Manatee Man, The

NEA Today, Jan 2005 by Goodman, Emily

He might be a physical education teacher in school, but on the street Gary Pane is known as the ''Manatee Man."

ASIDE FROM TEACHING EXERCISE AND HEALTH, Pane has another profession and love-writing and performing songs about endangered manatees and other hot-button environmental topics. A little bit Jimmy Buffet and a little bit Raffi, Pane has had one of his songs featured on a video made by Outreach for Animals, a nonprofit environmental group, and his two music CDs have become a local favorite for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Pane, who teaches at Suncoast Elementary School in Springhill, Rorida, discovered manatees while swimming in the Crystal River and, after the initial shock, was instantly drawn to the gentle animals. As luck would have it, Suncoast Elementary chose the manatee as a school mascot in 1994. Most mornings, Pane stands by the school's manatee statue greeting students as they arrive. It's somewhat of an inspiration to him. "Between my experiences in the water with manatees and our beautiful manatee statue, the feeling and words began to flow and the songs were written," says Pane, who composes on his guitar.

A 30-year teaching veteran, Pane performs in schools, festivals, and parades to raise environmental awareness among adults and children. It's easy to see why he's popular with the kids; he has fun with his music. One song, "Manatee Profanity," is a rap song with lyrics like, "Don't mess with my splash."

With plans to retire at the end of the school year, Pane is looking forward to taking his show on the road, where he can teach manatee awareness to a whole new audience.

-EMILY GOODMAN