The Whale Museum is hosting two special events in March: the “Gear Up” workshop for marine naturalists on March 15 followed by a two-day (24 hour) Hazwoper Training on March 16 and 17.

On Friday, March 15, “Gear Up” will be held at the San Juan Island Grange Hall in Friday Harbor from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Doors open at 9:30 a.m. for registration. The theme will be on oil spill response and the Southern Resident Killer Whales. Invited presenters include: Donald Noviello (WDFW Oil Spill Team) on wildlife oil spill response and threat to Southern Resident Killer Whales; Lovel Pratt (Friends of the San Juans) on actions individuals can take and opportunities to advocate for safe shipping and oil spill prevention; Marla Steinhoff and Jason Lehto (NOAA’s Damage Assessment, Remediation, and Restoration Program on assessing and restoring natural resources after oil spills, ship groundings, and hazardous releases; Representatives from Islands Oil Spill Association on IOSA and the current status of this organization. A no-host reception will follow the workshop at Mike’s Café and Wine Bar.

On Saturday and Sunday, March 16 and 17, Shawn Larson of The Whale Museum will lead a hazwoper certification training at the San Juan Island Grange Hall, starting at 8 a.m. each day. Hazwoper stands for “Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response.” The training is covered under OSHA standard 29 CFR Part 1910.120. The 24-hour Hazwoper course is primarily for individuals who will occasionally come in contact with hazardous materials and not be involved in the cleanup operations. This class will have a focus on oiled wildlife response for those interested in participating in oiled wildlife rehabilitation. This type of training covers broad issues regarding cleanup and identification of hazardous materials.

The training is limited to 20 participants. If you are interested in participating, eight hours of online course work is required prior to March 16. You must register for this training by Feb. 15. Lunches during the training will be working lunches so pre-ordered or packed lunches are strongly recommended. For “Gear Up,” the fee is $35 for non-members; $25 for PWWA employees/members, TWM or SSAMN members. For the hazwoper training, the fee is $70 for non-members, $50 for PWWA employees/members, TWM or SSAMN members. Lunch can be pre-ordered for either program at $10 per day. For more information, register www.whalemuseum.org or call (360) 378-4710 ext. 30.