sockeye salmon run. But President Bush has a different vision for this precious piece of the Pacific: he wants to turn it over to profit-rich Big Oil, lifting a moratorium that has been in place since the disastrous Exxon Valdez spill.

Take Action now! Tell President Bush not to let Big Oil into the Bristol Bay!

Last-Minute Gift for Loved Ones, Wildlife

Still looking for that perfect gift for someone special? Look no further. Make a truly meaningful holiday gift and help protect wildlife for future generations by making a Wildlife Gift Adoption.

Just go to WildlifeAdoption.org. Adopt the critter of your choice, and we’ll send your gift recipient a plush toy animal and personalized adoption certificate suitable for framing.

Enter the code WEB10 in your order, and we’ll even give you 10% off your Wildlife Adoption.

So Long to a Defender in the Senate

Senator Lincoln Chafee isn’t your run-of-the-mill politician. He’s one of a very few in Congress to put conservation issues above partisan politics, standing up for his principles and doing what’s right for our wildlife and the places it lives. Recognizing his strong record in conservation, our sister organization, Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund, endorsed Sen. Chafee in his tough re-election campaign and named him a 2006 Defenders Action Fund Wildlife Hero -- one of only four Senators (of any party) to earn the honor.

Senator Chafee heads home this month after a hard-fought election in which he was defeated. We thank him for his heroic stances on conservation issues and his distinguished career protecting our precious wildlife and wild places.