ORLANDO, Fla. — A local group is working to keep a very special mammal fed.
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4Roots Farm is a nonprofit started by the founder of 4 Rivers Smokehouse.
The group is working to grow lettuce for manatees at SeaWorld.
Read: Data shows 230 manatee deaths reported in Florida so far this year
Volunteers can earn credit for school by cultivating massive amounts of greens.
Founder John Rivers said the project benefits students as much as it does the marine mammals.
Read: Some push for Florida manatee to be reclassified as an endangered species
“You think about the lettuce that these guys are eating in a community partnership that’s helping restore the health of these beautiful mammals us being grown by our interns, on our farm campus every day, these are guys in college right now,” Rivers said.
The group delivers more than 1,000 pounds of lettuce to SeaWorld every week.
See: 3 manatees moved from Miami Seaquarium to SeaWorld, ZooTampa after TikTok video goes viral
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