Whale Museum’s summer marine naturalist training is going virtual

— from Tracie Merrill for The Whale Museum —

Due to the pandemic, TWM’s Summer Marine Naturalist Program is going virtual. This dynamic and high quality program will still be 6-sessions and run on the following dates: July 16, 17, 18, 20, 21 and 22 with a one day break on July 19. The object of this program is to provide a learning experience that assists adult graduates in becoming qualified regionally as professional or volunteer naturalists. Because this session will be virtual, we have been able to expand class size to 50 participants, so spots are still available!

The main focus of the training is the ecology, current status and conservation of Southern Resident Killer Whales and other local marine species as well as discussions about the environments they live in. The course includes presentations on cetaceans, pinnipeds, otters, intertidal invertebrates, seabirds, and a variety of other topics such as geology and marine conservation. Faculty includes Whale Museum staff, professional naturalists, marine scientists, and environmental educators active in the region. Presentations will be delivered through videoconferencing/webinar software, such as Zoom. Tuition is $475 for non-museum members (includes an orca adoption and a Whale Museum membership) and $425 for museum members/orca adopters. There are no prerequisites other than high school graduation and a sincere interest to learn.

Please refer all questions to Tracie Merrill, Education Curator, by email at tracie@whalemuseum.org. Registration material can be downloaded from the Whale Museum website at www.whalemuseum.org. Don’t wait to reserve your spot!