Moore Elementary School sixth-grade student Chase Parker's eyes light up when he talks about the sea creature known as the manatee.

His passion for the sea animal is so strong, Chase recently decided to organize a Save the Manatees campaign.

The project involves a schoolwide poster contest and Chase raising money to help save the species.

The purpose of the contest, Chase said, is to determine who can make the most informational poster on the manatee, including why manatees should be protected and ways people can help.

Why the manatee, of all animals?

"Ever since I was a 2-year-old, it was my favorite animal," said Chase, who discovered his love for the manatee during a family trip to Sea World in Florida.

"I really liked the creature," he said. "It seemed friendly."

Chase said he was saddened when he received word the species was slowly dying off.

"Last year, I found out they were going extinct and I was shocked," he said. "I felt I could help out somehow."

Chase, whose favorite subject in school is science, said he wants others to know about the current status of the manatee.

"I am doing this to get the word around, that this creature is dying and we should do something about it," he said.

By sharing with the public the near-extinct status of the manatee, Chase said, word could spread further until "it grows into something bigger."

To date, Chase has raised more than $300 which will be donated to the Save the Manatee Club in Florida.

School environmental club advisor and teacher Krista Maxwell is sponsoring Chase for the Presidential Environmental Youth Awards. The deadline for submission is Dec. 31.

Maxwell, along with an art teacher and a reading teacher, will judge the posters submitted by other students. They will evaluate the posters on creativity and content.

The posters will then be submitted to the Save the Manatee Club to be used in their campaign, Maxwell said.

Prizes will be awarded to the top three students in four categories.