I left one organization off of my list of annual donations. Why, you wonder? Because it gives me an excuse to put up a pretty adorable jpeg and then ask the question: would someone you know like one of these for Christmas?
For years, the Save the Manatee Club has been doing the good work to protect these handsome, winsome, defenseless mammals from speedboating yahoos and Republican governors. They lobby, organize letter-writing campaigns, mount legal challenges to bad legislation, and provide rescue/rehabilitation services for wounded manatees, among other things. They definitely deserve a few bucks.
But it gets even better. If you're looking for ways to avoid putting cash in the coffers of sweatshop-using, environment-abusing corporations at Christmas, SMC offers one of the best options I know of: you can give someone their own manatee with the Adopt-a-Manatee program. The adoption comes with a photo and a biography of the manatee you've chosen, an adoption certificate, and some other nifty stuff (including a calendar if you're willing to fork out an extra ten bucks). It's a great way to brainwash impressionable children.
Seriously, it really is a unique gift, and it's one you can feel good about and that can only do good on the receiving end as well--and how many gifts can you say that about?
If you have any other good progressive gift ideas for the holidays, please do share them.
INSTANT UPDATE: In fairness to Republican governors, Charlie Christ just called for the Florida Wildlife Commission to reject a change in status from endangered to threatened for the manatee--though in recognition of SMC's effectiveness, that was no doubt mainly due to their lobbying and letter-writing campaign.
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