Hello from Seattle!

Hello from Seattle!

Training is going really well here in Seattle. The first few days we attended SMART training (Shipboard Manager’s Administration and Refresher Training); encompassing Rules and Regulations, Logistics for our Departments Performance, Budgets, Leadership and Safety. The subjects were a bit dry but our trainers made it enjoyable.

The following week was ELU (Exploration Leader University). This was an opportunity to get to know each other, go over job specific tasks, brainstorm and practice before having guests on board. Again, some of the paperwork and administration tasks were pretty tough to get through but field trips including a trip to the Seattle Aquarium made it fun.

On Monday, the crew of the Endeavour comes in. We will begin vessel specific training for the next three weeks. This is a great time for the crew to get to know each other and bond…we will be like a small family for the Alaska season.

Last night a group of us went to the U2 3D Imax movie; if you get a chance and you like U2, go see it. Another exciting adventure was going to McCormick’s on Lake Union for happy hour, which begins at 10:00pm. This restaurant sits next to the Marina and we could watch the boats and see the lights of Capitol Hill; beautiful. I got a bowl of Mussels for $1.95; can’t do this in Colorado.

Enjoy! Dee

Back to Seattle

Dee headed back to Seattle this week for a month of training with Cruise West. "It was great to see old friends from last season and exciting to meet new ones. I love being back on the water and the ship life."
For the next four weeks she will be studying and testing for certifications in Crowd Control, Crisis Management, Small Craft Rescue, First Aid, CPR and Marine Safety before heading back to the Inside Passage of Alaska in May.

F is for Flap and You can Help

FLAP stands for Fatal Light Awareness Program. This program is drawing attention to hazards posed to birds by brightly lit buildings and other structures. This problem is particularly acute during migration when millions of birds move from nesting areas to overwintering sites.
Birds have been finely tuned by generations of migration to navigate by the moon and stars. The glow produced by brightly lit buildings and cities can disorient migrants. Artificial lights might attract birds into urban areas, where they can become exhausted by flitting about the lights or end up colliding with a building. Millions of birds die in collisions every year. As a result of educational campaigns by caring citizens such as yourself, more cities are adopting measures to reduce or eliminate lighting during peak migration periods.
In many cases, this is just a few weeks each spring and fall. It might result in considerable energy savings for the building owners.
The key, of course, is education. Visit the FLAP website for its easy-to-understand educational materials. Consider sharing these with building managers at local facilities. A letter to the newspaper editor might catch the attention of important landlords in your area.
No one wants to find dead birds on the sidewalk after a big night of migration. The simple act of dousing a light could be the most important action that you take for the birds this year.
Wildbird Magazine, March/April 2008