Noteworthy

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Alyssa Janilla on the way to work. — Photo courtesy of Alyssa Janilla

First Aid for cats and dogs

Many people on the Cape and Islands own pets, but do they know how to take care of a pet emergency?

The Cape Cod and Islands Chapter of the American Red Cross is holding a Pet First Aid class on Thursday, April 21. The class covers knowledge and skills necessary to recognize and provide basic care to pets for injuries and sudden illnesses. Participants are asked to leave their pets at home.

The class runs from 6 to 9 pm and will be held at the Chapter location at 286 South Street in Hyannis. Cost for the class is $45. Registration is available online at www.cciredcross.org or by calling (508) 775-1540.

Aquarium seeks field volunteers

The New England Aquarium Marine Animal Rescue Department is looking for field-stranding response volunteers on Martha’s Vineyard. Field volunteers act as first responders and data collectors for stranded marine mammals (alive and dead). This is an on-call position and applicants must have access to a car and digital camera to send photos and information efficiently and promptly to the Rescue Department. Please visit www.neaq.org and follow the links to volunteering to view a description of the position and the application. Applications must be submitted by May 1, 2011 to allow for time to conduct phone interviews. The next stranding response training will be help on the island on June 4, 2011. Please contact Kerry McNally at kmcnally@neaq.org if you would like further information.

Polly Hill intern returns

The Polly Hill Arboretum (PHA) is pleased to announce that Alyssa Janilla is their 2011 collections management intern. This nine-month internship will offer Alyssa the opportunity to expand on her growing horticultural career.

A summer intern PHA in 2008, Alyssa will be a familiar face at PHA. She returned to the University of Wisconsin, River Falls, where she received her B.S. in horticulture. She has since completed a horticulture internship at the Smithsonian and has considerable hands-on experience at greenhouse and nursery operations in her native Stillwater, Minn. She plans to attend graduate school in public horticulture.

The collections management internship along with summer internships are integral to the Arboretum’s educational mission and provide each intern with a valuable, professional stepping stone along a path to a career in public horticulture, while also helping the Arboretum to maintain their remarkable landscape.

Holistic vet to visit Island, treat petsAlisa Sneade-Koenig DVM will be on the Vineyard the week of April 17, and she has several appointment spots available for consultations. She has been practicing veterinary acupuncture, Chinese and western herbal medicine, homeopathy, posturalrehabilitation and specific diet for healing for 15 years. She will be hosted by Cynthia Fitzgerald (Living Raw on MV) at the office of Dr. Karon Hill D.C., 31 Pondview Dr., Oak Bluffs. For more information and scheduling, please call Cindy at 508-693-4654.

New seasonal staffer at Felix Neck

Caitlin Borck has joined Mass Audubon at Felix Neck as the new seasonal Coastal Waterbird and Citizen Science Coordinator. She earned her Master’s of Science degree in Biology with an emphasis in Applied Ecology at Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, Kentucky.

Caitlin is excited about playing a role in protecting waterbirds on Martha’s Vineyard with the help of enthusiastic volunteers from the community and educating the public about factors that impact nesting waterbirds. Caitlin will research the activities of plovers, terns, and oystercatchers, horseshoe crabs, odonates, and salamanders and will be coordinating the Citizen Science program at Felix Neck.

Felix Neck’s Citizen Science Program engages community volunteers to work side by side with professional scientists to collect data and monitor the health of wildlife across the Vineyard. For information about volunteering, contact Caitlin at Felix Neck at 508 627-4850, ext. 103, or cborck@massaudubon.org.