Kenadee's Experience with the BC Cetacean Sightings Network
Project Details
Kenadee's placement with the BC Cetacean Sightings Network involved field research and public outreach.
Project Description
Ocean Wise’s British Columbia Cetacean Sightings Network (BCCSN) and Southern Vancouver Island Cetacean Research Initiative (SVICRI) is a citizen science initiative which collects sightings of cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises) and sea turtles from mariners, recreational boaters, and coastal citizens for conservation-based research, and now maintains an ever-growing database of more than 130,000 sightings records.
Direct Action Ambassadors support the Coordinator of the Southern Vancouver Island Cetacean Research Initiative (SVICRI) in Victoria by helping to promote Ocean Wise research with local community members through a combination of online and in person engagement, hosting public outreach events, educating ocean-goers on the WhaleReport Alert System (WRAS), conducting land-based cetacean surveys on Saturna Island to collect data on harbour porpoise habitat use and vessel presence, and sharing research through online content.
Kenadee’s project involved a couple of different facets that relate to ocean literacy, from on-the-ground work doing public outreach and education about BC’s whales, to field work.
What was your biggest challenge?
Kenadee took on a large research project during her placement, and with the field work and public outreach components of her placement, time constraints proved difficult, as well as the level of support needed. Kenadee did a great job at managing her time to the best of her ability.
What was your most valuable takeaway?
The people Kenadee was able to connect with were very valuable, and she gained lots of practice connecting with people by doing public outreach and education, as well as passive research experience by doing harbour porpoise surveys.
