Development of an education booklet for Seal Rescue Ireland

• Main Author: Kellam, Anne Parker
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Published: Scholarly Repository 2018
• Subjects: Seal Rescue Ireland (SRI); booklet; grey seals; common seals; Environmental Sciences; Phoca vitulina
• Online Access: https://scholarlyrepository.miami.edu/rsmas_intern_reports/336; https://scholarlyrepository.miami.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1334&context=rsmas_intern_reports

Seal Rescue Ireland (SRI) is the only seal rescue and rehabilitation center in the Republic of Ireland. Therefore, SRI’s research, education, and outreach efforts are critical to driving cultural change and developing conservation-based legislature in this region. However, until now, SRI has lacked educational take home materials for the public to purchase that are a tangible, lasting reminder of information learned during their visit to the center. The booklet produced as a result of this project introduces the compelling science and methodology behind SRI’s responsive conservation efforts, including the rescue, rehabilitation, and release process. Using specific case studies from SRI as ambassadors for a healthy ocean, the booklet shares important conservation messages and suggests simple, behavioral adjustments individuals can make to support global conservation efforts. The booklet includes information regarding the ecology of native, grey (Halichoerus grypus) and common seals (Phoca vitulina), human impact on seals and the marine environment, common threats facing seals, daily care and operational procedures for marine wildlife rehabilitation, and release protocol. The primary goal is to foster environmental awareness among visitors, including a more profound understanding of the effects of their daily behaviors, as well as promote environmental stewardship. The booklet will be sold in SRI’s gift shop, in the hope that visitors will follow and share the important lessons of animal welfare and marine conservation. It may additionally serve as an ongoing project for future SRI interns, as the content and production may change as science and time progress.