Gulf Coast Oil Spill Update

As you've probably seen/heard on the news, oil began washing up in Louisiana last week. To date, wildlife officials have counted 440 birds affected by the spill - 393 of which are dead and the rest rescued for cleaning and rehabilitation. Rehabilitation centers have been set up along the Coast in the four states where the spill is expected to hit the most - Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama & Florida. There are plentiful experienced/trained rehabbers and supplies at the ready. AWC remains on standby.

We hear your sadness, frustration, and sense of hopelessness at this environmental crisis. We encourage you to turn your energies into action. You can help AWC continue to prepare to respond to the needs of oiled wildlife and all of our ongoing rehabilitation and education efforts in Alabama by donating, becoming a member, or adopting an animal. (Photo above is an oiled Great Blue Heron that was washed, rehabilitated and released early this year by AWC.)

The first two bird Deepwater Horizon spill victims, a Brown Pelican and a Northern Gannet, were successfully treated and released on May 10th. The third, a Green Heron, was treated and released on May 14. See a video of the release.

Baby Bird Shower Brings a Downpour of Generosity!

Peanut Butter, Raisins & TP – Not Your Mother’s Baby Shower List

The Alabama Wildlife Center hosted its first annual “Baby Bird Shower” on Saturday, May 8, 2010 from 11:00AM to 3:00PM. The event attracted over two hundred and fifty guests who enjoyed free carrot cake and lemonade, had guided tours of Treetop Nature Trail (elevated boardwalk in the woods where non-releasable raptors are housed), heard wildlife presentations from AWC Director of Education Sandra Allinson accompanied by Coosa the Barred Owl, had guided tours of what goes on in the Baby Bird Nursery and more.

More than one hundred young visitors played the Feed the Bird bean bag toss game (created by artist and AWC volunteer Mary Stockard), decorated a bird ornament and planted their own sunflower seeds to take home and grow their own bird food.

Between April and September each year, AWC receives up to nine hundred injured and orphaned baby birds. The purpose of the event was to educate the community on the needs of native baby birds and encourage the public to do what they can to help.

And help they did. Not only did AWC receive almost $1,000 in donations and sales of promotional items and handmade treats, guests brought gifts from the AWC wish list for the baby birds. The following is just a taste of the shower gifts received:

* 15 baskets of fresh berries
* 25 pounds of raisins
* 38 pounds of Evo and Iams kitten food
* 70 pounds of creamy peanut butter
* 84 pounds of black oil sunflower seeds
* 106 rolls of paper towels
* 481 pounds of wild bird feed (includes 300 pounds donated by Pet Supplies Plus in Pelham)
* 962 rolls of unscented toilet paper

Many other items from the Baby Bird wish list were also donated. The total estimated value of donated wish list items is about $3,000.

AWC Executive Director Beth Bloomfield said, “It was so sweet to see guests arriving with bags full of the gifts they’d picked out for the baby birds. Many guests even wrapped their gift with a ribbon.” Bloomfield continued, “While we have regular donors and volunteers that support AWC, this event gave the broader community a chance to both learn and take action in support of Alabama’s native wildlife. The generosity of the guests is deeply moving.”

The AWC wish list is still posted online at www.awrc.org, and the need for the listed items will remain high through the end of the baby bird season in September. Wish list donations can be delivered seven days a week from 9:00AM to 5:00PM to the Alabama Wildlife Center, 100 Terrace Drive, Oak Mountain State Park, in Pelham.

Bloomfield says the organization estimates that due to their dramatically increased caseload during the baby bird season, AWC’s food costs are currently running at about fifteen thousand dollars a month. Most of the babies eat half-hourly for twelve to fourteen hours a day. A single baby Red-tailed Hawk will eat ten to twelve mice a day. A Chimney Swift will eat about one hundred and twenty-five mealworms each day. A baby Merganser Duck can eat up to one hundred minnows daily. “Anything the public can give to help Alabama’s injured and orphaned native baby birds is needed right now.”

Donate today!
Find AWC on Facebook for event pix.

Wildlife Efforts Towards the Gulf Coast Oil Spill - What You Can Do NOW

Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research has been asked to oversee the wildlife rehabilitation response along the Gulf Coast and is working closely with many collaborating organizations, including the Alabama Wildlife Center. All response efforts are being coordinated by the Unified Command on-site.

Tri-State has been responding to wildlife involved in oil spills since 1976. Tri-State has a trained, dedicated staff on call 24-hours-a-day to respond to wildlife contaminated by oil spills anywhere in the world. Tri-State is one of only two organizations in the country that can professionally manage a response to a major spill. They are the lead agency and have contacted AWC and asked us to have our staff and volunteers with oiled wildlife experience on standby.

BP has made a solid commitment to Tri-State to cover their costs associated with the response to this incident, including the wildlife aspect. However, please remember that small collaborating agencies like AWC are using their own funds to respond to the fifty-plus calls and emails we're receiving daily, media requests, preparations to respond should we be called to assist, as well as the eventuality that should our experienced staff be called to the Coast, there will be transportation, housing and meal expenses. In addition there will also be the cost of trying to cover the workload back here at AWC while experienced staff is away. All this is also taking place during what is our most demanding season of the year. We are currently operating near capacity in our rehabilitation clinic.

We are hearing that wildlife supporters are feeling frustrated by the fact that they are not being put into action. Please know that even the most experienced wildlife rehabilitators are also in a holding pattern. We encourage you to channel your concerns and frustrations into the actions that are available at this time:

1. Fundraise/Donate - Take action to help wildlife agencies to absorb their increased expenses related to the spill. Most of us operate hand-to-mouth, and few have contingency funds for disasters like this. We anticipate that if somewhere down the road there is reimbursement for some expenses from BP, they won't likely cover the expense of responding to the public's requests for information (very time-consuming), our efforts to organize and prepare for our potential call to serve on the Coast, and the cost of covering for our absent staff and volunteers who may be called to help on the Coast. You can donate online at awrc.org.

