Add orca sightings to digital database at The Whale Museum

Submitted by The Whale Museum

The Whale Museum staff is seeking a long-term collections volunteer. The volunteer would be involved in two projects. The first is updating the sightings database, which involves transferring information from printed hard copies to a computer database. The second is tagging historical images. The museum recently digitized images from the early orca surveys. The volunteer will tag the images with keywords enabling the images to be queried and used in orca identification. Staff are looking for someone who will become an expert in the tags and make the project their own.

The volunteer should be comfortable with computers and databases. They should be able to perform repetitive tasks for long periods. Accuracy and attention to detail are essential. The volunteer is needed for at least two weekdays a week, but more hours are welcome. Ideally, the volunteer would be able to volunteer 10 a.m.-4 p.m. both of their days. Staff is flexible on both the specific weekdays and time of volunteering; they can work with you to match your schedule. Staff is looking for someone to start immediately and volunteer through March 2019, or until the projects conclude.

For more information or to express interest, send a resume to Rebekah Cousins at rebekah@whalemuseum.org or contact her at 360-378-4710 ext. 31.

The Whale Museum’s mission is to promote stewardship of whales and the Salish Sea ecosystem through education and research. In addition to providing exhibits, the museum also provides programs including: the Orca Adoption Program, Soundwatch Boater Education, Marine Naturalist Training, San Juan Islands Marine Mammal Stranding Network and the Whale Hotline.