Lindsay Hirt, conservation advocate and M.S. student
“Making Waves in Coastal Conservation,” a new series of talks featuring the voices of up-and-coming experts involved in the conservation and management of natural resources in the coastal areas of Massachusetts will start on February 26th. The first talk, “Getting it Right for the Right Whale,” addresses how new technology is helping captains avoid collisions of their ships with whales and how anyone who spends time on the ocean can help. The speaker, Lindsay Hirt, is an up-and-coming specialist in risk management for whales and dolphins.
Her talk, and all in the series, will be held at the Southeastern Massachusetts Pine Barrens Alliance (SEMPBA) headquarters at 204 Long Pond Road in Plymouth, MA. Doors open for socializing and viewing SEMPBA exhibits at 7 p.m. and talks will run from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Admission is free. Subsequent speakers will present on the fourth Wednesday of each month and will cover new developments in such hot topics as prescribed fire, law enforcement, public input to coastal regulations in the digital age and tracking the flight of coastal birds.
Lindsay, a Plymouth native, is a conservation advocate specializing in risk management for whales and dolphins. She is pursuing a career in marine wildlife conservation, examining local and global issues in wildlife management and human-animal interactions. She holds a B.A. with high honors in marine biology and a B.S. in veterinary biology.
Lindsay spends a significant amount of time on the water in the Gulf of Maine conducting research and public education programs. She is a long-time volunteer with Whale and Dolphin Conservation, the world’s leading international organization dedicated solely to the conservation and preservation of cetaceans. She also volunteers as a first responder to live and dead marine life that has stranded onshore with both the International Fund for Animal Welfare and New England Aquarium.
Currently, Lindsay is earning her M.S. in Emergency Management at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy in Buzzards Bay, applying concepts to both general wildlife management and disaster issues.
Right whale mother and calf. Photo in public domain.
