DEM HOSTING INTERNATIONAL GROUP'S WILDLIFE REHABILITATION COURSE
Course is a Prerequisite to Becoming Wildife Rehabilitator in Rhode Island

PROVIDENCE- The Department of Environmental Management's Division of Fish and Wildlife is offering the eighth annual International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council basic skills course at the University of Rhode Island on October 8 and 9. The challenging 15-hour course is a prerequisite to becoming a wildlife rehabilitator in Rhode Island and is designed for people seriously interested in the field.

Although the registration deadline is not until September 9, it is being advertised internationally via the Internet, and registrants are strongly urged to sign up early to reserve a spot and to study ahead of time for the course. Participants must read the class manual and complete the assigned homework before the class begins. The class itself involves both classroom and laboratory sessions, and an exam will be given at the end of the course.

People can register by calling the International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council for the Kingston IAB Basic Skills Seminar at (408) 271-2685 weekdays, Pacific Time; faxing them at (408) 271-9285; or contacting them online at http://www.iwrc-online.org. Questions may be e-mailed to info@iwrc-online.org. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis and will not be accepted after September 9. The cost of the course is $120 for Council members and $140 for non-members.

The Council has been conducting the basic skills course throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, and, most recently, Greece, since 1983. The Council also serves the rehabilitation community with advanced courses, conferences, and educational material.

For more information about the course, contact Lori Gibson, supervising wildlife biologist at DEM, at 789-0281 weekdays.