Unfortunately, the training courses scheduled for July 24th in Key West have been postponed due to inclement weather!   Rescheduled dates will be posted here as soon as they are available!

Summer Training Schedule:

Date: June 12, 2010
Location: Marine Mammal Conservancy, Key Largo
Time: 9:00AM
Class: Basic Handling, Evaluation & Transport

Date: June 12, 2010
Location: Marine Mammal Conservancy, Key Largo
Time: 12:30PM
Class: Marine Mammal Rescue Equipment & Field Site Set-up

Date: June 12, 2010
Location: Island Dolphin Care, Key Largo
Time: 5:00PM
Class: Marine Mammal Oil Response Guidelines & Chain of Custody Protocols for the MC 252 Event

Date: June 19, 2010
Location: Island Dolphin Care, Key Largo
Time: 10:00AM
Class: Species Identification and Basic Behavior

Date: June 19, 2010
Location: Island Dolphin Care, Key Largo
Time: 12:30PM
Class: First Response and Advanced Assessment

Date: June 26, 2010
Location: Eco-Discovery Center, Key West
Time: 9:30AM
Class: Basic Handling, Evaluation & Transport

Date: June 26, 2010
Location: Eco-Discovery Center, Key West
Time: 1:00PM
Class: Marine Mammal Oil Response Guidelines & Chain of Custody Protocols for the MC 252 Event

Date: July 10, 2010
Location: Eco-Discovery Center, Key West
Time: 9:30AM
Class: Marine Mammal Fish Kitchen, Food Preparation and Sanitary Procedures

Date: July 10, 2010
Location: Eco-Discovery Center, Key West
Time: 12:30PM
Class: First Response and Advanced Assessment

Date: July 17, 2010
Location: Marine Mammal Conservancy, Key Largo
Time: 9:30AM
Class: Marine Mammal Fish Kitchen, Food Preparation and Sanitary Procedures

Date: July 17, 2010
Location: Marine Mammal Conservancy, Key Largo
Time: 12:30PM
Class: First Response and Advanced Assessment

Date: July 24, 2010
Location: Eco-Discovery Center, Key West
Time: 9:30AM
Class: Basic Necropsy Protocols and Sampling Procedures

Date: July 24, 2010
Location: Eco-Discovery Center, Key West
Time: 12:00PM
Class: Identifying Signs of Human Interaction

Date: July 31, 2010
Location: Marine Mammal Conservancy, Key Largo
Time: 9:30AM
Class: Advanced Transport, Techniques & Protocols

Date: July 31, 2010
Location: Marine Mammal Conservancy, Key Largo
Time: 12:00PM
Class: Basic Necropsy Protocols and Sampling Procedures

Course manuals will be given to each participant (where applicable); please bring a pen to take notes and a $5.00 suggested donation to help us cover the cost of printing course materials.  For more information contact info@marinemammalconservancy.org.  We look forward to seeing you!

Directions:

Marine Mammal Conservancy is located at 102200 Overseas Hwy (MM 102) in Key Largo, take the dirt driveway on the north side of the Concrete AT&T Tower.

Island Dolphin Care is located at 150 Lorelane Place, Key Largo, Fl 33037

When coming into Key Largo from the north you will pass the Holiday Inn on your left, MM 100.  Start slowing down, within a block you will come to an intersection with traffic lights. At this intersection, make a left turn across the highway…go one short block and make your first right hand turn…go another block and make your first left hand turn. This puts you on Ocean Bay Drive. Stay on this street for 7 or 8 blocks until you come to a small bridge. GO OVER the bridge…turn right just after the bridge and Island Dolphin Care is on the corner.

If you are arriving from Key West or south of Key Largo, drive North on US 1 to MM99. Just past MM99 you will see flashing yellow lights over the highway. At the flashing lights, turn right on EAST DRIVE. Go to the first stop sign and turn right on OCEAN BAY DRIVE. Island Dolphin Care is located about 1/3 of a mile ahead – on the right – just AFTER the small bridge.

Eco-Discovery Center is located in the Truman Annex at the end of Southard Street in Key West.

A good example of this is MMC’s recent Mass Stranding Exercise which hosted personnel from the National Marine Fisheries Service, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, The National Park Service, Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission Law Enforcement Officers, the Florida Marine Research Institute, The Florida Aquarium, the Marine Animal Rescue Society, The University of Miami, Humane Society International, Florida Disaster Animal Response Teams, as well as several veterinarians. Over 100 personnel attended the exercise where scenarios included implementation of the Incident Command System, First Response and Advanced Assessment, Transport, euthanasia, human health and safety, Field Site set-up and equipment, temporary enclosures for stabilization and scenarios requiring authorization from higher authority.

We believe that education of the public is the first step in addressing the needs of marine mammals. The focus of our Education Program is to disseminate information about marine mammals, ecological concerns and ongoing efforts in rehabilitation to interested groups and the general public and to strengthen the Stranding Network, which responds to marine mammals in distress.

MMC offers training workshops and classes to volunteers, staff, other organizations, and federal and state agencies.  Through these classes we are able to provide stranded marine mammals better chances for survival in the first critical hours by increasing the number of people capable of responding to their initial and advanced treatment needs.

Our schedule is modified periodically.  We encourage volunteers to take as much training as possible. For more information about these classes, please contact us at info@marinemammalconservancy.org