Made for the manatees.

Manatees, the largest mammals found in Florida's rivers, bays, and gulfs, have existed for more than fifty million years. But these animals, also known as sea cows, are in trouble now.

"About ten percent of the manatee population is lost every year," says Nancy Sadusky, Save the Manatee Club spokesperson. While some of the manatees died of natural causes, most were victims of human-related activities. The enormous, slow-moving creatures ate plastic litter, became entangled in fishing lines, or were run over by speeding boats.

Boating injuries are so common that experts tell manatees apart by their boat scars. "Every one of the manatees I work with has boat scars," says Wayne Hartley, a ranger at Florida's Blue Spring State Park. "They are like fingerprints." And those fingerprints change as the mammals are injured again and again.

When students at Orlando's Dover Shores Elementary heard about this situation, they were concerned.

"People driving boats don't think about what can happens," says ten-year-old Elizabeth Watson. "But if one manatee dies and then another and then another, the whole ecosystem is going to pile up." She and dozens of her classmates wanted to help the manatees.

"We started brainstorming," says teacher Bette Maloney, "wondering what we could do." She and her first through fifth grade students decided to make manatee products--tablets, necklaces, figurines, coloring books, magnets, and puzzles--and sell them.

They created Manatee Mart and agreed to donate the profits to Save the Manatee Club. And donate they did. The special market made about $100 the first year and $200 the second, according to Mrs. Maloney.

During their fifth and most recent effort, the students raised and donated nearly $400 to the Club. Nancy says, "They have adopted practically every manatee we have in the program. We are extremely grateful for their help."

The students' donations help the club pay for manatee rescue efforts, medical attention for wounded animals, tag and tracking programs, and public educations.

Why Help the Manatees?

Many people think manatees are dumb and funny-looking. So why give them a hand?

"I like them because they look kind of weird," says eleven-year-old Manatee Mart cashier John Callaway. "Their faces are sort of small compared to their bodies, and you can see hairs coming out of their mouths."

Christine Hansen, also eleven, agrees. "They do look a little silly in the water. But I think they are kind of special. There aren't many of them left, so we need to protect them. It makes me feel great, knowing I'm helping. I know I'm just a kid, just one kid. But if everybody did a little bit, it would make a lot of difference."

Did You Know?

* Manatees are large, gray-brown water mammals. Their bodies taper to a flat, paddle-shaped tail. Their wrinkled faces have whiskers on the snout.

* The manatees' closest relative is the elephant.

* Manatees rest below the water's surface. They come to the surface for air every three to five minutes.

* A manatee eats more than 100 pounds of water plants per day.

* Manatees are slow-moving animals. Average adult manatees are about ten feet long and weigh more than one thousand pounds.

* West Indian manatees are on the endangered species list. About 1,800 manatees are left in the United States.