FORT PIERCE – The Manatee Observation and Education Center is hosting a public reveal of the newly installed Moe the Manatee statue on Friday, March 29, at 4 p.m. along Moore’s Creek at the Manatee Center, 480 N. Indian River Drive, Fort Pierce, FL.
Affectionately known as Moe II, this replacement statue is the result of a successful fundraising campaign led by the Treasure Coast Manatee Foundation and Manatee Center staff in late 2018. With matching donations from Fort Pierce Utilities Authority, this campaign raised enough funds to allow artists at the local Fort Pierce Shadetree Studios to create a new statue of Moe for the Manatee Center.
The iconic Moe the Manatee statue was stolen from the Manatee Center in 2016. Moe, the Mascot, stood as an aquatic ambassador at Moore’s Creek since the environmental center opened in 1996. Visitors from all over the world collected photos and selfies with the original Moe statue, and now all visitors will enjoy the same opportunity.
The Manatee Observation and Education Center (MOEC) is a not-for-profit environmental learning center, located in downtown Fort Pierce, at the basin of Moore’s Creek and the Indian River Lagoon. Now in its 22nd year, the mission of MOEC is to promote understanding and responsible actions for the protection of the Treasure Coast’s fragile ecosystem and its inhabitants. Innovative exhibits and displays allow for an up-close look at some of the unique and amazing creatures found along the Treasure Coast, as well as an opportunity to see the threatened Florida manatee in its native habitat. To volunteer or support the Center’s continued work, please visit the Manatee Observation & Education Center at 480 N. Indian River Drive, Fort Pierce, call 772.429.6266, or visit www.manateeeducationcenter.org.
This article was distributed through Treasure Coast Business, a news service for the readers and advertisers of Indian River Magazine.