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News Release RI Department of Environmental Management 235 Promenade Street, Providence, RI 02908 (401) 222-2771 TDD/(401) 222-4462
AUGUST 23 WORKSHOP WILL PROVIDE VOLUNTEERS WITH FREE HANDS-ON TRAINING ON CARING FOR WILDLIFE INJURED IN OIL SPILLS PROVIDENCE -The Department of Environmental Management is encouraging volunteers interested in helping wildlife injured in oil spills to participate in a free, hands-on training session scheduled for Saturday, August 23 at the University of Rhode Island. The program is sponsored by the Rhode Island Disaster Animal Response Team (RIDART), with support from DEM and URI.Training will be provided by Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research, one of the leading agencies of its kind in the US. The program will focus on care for injured wildlife, especially birds, and will train volunteers to assist in wildlife rehabilitation efforts should the state suffer another major oil spill in the future. The day-long program will feature classroom instruction on the effects of oil on wildlife, initiating a wildlife response, field concerns and retrieval, special considerations in treating oiled wildlife, husbandry, case history, and a question and answer session. Hands-on laboratory sessions on medical care and cleaning will also be held as part of the training program. The program will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Greenhouse 123, which is part of the greenhouse complex at the intersection of Greenhouse Road and Flagg Road on the URI Campus in Kingston. Space is limited, and advance registration is required. Interested individuals may request registration via RIDART's website, www.RIDART.org, by filling out the "Contact Us" section at the bottom of the homepage. Additional information is available by calling Richard Horwitz in DEM's Division of Agriculture at 222-4700, ext 2411. RIDART is a public/private/volunteer partnership to prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies affecting animals in Rhode Island. Those animals include large and small domestic animals as well as wildlife. The emergencies they could face range from storms or floods to fires and oil spills. The response team is composed of volunteers who work under the direction of DEM's state veterinarian. Training emphasizes safe handling of animals, pet first aid, effective rescuing, sheltering, and reuniting pets with their owners. -30- |
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