We recently had an exciting day of training out on the beautiful island of Nantucket. Kerry, Katie, Mona, our manager of volunteer programs, and I went to the island to host a training workshop for all our Nantucket volunteer responders.
In the photo below on the left, Kerry reviews the contents of their volunteer packets prior to the start of the training. Photo on the right shows the volunteers as the program begins.
The program is lengthy and includes all the information needed to help us respond to marine mammals in the field. The workshop lasted about 6 hours so these folks put in a full day! Several times throughout the day the volunteers were divided into groups to work together on issues such as species identification and health assessments.
In the photo below a group of volunteers team up in a working group to complete a section on species identification.
In the photo below, Kerry and Katie prepare the volunteers for the next working group task.
In the photo below a group works together on a health assessment drill.
The Nantucket Police Department has been very support of our stranding related work on Nantucket. In the photo below, you can see Officer Gale, long time member of the force and current animal control officer, attended the workshop. It was a treat to have her with us!
We had a productive and enjoyable day with this group of dedicated volunteers. I know I have said this in the past but I am always impressed and touched by those who choose to support their community through volunteering. These are truly special people.
Similar training workshops will commence in Boston, New Hampshire and Martha's Vineyard ... stay tuned for updates on those workshops.
-Connie