2. Volunteer Now - Help your favorite wildlife agency now. In addition to being in the midst of our most demanding season of the year, we are all experiencing a greatly increased workload simply responding to folks who are contacting us for information. You can help us to organize and be prepared to mobilize when the call to serve arrives. You can also begin training to help us fill in the gaps once our experienced staff and volunteers are called to the Coast. To volunteer at AWC, email bbloomfield@awrc.org. To begin training as an Animal Care volunteer, register online for the Sunday, June 6 orientation from 1-4pm.

3. Experienced Rehabbers Register - A Paraprofessional Coordinator (PPC) has been assigned to compile a list and organize scheduling of potential responders providing the information requested below. Paraprofessionals located within the states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida and Texas will have first preference in scheduling and will be scheduled for efforts located within their home state. If you are located outside of these states and are interested in providing wildlife assistance, please submit the same requested information. All responders will be contacted by the PPC when their assistance is needed.

You must include your name, address including city and state, phone number (prefer cell phone and alternate numbers), email address, if you have prior oil spill experience, and how far you can travel, as well as:
a. If you are a Rehabilitator with at least 6 months of experience;
b. What species you have experience with, i.e. wading birds, raptors, pelagic seabirds, waterfowl, etc. It would also be beneficial to know if you are a veterinarian or an avian veterinarian, a veterinary technician, or a well-seasoned rehabilitator;
c. If you have a minimum of 4 hours of HAZCOM certification;
d. If you have Rabies pre-exposure shots;
e. Your availability. (This can be a rough estimate by identifying dates available.)

Experienced Rehabbers should direct inquires or any calls about your interest in providing wildlife assistance to fw4ppc@fws.gov or to 404/679-7049.

A paraprofessional is defined as individuals that:

Either possess, or work directly under a person possessing, an active permit or authorization related to the species to be worked on;

Are affiliated with a wildlife organization working within the Wildlife Branch of the Incident Command Structure (ICS), or is a staff member of a wildlife Trustee agency;

Agree to work under, and abide by, appropriate planning documents prepared by the Unified Command (such as Site Safety Plan, Incident Action Plan, public affairs requirement, etc.) and

Have a working knowledge and experience (at least 3 months) with the general protocol, procedures and safety hazards associated with working on the species of question.

Anyone who does not qualify as a paraprofessional and is still interested in volunteering may register at Gulf of Mexico-Deepwater Horizon Incident Volunteer Request Info.


Please avoid going to affected areas or handling wildlife until you are part of a coordinated response effort. Thank you in advance for your assistance and for your willingness to help America's wildlife.

Sincerely,
Beth Bloomfield, Executive Director
Alabama Wildlife Center
205-663-7930 Ext. 5
bbloomfield@awrc.org

Update on Gulf Coast Oil Spill

Here's the current situation regarding wildlife and the Gulf Coast Oil Spill.

The first oiled bird was found off-shore in Louisiana Friday morning. As of 3:00PM on 5/1/10, there are no new reports of any additional oiled wildlife discoveries. The Alabama Wildlife Center is coordinating with agencies already on the ground at the Gulf Coast. We are currently on standby.

The first most likely scenario is that AWC will be asked to send our staff and volunteers that have experience cleaning oiled wildlife to work at cleaning stations on the Gulf Coast. At that point, AWC will need additional trained animal care volunteers to fill in to care for wildlife in our Clinic. Even during times of crisis, the need remains strong right here at home.

If at some point there are more oil-affected animals than can be treated by cleaning stations on the Gulf Coast, AWC may be called to transport wildlife here for care. If that happens, there will be a need for transport drivers and volunteers to train as oiled wildlife cleaners, as well as a need for donated supplies. In this situation, we would publish the list of specific supplies needed and schedule volunteer training sessions.

We'd like to reiterate that it's still a waiting game at this point. There will likely be a need for help, but right now the situation is still unfolding. No direct service is needed at this time. In the mean time, there are five steps that community members can take to help:

1. Get on the AWC Help with Gulf Coast contact list. Email wildlife@awrc.org with your name and the words "Help with gulf Coast" in the subject line. Any friends and family that might not have email should call AWC at 205-663-7930 Ext. 3 and leave name and telephone number with area code. We will contact you only when there is specific action needed.

2. Find AWC on Facebook for news and information updates - and share our page with your Facebook friends. You can also continue to check this blog.

3. Become an Animal Care volunteer. Our next Orientation is this Sunday, May 2 from 1-4pm. You can register online from a link on our homepage. Or you can simply arrive early for the orientation to complete your registration in person. There is a $10 fee.

4. Donate to AWC so that we can help where help is most needed. You can donate online at awrc.org, or send your check payable to Alabama Wildlife Center to 100 Terrace Drive, Pelham, AL 35124. We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and donations are tax-deductible.

5. If you or someone you know encounters oiled wildlife on the Gulf Coast, call the toll-free Oiled Wildlife Hotline at 1-866-557-1401. For any other Alabama wildlife in need unrelated to the Gulf Coast oil spill, you should still contact the Alabama Wildlife Center at 205-663-7930 Ext. 2.

We anticipate that the need for help with wildlife affected by the Gulf Coast oil spill will be great and long-lasting. While the situation is receiving a lot of media attention right now, we are urging people to remember that the greatest need will be down the road, and may last for some time. We encourage everyone to put their concern into the actions that are available at this time, and to standby for further instruction. We appreciate the many calls and emails we've received from community members that want to help. Your help will be needed. Thank you.