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| WildCare Wildlife Technician Stephanie Helbig left for the Gulf on 7/14/10. |
Longtime WildCare volunteer Arlene Davis just returned from a three-week stint washing birds. Photo from LA Dept. of Fish and Game |
WildCare Helping Oiled Wildlife in the Gulf
It's hard to handle a pelican. It's even harder to handle an oiled pelican. Now imagine handling an oiled pelican while wearing a plastic Tyvek suit in 100 degree weather...
This is volunteering to clean wildlife oiled in the Deepwater Horizon disaster.
WildCare staff and volunteers have responded to the need for experienced wildlife handlers in the Gulf. Long-time volunteer Arlene Davis and WildCare Wildlife Technician Stephanie Helbig have recently returned. Two other WildCare representatives are currently in Louisiana, working grueling 12-hour shifts for three-week stints, and more are on the way.
WildCare thinks and acts locally and globally; our experience in the 2007 Cosco Busan spill (we treated 20% or nearly 600 of the birds affected) and 2009 Dubai Star (WildCare was named primary responder) oil spills in San Francisco Bay will inform our work at Deepwater. And when, not if, the Bay Area experiences another oil spill, we will have learned from Deepwater Horizon too.
Preparedness for oil spills is critical, and WildCare, as a principal member of the Oiled Wildlife Care Network (OWCN), brings valuable skills and resources to oiled wildlife disasters.
Arlene Davis who just returned from her three-week stint at the Gulf says her heart went out to the desperate oiled birds arriving hourly at the washing stations. But she says "it was great to see the birds after they had been washed recovering, eating and preening. It is so good to be able to help."
Volunteers
As of June 9, spill oversight agencies are NOT accepting any volunteers unless they are already HAZMAT trained and certified, and even those first responders are still on stand-by. Currently there are no training/certification classes available as all instructors are responding to the spill.
There may be other volunteer opportunities in the near future, so if people are interested they can call the BP Community Support Team Hotline at 1-866-448-5816. We called the number to see what happened, however, and the person to whom we spoke had no idea if there are or would be any opportunities, and was just compiling a database.
If you want to be able to provide hands-on assistance to wildlife in a spill or other disaster, you must be trained and certified before disaster strikes. Volunteering at centers such as WildCare and taking the appropriate classes are the best ways to do that. We encourage people to sign up for our next volunteer orientation and check back to this page for the latest info on the spill.
Click to visit the website of the lead agency working on the spill, Tri-state Bird Rescue. They are accepting donations to continue their work in the Gulf. The veterinarian from Tri-State heading up the spill efforts is Erica Miller who sits on the OWCN Advisory Board with WildCare's Executive Director Karen Wilson. A donation to WildCare will help us also continue to be prepared to respond to wildlife emergencies.
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As oil continues to pump from the BP well in the Gulf of Mexico and spread toward the Louisiana coastline, the Oiled Wildlife Care Network, of which WildCare is a primary member, is advising officials on the scene.
WildCare has several volunteers and staff members trained in advanced oil spill response and HAZWOPER protocols who are standing by to fly to Louisiana if needed.
Check back for updates on WildCare's response to this horrific disaster.
Read more at the OWCN blog.
Volunteer Opportunities
Volunteers are now being recruited on a state-by-state basis and updated on the Deepwater Horizon Facebook page. BP is also coordinating and deploying thousands of volunteers who are offering their help. To obtain volunteer information, please call 866-448-5816. To report an oiled animal, please call OWCN at 800-557-1401 and leave a message. Messages will be checked hourly.
The best way to be prepared for an oil spill or other wildlife disaster is to have your training and certifications before disaster strikes. Volunteering at a wildlife hospital like WildCare is the best way to get started! Visit our Volunteer Page.
Workers clean the beach of debris as it is prepared for possible contamination from the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico on May 3, 2010 in Pass Christian, Mississippi.
Alarming photos of dead sea turtles washed ashore—as well as satellite images of an ever-spreading oil slick—demonstrate that a serious ordeal is ahead for the Gulf Coast. The April 20 explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig caused a spill that has spread more than 130 miles so far. The spill has reached land in Louisiana, and is expected to reach Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. If it continues, it will surpass the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill as the worst in history. Here's how you can help:
1. Want to lend a hand? Affected states allow you to register to volunteer online. Louisiana and Florida volunteers can register online, or Gulf Coast volunteers can call 1-866-448-5816. Oil Spill Volunteers is another registration site that matches up those willing to assist with the groups that need their help. Volunteer opportunities run the gamut from wildlife sitter to administrative support, so any and all help is appreciated.
2. Florida is calling on untrained volunteers to pick up trash on its beaches to minimize the impact of the spill once it hits land. Volunteers are asked to leave natural debris in place, though, as it provides shelter for birds and other animals. If you'd like to help out with areas where oil has already washed ashore, it is recommended that you contact a local group to be trained in how to handle oil-covered materials.
3. If you're in the Gulf Coast area and see a distressed animal, do not try to assist it on your own. Injured animals can be defensive and may try to bite you—also, crude oil can be harmful when it comes in contact with human skin. A hotline has been established for injured and dead animal sightings. Call 1-866-557-1401 to leave a message with the animal's precise location. iPhone users in the Gulf can download the Noah project's app to document distressed animals and the spill's impact on wildlife. Learn more about Noah here.
4. Two specialized opportunities to help are available for qualified professionals. BP has called upon fishermen and boaters in the Gulf area to participate in their "Vessels of Opportunity" program. Those with eligible vessels will be compensated for their use in cleanup efforts. For more information, call 281-366-5511. In addition, the EPA has called upon engineers and experts to submit alternative cleanup solutions via this form.
5. However, if you're not already living in the area, it is not recommended that you travel to the Gulf Coast to assist. OilSpillVolunteers.com and other organizations stress that your help would be more appreciated in the form of a donation. The National Wildlife Federation, Alabama Coastal Foundation, and Save our Seabirds are among the many organizations accepting donations for coastal relief.
6. Dishwashing detergent is used to clean oil off of birds and animals, and Dawn is pitching in to help. Purchase a bottle of Dawn and $1 will go towards the Marine Mammal Center and the International Bird Rescue Research Center. Please note that you must go online to activate this donation—it's not automatic with your purchase.
7. Own a salon or pet grooming business? Hair collects oil, so the group Matter of Trust is taking donations of hair and nylons. For more information, visit their website or call 415-242-6041.
8. For those inclined to send a political message about the need to restore the Gulf Coast, the National Wildlife Federation has created this form letter you can send to President Obama. Those in favor of halting all ocean drilling can use this form letter from the Sierra Club.
9. The Audubon Society, protecting American birds and their habitats for more than 100 years, has launched a response to the crisis. They'll be organizing volunteers for wildlife rescue and beach clean-up, as well as researching the effects of the spill on habitats in the weeks and months following its landfall. If you'd like to volunteer for the Audubon Society, you can fill out this volunteer form. If you'd like to donate money to aid relief efforts, you can use this site.
10. For up-to-date news on volunteer and relief efforts, several Twitter users have aggregated the best sources of oil spill tweets into lists. Follow Crisis Camp's list, Crisis Mappers' list, or the hashtag #oilspill. Two good individual accounts to follow are EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, and BP_America
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