Volunteer Resources

• Orientation Training 

Background of marine mammals in NC, the stranding network, and applicable legislation that enable us to do this work.

Required for all new volunteers. Refresher as needed for active volunteers.

• Fundamentals 

How to log volunteer hours, navigate the website, find meeting recordings, and other resources etc.

Required for all new volunteers. Refresher as needed for active volunteers.

• Marine Mammal Zoonotic Risks and Prevention 

Discuss safety around marine mammals, including risk and prevention of transmissible diseases. 

Required for all volunteers once. Refresher as needed annually for all volunteers.

• Donning and Doffing PPE Correctly 

How to correctly put on, wear, and take off personal protective equipment.

Required for all volunteers once. Refresher as needed annually for all volunteers.

• Seal Monitoring Training

There will be an additional in-person practice session with herding board techniques and kenneling.

Required annually for all volunteers who want to participate in seal monitoring.

• Cetacean Stranding Response Training

There will be an additional in-person practice session with stretcher-ing an animal and triage.

Required annually for all volunteers who want to participate in stranding response.

OTHER DOCUMENTS

• Positive Language  Words Matter 

• FAQs 

PLEASE NOTE: YOUR NAME WILL AUTOMATICALLY BE ADDED TO THIS LIST AFTER ATTENDING THE ANNUAL TRAINING. THIS LIST IS UPDATED ONCE A YEAR IN FEBRUARY. TO REQUEST A CHANGE IN CATEGORY, PLEASE EITHER USE THE FORM BELOW OR EMAIL MARINA AT marina.doshkov@ncaquariums.com

• List by Name and Location for Stranding Response and Seal Monitoring

• Request a Change Form

• Seal Health Assessment Form

• Seal Watching Brochure

• QR code for Seal Watching Brochure

• Submit Seal Sighting Data Online

STRANDING RESPONSE TOOLKIT:

• Live Marine Mammal Behavior & Respiration Log

• NOAA Marine Mammal Stranding Brochure

• Why Do Marine Mammals Strand on Land and How Can Humans Help?

• Guide to Marine Mammals and Turtles of the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico link to Amazon

• Marine Mammal Ashore Field Guide 

• Necropsy Demonstration  - Harbor Branch, Florida Atlantic University

• Whale Necropsy - IFAW

• Baleen Whale Sound Production

• Necropsy Notes Transcription

• Supply Inventory & Purchase Ordering (TBA in November)

• Sample Inventorying, Processing, and Shipping

• Data entry and management; Graphing and table creation; Creating maps from data

• Social media committee

• Osteological preparation of specimens to be used for education and outreach (this can be a very smelly and gross job!)

• WhaleScale App updates

Please email marina.doshkov@ncaquariums.com if you would like to help 

• World Whale Day (Feb) - NC Aquarium on Roanoke Island

• Earth Day (4/22) - Jockey's Ridge State Park

• Large Whale Stranding Events - as they occur (typically 3 - 4 times a year from December - April)

Please email marina.doshkov@ncaquariums.com if you would like to help

1. Volunteer Newsletter from NCARI Volunteer Coordinator

2. SEAmail  e-news subscription from NC Aquarium Society 

3. SeaSecrets members-only from the NC Aquarium Society