Project "Development of teaching program "Oiled wildlife care after oil pollution accidents in the sea and inland waters" to integrate it in vocational education and lifelong learning" was highly acknowledged by the administrator of Leonardo da Vinci program in Latvia – State Education Development Agency.

Aim of the project was to establish a 15 academic hours training program with theoretical materials and an instructional film, including information on the former experience in the field and the most recent studies, technologies, methods.
The 15 academic hours have been chosen as an optimal amount that can be successfully integrated into the Environmental training course of professional secondary schools, as well as optimally organized as a 2-day training course for improvement of professional skills of the working adults.

The training program "Oiled wildlife care after oil pollution accidents in the sea and inland waters" on a national level is integrated in 2 Latvian Professional Secondary Schools (Smiltene School and Bebrene Professional High School) – within framework of the Veterinary Medicine Environmental studies program.

Content of the teaching program:
- Introduction – general description of the situation, introduction with the training program and the expected results – 1 academic hour – lecture with visual presentation;
- Specifics of the oil pollution in the sea and inland waters, influence of oil on the health of living beings – 1 academic hour – lecture with visual presentation;
- Analysis of global oil leakage catastrophes and actions of the responsible institutions, historical development of rehabilitation procedures – 1 academic hour – lecture with visual presentation;
- Oil pollution threats in the Baltic Sea and the inland waters of Latvia – transfer from neighbouring countries – 1 academic hour – lecture with visual presentation;
- National action mechanism and the responsible institutions – 1 academic hour – lecture with visual presentation;
- Assessment of the emergency conditions and operative readiness, necessary equipment – 2 academic hours – lectures with visual presentation;
- Assessment of the animal condition, identification of species, cases when euthanasia is applied – 3 academic hours – lectures with visual presentation;
- Rescue and treatment of the suffered animals, rehabilitation and return to the natural environment – 2 academic hours with presentation;
- Instructional film, 2 parts, each of the length of 1 academic hour;
- Aptitude test for trainees – 1 academic hour.

State Ltd. "Vides projekti" invites to watch videos, which are included in the training program – www.youtube.com/videsprojekti:
- What is oil?
- How oil affects?
- How oil is collected?
- How oil affects living organisms?
- Washing and drying of oiled birds
- Collecting the oiled birds
- Pollution threat in Latvia
- Cases and consequences of pollution.
Videos were made in “Vides projekti” Film Studio.

Main results of the project:
Teaching program in Latvian and English.
Videos in Latvian, Lithuanian and English.
Training materials in Latvian, Lithuanian and English.
13 presentations in Latvian.
Voluntary register in Latvian.

The action of the responsible institutions in case of an oil leakage in the sea in Latvia is determined by the “National Readiness Plan for Oil Pollution Accidents in the Sea”, the present edition of which does not include any information on actions to be taken for saving the suffering animals, neither it provides professional, coordinated training program for instruction of animal rescuers, nor a register of specialists to involve in case of an accident. This problem is essential not only with respect to accidents in the sea, but also inland waters, especially the River Daugava, where very recently a substantial pollution was stated; however, there is no national action plan for pollution accidents in inland waters. A similar situation is also in the Lithuania.

Additional information: project manager Dace Minikoviča, phone +371 29486798