July 7, 2011; Source: Mother Nature Network | Naming rights have been a favorite of fundraisers for years. And now a nonproifit that calls the Great Smoky Mountains National Park home, wants to offer donors the opportunity to slap names they choose on species of animals that — until they’re discovered — no one even knows they exist.

The mission of Discover Life in America is to survey all living plants and animals in the park, which borders North Carolina and Tennessee. According to the group’s website, this is a “first” of its kind effort. And because this kind of study takes money, and money seems to be less scarce than the creatures waiting to be discovered — it has identified some 910 new species since 910 — Discover Life is making donors a one-of-a-kind offer.  

Mother Nature Network reports that donors who are willing to hand over $2,500 get naming rights in return for the “next lineup” of animals waiting to be discovered. If you think naming a child or pet is tough, what do you call a spider, worm, or scorpion — just a few of the creatures discovered so far in the Great Smokies.—Bruce S. Trachtenberg