The ACS Speakers Bureau, consisting of knowledgeable and articulate scientists, nonprofit managers, chapter leaders, and trained naturalists, provides speakers as a public service to educators, schools, community groups, state and local institutions, government organizations, and professional societies. Primarily based in coastal areas of the U.S., the goal of the Speakers Bureau is to strengthen the identity of and support for ACS and enhance knowledge of cetaceans and their conservation challenges by connecting children and adults with the lives of cetaceans. In addition to delivering a thirty minute presentation, ACS representatives will bring whale artifacts, such as baleen and bones, to enhance the experiential program.
You can help protect cetaceans by educating your family, friends, and colleagues about whales, dolphins, and porpoises and the healthy habitats on which they depend. Consider inviting a knowledgeable ACS speaker to the meeting of a local organization or group in your area, such as Rotary, Lions Club International, Audubon, Sierra, etc.
All ACS speakers are equipped to give two different presentations. One is geared for a general audience, and addresses questions such as:
What is a cetacean?
Why should I be concerned about cetaceans?
What are the most significant threats to cetaceans and their habitats?
What is being done to protect wild cetaceans worldwide?
What can I do to help protect cetaceans and restore habitats on which they depend?
Other presentations are designed by speakers who have expertise in a particular area of marine mammal science, such as small cetaceans, whaling, great whales, entanglement, ship strikes, marine mammal policy, etc.
To locate a speaker in your area or become a member of the Speakers Bureau, please contact ACS Headquarters at: acsoffice@acsonline.org, or 310-548-6279.
© Michael Pliskin