Registration for the Spring Marine Naturalist Training Program, presented by The Whale Museum, is ongoing now.

The program dates are Saturdays, March 29, April 5, 12, 26, and May 3, and 4. The object of this program is to provide a learning experience that assists adult graduates in becoming qualified regionally as professional or volunteer naturalists.

The main focus of the training is the ecology, current status and conservation of Southern Resident Killer Whales and other local marine species as well as discussions about the environments they live in. The course includes presentations on Cetaceans of the Salish Sea by Whale Museum staff, Photo Identification of Orcas by David Ellifrit of the Center for Whale Research, Marine Stewardship by Kathy Fletcher of People for Puget Sound, and a variety of other topics such as seabirds, pinnipeds and intertidal invertebrates. Additional faculty includes professional naturalists, marine scientists, and environmental educators active in the region. Students will also participate in a variety of field trips including Camp Orkila on Orcas Island and Lime Kiln Point State Park on San Juan Island.

They will have the opportunity to assemble a Gray Whale skeleton at The Whale Museum and to practice their naturalist skills on board a tour boat. Tuition is $350 and includes an orca adoption and a Whale Museum membership. There are no prerequisites other than high school graduation and a sincere interest to learn.