SeaWorld
Orlando Animal Rescue Team received a special gift from Millennia Gardens
Elementary School. The Millennia Gardens Elementary Eco Club grew 1,000 heads
of lettuce from their student hydroponics garden and donated the complete
harvest to SeaWorld’s Manatee Rescue and Rehabilitation Program.
The
lettuce took the Millennia Gardens Elementary Eco Club nearly a month to grow
as students and teachers worked alongside each other during their afterschool
program. Students ranging from third to fifth grade were able to learn
important skills through the program including environmental protection, math
and teamwork.
Principle
Anne Lynaugh said, “We are so proud of the Millennia Gardens Elementary Eco
Club. The teachers and students have put a lot of hard work into the
hydroponics garden. It truly is an outdoor classroom where everyone can learn.
The new partnership with SeaWorld is a wonderful and unexpected benefit that we
hope will continue for years to come. It is our mission to lead our students to
success with the support and involvement of families and the community.”
SeaWorld
Orlando is one of the founding institutions of the Southeastern U.S. Marine
Mammal Stranding Network (SEUS). The SeaWorld Orlando Animal Rescue Team rescue
between 20 and 40 stranded marine mammals annually, with the majority being
manatees. With vegetation being the primary diet for manatees, SeaWorld Orlando
relies on hundreds of pounds of lettuce to feed these rescued manatees daily.
Through this new partnership, SeaWorld Orlando and Millennia Gardens Elementary
School will work together to positively impact both students and rescued
manatees.
“This
donation is a truly amazing one. These kids learned how to grow lettuce in a
unique way and then went a step further and decided they wanted to help an
endangered species – the Florida manatee. At SeaWorld, we are focused on
rescuing, rehabilitation and releasing animals in need. It’s also important we
educate our community about animals and how we can all help our natural world,”
said Jon Peterson, Manager, Animal Rescue at SeaWorld Orlando, “To have these
young kids come together, volunteer their time, learn how to grow lettuce and
then donate it to the animals in our care – I cannot think of anything more
meaningful and special.”
In
support of the Millennia Gardens Elementary School Eco Club, SeaWorld Orlando
has invited the participating students and teachers to visit SeaWorld Orlando
and spend the night alongside rescued manatees during an educational sleepover
field trip.
The
Millennia Gardens Elementary Eco Club is already beginning to work on their
second harvest with hopes of completing it prior to the end of the school year.