TRAIN TO BE A MARINE MAMMAL STRANDINGS VOLUNTEER

Devon Wildlife Trust (DWT) is running a free training session this month for people interested in helping to record strandings of whales and dolphins. The charity’s aim is to learn more about the causes of the strandings which are a regular feature around the region’s coastline.

The training takes place on Saturday 13 February and is open to volunteers able and willing to get themselves quickly and easily to areas along the South Hams and East Devon coast in an event of a marine stranding.

The day starts at 9:30am and runs until 15:15pm and is being held at the Seashore Centre, Goodrington (nr Paignton) on the south coast of Devon.

During the training, volunteers will be given an introduction to cetacean (dolphin, whales and porpoise) identification, what DWT's Strandings Network is, how it works and how to use the recording forms for cetaceans and seals to gather the vital records the charity needs.

Devon Wildlife Trust’s Lauren Davis who is running the event, said: “We get a wide range of amazing marine species visiting our shores each year such as dolphins, porpoises and even whales. It is a sad sight to see marine mammals washed up on our shores and we are looking to train more volunteers to be on hand to help us gather as much detailed information when someone calls us with a stranding. Recording stranded animals provides us with valuable information about the marine environment and the health of our marine creatures. We can learn many things from strandings if we find them early such as causes of death, distribution, diet, health and diseases and the effects of pollution. This will be a fun day, but with a serious purpose.”

Volunteers must be available to get out to areas during weekdays. For more information and to secure a place on the training day call Lauren on 01392 274128 or email ldavis@devonwildlifetrust.org