The images are horrible: Birds coated in oil; the beaches are stained with crude and animals are suffering. What can you do?
Here's a couple of sugestions:
- Near the beach or harbor? Keep an eye out for stranded birds.
- If you find one, immediately call: 877-823-6926.
- In the meantime, keep dogs and people away until the birds can be rescued. One of worst issues we have found is the public and free roaming dog walkers scaring tired, oiled birds as they beach themselves. If you can steer people away from these sensitive creatures, you’d be doing a great service.
- Spread the word in your group. You certainly can always help IBRRC with a donation of some sort. Our non-profit work goes beyond oil spills. We co-manage two centers in California and work internationally, as well. IBRRC has responded to over 160 oil spills worldwide. Unfortunately, this won’t be our last.
2 comments:
As one of the many Bay Area residents who wants to help, it's pretty frustrating to be on the sidelines. I do understand the need for having training though.
It's just so hard to watch and to know that the many places I frequent on a regular basis -- the Albany Bulb, Pt. Isabel and Pt. Pinole -- are being affected by this horrible spill. Will those places ever be the same again for the wildlife that lives there?
Sigh. I'll just keep watching the www.owcn.org site...
CJ
I agree with CJ. I live along the Eastshore trail. At noon yesterday, I called owcn about 40+ oiled birds on the beach east of Shimada park, as well as another dozen on the rocks. By 4:30 they were gone, but who knows where? Today there are about 12 on that beach, 6+ along the rocks at the south end of the Marina Bay Yacht Harbor and another 6+ on the breakfront beach.
It's heartbreaking not to be able to help them, especially with owcn's phone line busy. We'll go to the "info" meetings this afternoon, but without training.......It seems "policing" the beaches to keep folks at a distance just doesn't cut it at a time like this. (which, by the way, didn't work yesterday...a dad and 2 teenagers just looked at me like I was nuts.)
LZ
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