In partnership with Dr. Jaime Snyder at UW’s Information School, we are drawing up plans for a beached marine mammal guide. That’s right – a new COASST guide is in development!
This project will take place in three phases over the next 3-5 years (beginning 2024), and we are inviting COASSTers to get involved at each stage:
Stage One – Interviews: Dr. Snyder will conduct in-person, one-on-one (or one-on-team) interviews with both new and seasoned COASSTers. The goal of these ~1 hr conversations will be to help her team gain a sense of who COASSTers are, what you know, and how you regard your coastal places. No direct involvement with marine mammals is required because these conversations will be far-ranging and not specific at all to either marine mammals, or the COASST guides.
During this exploratory stage, COASST staff will also be working (in parallel) with our own extensive dataset and local marine mammal stranding network experts to set the stage for Stage Two.
Stage Two – Design Workshops: COASST staff and Dr. Snyder’s team will set up in-person, group workshops where COASSTers can work with us to review different ways of visually conveying key information (like photographs, diagrams or measurements) so that we can co-design prototype materials for the guide. The goals of this stage will be to understand how different people “see” and use different components, so that we can select the most appropriate materials to be included in our test guide.
Stage Three – Prototype Testing: After our development project is complete, COASSTers in regions with more beached marine mammals will be invited to test COASST’s prototype guide and training materials, and submit feedback. The results of this stage will inform the format and contents of the final guide, COASST training materials, and data sheets.
Over the next 3 years we will be writing to invite COASSTers to interviews, workshops and listening sessions in your communities, usually associated with a local training workshop in case you’d like to attend as a refresher. You are invited to participate in more than one stage of our project if you wish, but not required to take part in any stage. Please sign up when we send out invitations to specific interviews or workshops for this project in your area.
We hope to see you there!