ECONOTES : The Gift That Keeps on Living

Still shopping around for an unusual Father’s Day gift? How about something that weighs 400 pounds, is at least 20 years old and can stay underwater for at least an hour? Perfect for the father who has everything, and furthermore, you won’t have to gift-wrap it. The Sea Turtle Coalition is promoting its adopt-a-turtle project as a timely gift for any environment-minded dad because this is the height of sea-turtle-nesting season in the United States.

“Adopting a sea turtle is a simple way to help protect a critically endangered species,” says David Carr, director of the Florida-based coalition, a project of the nonprofit Caribbean Conservation Corp., formed in 1959 to protect marine and coastal wildlife with laws and beach preserves. “They’re an important link to our prehistoric past.”

Although sea turtles have been around since the days of the dinosaur, says Carr, they are in danger of extinction. They are hunted for their meat, eggs and shells, they drown in fishing nets, and their nests are being destroyed by beachfront development.

For a tax-deductible contribution of $35 or more, you can name your gift turtle (Ninja-esque names are popular), which will be tagged. Dad will get an adoption kit including a certificate, poster, decal and subscription to Velador, the quarterly newsletter. Call (800) 678-7853.