Jimmy Buffett became an icon for his beach themed music, turning it into a billion dollar empire. His music captured the essence of the Florida Keys, but he also became a champion of the endangered manatee and other conservation issues.
Buffett, who died on September 1 of skin cancer at the age of 76, is mostly known for his famous songs like Margaritaville, Come Monday, and Five O’Clock Somewhere. He epitomized a beach lifestyle that made him a favorite of Floridians and those around the country seeking an island escape from their daily routine. His fans, called Parrotheads, would tailgate at his concerts, dressed in brightly colored clothes and extravagant costumes. His Margaritaville restaurants developed into a chain of hotels and resort communities. However, he created another dynasty in the conservation community.
During the 2018 Florida gubernatorial race, Buffett hosted a pro-environment Get Out The Vote concert to support Democrat Gwen Graham in her unsuccessful primary campaign against Andrew Gillum, who eventually lost to Ron DeSantis. At the concert, Buffett stated “It’s pretty simple, we live in paradise, and paradise is in peril. We need to have a little more attention about the place where we grew up, and where our children should grow up. It’s not that hard, it really isn’t.”
That wasn’t Buffett’s first foray in to environmental activism, nor his first experience with a Graham. In 1981, Buffett and then Florida Governor Bob Graham formed the Save the Manatee Club. The mission of the organization is to “protect imperiled manatees and their aquatic habitat for future generations.”
It started when Buffett met the governor backstage at a concert and took the opportunity to talk about the endangered species. Graham formed the Save the Manatee Committee, and asked Buffett to chair it. That eventually turned into the 501c3 organization. Buffett wasn’t a figurehead, he took an active role in the organization and continued to help with promotional campaigns over the next 43 years. In 1986, he was involved in the creation of Florida’s Save the Manatee license plate, which has raised millions for conservation efforts in the state.
He was active in other environmental issues as well. In 1987, Buffett appeared before Congress to lobby for the reauthorization of the Endangered Species Act, citing the endangered manatee. He supported various environmental causes over the decades, including the Quicksilver Foundation, Reef Relief, and the Gulf Specimen Marine Laboratory. He frequently participated in charity concerts in the wake of hurricanes in the Southeast and the Caribbean. He also stepped in to raise money for disaster relief following the BP oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.
Buffett's loss will be felt beyond his fans and into the larger conservation movement. However, his environmental legacy will continue.
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September 03, 2023 at 04:06AM
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Jimmy Buffett Used His Influence To Help The Environment, Save The Manatees - Forbes
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