Free class teaches how to help birds in event of an oil spill
Published 4:18 pm Tuesday, October 1, 2013
The many species of birds that live or feed in marine habitat often bear the brunt of impacts from an oil spill.
Islands’ Oil Spill Association is offering two free training classes for those who would like to help care for wildlife in the event of an oil spill.
The first of the two training sessions, IOSA’s “Basic Care of Oiled Birds”, is Saturday, Oct. 5, on San Juan Island, 11:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. Participants will learn about primary care needs of oil birds, including techniques of capture, handling and stabilization, logistics of responding to an oil spill in the islands, and about the ways members of the community can help out in the event of a spill.
On Saturday, Oct. 19, IOSA will offer a class that will focus on the “Search, Capture & Rescue of Oiled Birds,” which includes on-the-beach training and practice of strategies discussed in the class.
Class size is limited; to register, or for information, email IOSA at, iosaoffice@rockisland.com. IOSA will email details of the training sessions, including class location, to those who have registered.
For those who prefer working on the equipment side of oil-spill response, IOSA also offers spill-responder training for containment/exclusion, with on-the-water boom deployment drills, several times each year.
A non-profit organization, IOSA is the San Juan Islands only community based, spill-response group. To learn more its mission, programs, training and classes, visit, www.isoaonline.org.
