Surveying for days and days and days …

image_11One of my main projects with Root Solutions this summer has been with none other than … (drum roll please) … The Marine Mammal Center!! Never would have guessed right? 🙂

 

In order to determine exactly which behavior change tools would be the most effective at TMMC myself and several of my fellow interns had the privilege to spend 7 days surveying the public and talking to the incredible volunteers who keep the place running.

image_4Each morning we would arrive at TMMC around 10am, set up our survey table, and ask people about their experience as they left the center until about 4pm. The purpose of this survey was to determine whether or not the messages about using less plastic and consuming sustainable seafood, which the volunteers at TMMC are working so hard to convey to the public, are being properly received by the visitors to the center.

It was such an incredible experience to spend a week at the Marine Mammal Center. Besides it being a place of impeccable beauty I had such fun time talking to the different visitors – many of whom were on vacation from other countries! Prior to coming to MIIS for grad school I was teaching environmental education to kids, so I was in heaven talking to the kids about how cool the baby elephant seals were, or how similar our human bodies are to a seal’s body because we are all mammals!
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I was lucky enough to have some of the most amazing co-workers on the planet, and together we got a total of 135 survey respondents! Sheer excitement can’t begin to describe what I felt the day I did the final count of the surveys in the office after we were all done 🙂

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Another HUGE thank you to all of my co-workers/BFF’s at Root Solutions who helped me make this summer project a huge success!! I had the best time getting to spend the whole day with each of you outside of the office and I truly thank you all for making my whole summer fellowship so incredible!

We’ve done the data analysis and are nearly done preparing the final report that will be given to the Marine Mammal Center. I can’t wait to share the result with everyone! So far … it looks AMAZING!!! 🙂

A Day At The Marine Mammal Center

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A day spent at the Marine Mammal Center in Marin, CA is always an amazing day. My organization, Root Solutions is working with the Marine Mammal Center to help them spread the message about the dangers of marine debris, and the negative effect it is having on all sea creatures, specifically marine mammals. So in order to better understand what this project is going to look like and how Root Solutions can help, a group of us were lucky enough to spend the morning being VIP’s at the Marine Mammal Center with our fantastic guide Adam.

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