A CONSERVATION volunteer flies to America next month to help with research into the effects modern society is having on killer whales.
The marine predator is in decline and scientists are trying to establish if changes in human behaviour could affect the mammal's future.
Retired businessman Stephen Sampson, 55, will leave his home near Scorton, North Yorkshire, to join the Earthwatch project.
He already works with the Swale and Ure Washlands Project, which is helping to establish new wildlife habitats in old quarry workings in North Yorkshire.
"However, the research methods used by the teams studying the killer whales thousands of miles away in America could be of benefit back here and I hope to learn as much as I can during my stay,'' he said.
"I have a long-standing interest and respect for the natural world. To have the opportunity to learn formally from the environmentalists - especially in the context of whales - is most exciting.''
Earthwatch Awards go to over 400 people aged over 50 around the UK, helping them to join international conservation projects.
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