If you’re interested in helping marine mammals that become stranded on our local
beaches, the Port Townsend Marine Science Center (PTMSC) is offering a free
training session on Tuesday, June 26th, from 4-5:30 p.m. in the
Natural History Exhibit at Fort Worden State Park.
“This is a great opportunity to
learn how to respond to calls about marine mammal strandings and/or seal pup
sightings,” said Chrissy McLean, PTMSC Marine Program Coordinator. “After
training, your name will be on a call list to respond in the geographic area(s)
you specify. If you’re available when the call comes in, you can respond if you
wish, but you’re not obligated to drop everything and respond instantly.”
Learn about changes in the
PTMSC’s stranding program, including our new marine mammal necropsy program, and
goals for our local and regional groups in the coming year. There will be a
review of species identification and documentation, including a beach session to
practice skills.
The more trained volunteers that
are on the call list, the more the responses can be spread around, especially
when seal pups need “pup sitting” to keep dogs and people away while they rest
on the beach.
It’s important for volunteers to
understand that in the majority of cases of injured animals, this cadre of
volunteers is documenting incidents rather than saving or rehabilitating
individual marine mammals. The data collected becomes part of a nationwide
database which tracks marine mammal strandings and looks at larger trends in
order to address possible problems that might be causing the strandings.
For more information or to sign
up for the free training, please call 360.385.5582 ext. 110 for Jamie Landry or
email her at jlandry@ptmsc.org. No previous knowledge about marine mammals is
required.
