IBRRC is pleased to offer a handful of new day-long wildlife rescue classes, designed by WildRescue’s Rebecca Dmytryk. The first will be offered at IBRRC’s Fairfield, CA bird center on Sunday, December 7, 2008. Others are scheduled for Berkeley, Oakland and Fremont in January and February 2009. Classes in Southern California will also be scheduled soon. See complete list
Participants will be taught successful capture strategies and handling and restraint methods of native species, regulations, re-nesting of young, first aid and stabilization, and disaster response. Completion of this class does not in any way exempt students from local, state, and federal laws governing the capture and possession of oiled or non-oiled wildlife.
Each class is from 8 AM to 5 PM. The classes are only open to those 18 years and older.
More information and sign-up for this training class
This past Saturday, November 7th, response team members Mark Russell, Rebecca Dmytryk and Duane Titus marked the one-year anniversary of the Cosco Busan by teaching a wildlife capture class to a large group of Bay Area citizens. The class, offered by WildRescue, was an overwhelming success, filled with optimism and enthusiasm.
Wildlife rescue is a new and evolving profession. No where else can you find this unique curriculum of skills being taught by those who have been rescuing debilitated wild animals throughout the world for over 37 years. While offering this unique schooling to other wildlife rescue organizations, government agencies, and the public, IBRRC sees this as a means of identifying potential candidates for its response team recruitment campaign – a program funded by a generous grant recently awarded by the San Francisco Foundation Cosco Busan Oil Spill Fund.
In 2009 IBRRC will invite 30 people to participate in a year-long training program to develop the skills they’ll need to join their California based emergency response team. 10 new members will be added to IBRRC oiled wildlife response team and 20 new people will join the rehabilitation team.
Nothing like this has ever been done before. This is a new and exciting step forward in bolstering California’s ability to respond effectively to oiled wildlife.
Download the class flyer