A Skyline College professor has coordinated a silent auction to support the American Cetacean Society. Biology professor Shari Snitovsky, who is the coordinator as well as the chapter president of the American Cetacean Society, said she established the San Francisco Bay Chapter in 1999; examples of items that were auctioned were books, jewelry, weekend get-aways, gift certificates, and art work. Money from the auction will go to funding ACS activities. Snitovsky has been amazed by marine life since she was a child growing up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Snitovsky loved watching astonishing feats of the animals on TV and in aquariumsThe ACS is the oldest whale conservation society in the country but had no San Francisco chapter until Snitovsky established one. She thought that San Francisco would be a great place to reach out to people that is not for the most part into conservation of the environment.According to the ACS’ official website (http://www.acs-sfbay.org/), the organization is “dedicated to protecting whales, dolphins and porpoises though education, research and conservation.”Activities of the ACS include education programs, giving out two $1000 research grants every year, and renting space for volunteer guest speakers such as Pieter A. Folkens, writer and expert on marine life, to give guest lectures for the ACS. Money from the auction will also be put into funding the new anti-litter program from the ACS “make a splash pickup trash.””We would love to have volunteers,” Snitovsky said “Whales dolphins and porpoises are still in danger due to fishing practices pollution and whaling.” Last year 90 percent of the volunteers for the auction were students from Skyline College. Students are welcome to help anyway they can by setting up displays to creating works of art like last years honors biology student volunteers that created a large papier-mâché killer whale that is now displayed in a elementary school.Current and former Skyline students are serving as board members of the local ACS chapter such as Anne-Maria Henkes and Rachael Mannick. Snitovsky has no current plan to step down as chapter president, but when she does she will assume the board position of Past President were she would act in an advisory role to make the transition of power and responsibility a smooth process.