Phoebe’s Mission to Save Manatees

For Phoebe Weseley, a proud Florida resident, it was the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge that sparked her deep-rooted appreciation of wild Florida. 

“I couldn’t believe how a place like that can exist right off the highway in south Florida! It is an oasis for humans, birds, and mammals alike,” Phoebe remarked.

She has owned a horse farm in Wellington, Florida since 2014, just 30 minutes up the road from the 143,954 acres of northern Everglades wetlands. The reserve is home to over 250 species of birds, including the endangered snail kite and Florida sandhill crane, as well as mammals like bobcats and river otters. “I try to go there as often as I can and always come away happier than when I arrived,” shared Phoebe.

Her horse farm is located two hours south of the Indian River Lagoon, where our Foundation has been focusing its efforts to replant seven eelgrass beds to support healthy water quality and replenish an important manatee food resource. “I love manatees and turtles equally; both are slow and prehistoric and need our help desperately here in Florida,” said Phoebe. “I appreciate the work the Foundation is doing for manatees this year, a year which has been apocalyptic for them. I hope Floridians understand that the fertilizers and other chemicals they are using, and therefore adding to Florida’s water systems, are killing these beloved creatures’ habitat and food.”

Thanks to recurring donors like Phoebe, our Foundation is able to pivot quickly to support programs like FWC’s supplemental manatee feeding program to prevent additional manatee deaths. Join Phoebe on her mission to help save Florida’s manatees. You can learn more about our Marine Mammal Fund aquí. 

“People all over the country — the world — need to act immediately in order to avoid the worst environmental effects that scientists have clearly told us will happen if we don’t change our human ways. Let’s protect what we have in Florida, our land and water, for the next generation before it’s too late,” Phoebe implored.