10 Ways to Help Oiled Wildlife Now

1.  Give us your contact info. Email wildlife@awrc.org with your name and “Help with Gulf Coast” in the subject line. We will contact you only once there are specific opportunities to help in Alabama.

2.  Find us on Facebook for news and information updates. Keep informed and spread the word to friends and family on how they can help.

3.  Become an Animal Care volunteer. Our next scheduled monthly orientations are both on Sundays – July 11 and August 1 from 1-4pm. You can register online or simply arrive a bit early to complete registration. There is a $10 fee if you are not an AWC member. If you want to get started even sooner, email us at wildlife@awrc.org or call 205-663-7930, Ext. 5. More volunteers here at our headquarters during our busiest time of year will mean that when the AWC Oiled Wildlife Rehabilitation Team is called to the Coast, there will be enough help at headquarters for them to go.

4.  Donate to AWC so that we can help where help is most needed. You can donate online at awrc.org or send a check payable to AWC to 100 Terrace Dr, Pelham AL 35124. You can even designate your donation for the AWC Wildlife Emergency Fund to help with our expenses to prepare for and respond to this and future Alabama wildlife emergencies.

5.  Hold your own fundraising event to support the Alabama Wildlife Center or other agencies involved with assisting wildlife affected by the oil spill. Just a few ideas for fundraisers include:

•  Email - Send a short, heartfelt email to your friends and family, asking them to support AWC and explaining why you’re a fan of ours.
• Basics - There’s a reason why bake sales and charity dinner parties have been going strong for decades – they’re effective! Evite even offers online invitations for fundraisers and bake sales.
• Celebrations - In lieu of a gift for your birthday, graduation, wedding, or anniversary, ask family or friends to make a donation.
• Benefits - Are you friendly with a local restaurant or bar owner? How about a local band? Why not suggest a night in which all profits come to AWC?
• Clean Out Your Attic/Garage/Closet - Sell your unneeded items and donate the proceeds for a good cause through eBay's charitable auction site (AWC is a registered charity there!) Or sell your stuff on Craigslist or hold a yard sale and send us a check.
• Business Promo - If you own your own business, why not run a promotion donating a portion of proceeds to us?
• Get the Kids Involved - Your children may want to hold their own fundraiser – a good old-fashioned lemonade stand, helping neighbors by mowing lawns or washing dogs, etc.
• Don’t feel obligated to choose one of these options. Some of the most wonderful fundraisers are ideas that we never could have come up with ourselves!

 6.  If you encounter oiled wildlife on the Gulf Coast, call the Oiled Wildlife Hotline at 1-866-557-1401.

7.  If you have a flexible schedule and think you might like to head to the Gulf Coast to assist if needed, you should contact one of the organizations listed below to assist in coordinated environmental clean-up activities, which assists our wildlife. (Only trained and qualified oiled wildlife paraprofessionals can help clean animals). Contact information should include Name, Address, Phone, and Email. Response time may be slow as they are being inundated.

• Alabama Coastal Foundation 251-990-6002 Info@joinacf.org
• Mobile Bay Nat’l Estuary Prg 251-431-6409 mbnep@mobilebaynep.com
• Mobile Baykeeper 251-433-4229 callaway@mobilebaykeeper.org

8.  Many employers offer matching funds programs that will turn $20 into $40 or $500 into $1,000. Inquire with your HR department to see about getting your gift matched.

9.  At this time, the Unified Command for the response efforts on the Gulf Coast is NOT asking for donations of supplies. Please do not spend your resources collecting Dawn dish detergent, Pepto Bismol, latex gloves, or other items you might think are needed. BP is paying for supplies at the coastal rehab facilities. Tell your friends!

10.  Donate needed wish list items to AWC so that our limited operating funds are less depleted and we'll have more to help at the Gulf Coast when we're called. Deliveries can be made 7 days a week from 9am to 5pm.


Thank you! Still have questions, or suggestions? Contact AWC at wildlife@awrc.org or call 205-663-7930.

What to Do if You Encounter Oiled Wildlife

As those of you following the situation along the Gulf Coast may already know, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research and International Bird Rescue Research Center are the three agencies working together to lead the efforts to help wildlife affected by the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. The Alabama Wildlife Center supports their dedication and efforts to meet the needs of contaminated wildlife. They are the United State’s leading experts in rehabilitating oiled wildlife.

We would like to remind everyone of the proper course of action to follow if you encounter oiled wildlife along the Gulf:

1. Immediately call the Oiled Wildlife Hotline at 1-866-557-1401 and give the animal's precise location. The hotline representative will then forward the information to the nearest trained personnel to respond. Please be patient as the response time is not immediate.

2. Do not attempt to capture or handle the contaminated animal. Improper handling of oiled wildlife can result in injury to the animal or to you. The defensive behavior of an injured animal can result in injuries to you and/or the animal, and crude oil can be harmful when it comes in contact with human skin.

3. Stay away from the animal. An oiled animal is severely stressed. Loud noises, sudden movements, flash cameras and groups of onlookers will only add to the severe stress the animal is already experiencing. Adding stress to an injured wild animal creates an even more life-threatening situation.

A contaminated animal has likely ingested some oil, which can damage vital organs and is potentially life-threatening. Oiled wildlife should receive a thorough examination, medical treatment and should be stabilized by an experienced professional. In some cases, stabilization may require several days of intensive care before the wash process can even take place.

Washing an oiled animal is a very precise procedure and requires an experienced team to be successful. There are many factors to take into consideration prior to, during and after the wash to ensure success with the least amount of stress to the animal. Proper water temperature, dilution of cleaning agent, handling and washing techniques, post-wash care, housing, waterproofing and reconditioning are among the many variables that can make the difference between life and death for oiled wildlife.

Gulf Coast states are so fortunate to have professional and experienced organizations such as USFWS, Tri-State and IBRRC coordinating efforts to assist oiled wildlife during this unfortunate crisis. When and if additional help is needed, paraprofessionals such as AWC staff and volunteers may be called upon.

If you would like to help, you can sign up for AWC’s Help with Gulf Coast Oil Spill contact list by sending an email to wildlife@awrc.org with “Help with Gulf Coast” in the subject line.

You can support AWC’s efforts to assist with wildlife affected by the oil spill and other Alabama wildlife in need bymaking a donation online today. (The picture above is an oiled Great Horned Owl washed at AWC earlier this year.)