Man alive Jean this all just makes my hair stand up! What really got my goat the other day on Discovery Channel they were talking to a scientist that has a new way of cleaning up the oil and they asked if he’d presented it to the oil company and his response was, “Yes I did and they aren’t interested” he went on to say that they’re sticking with the same things that haven’t worked over the last 40 years. Disgusting! Now imagine this happening in the Arctic under ice when they can’t even handle open waters. I’m infuriated but thank God for places such as yours that tries to do everything they can for these poor innocent animals.

That video of DAWN was great; imagine all these years later it’s still the best.

Boy I sure loved watching the wee Tern you guys had. I hope you get another baby you can do that with where we get to see his graduations and pics and videos. That was the best ever!

Oh wooohoooo while I was posting you added those babies! How cute are they and what a funny story about the feather chasing. I'll be back to look for updates on these guys for sure

Thanks so much Jean and all rescue workers and small world indeed Josephine

I just found this and so very much agree with you!!! do you think they 'throw them in the air" so the bird can go over the crowd of people that may be assembled? I would think that when the bird is restored to health, that allowing it to take off when IT is ready makes more sense..... thanks for the video!!!

Quote by: beans

This is the best eagle release I've seen. Instead of being thrown up in the air, the eagle is allowed to leave the carrier with dignity and grace.

Video: BALD EAGLE RELEASE

of course, there is NEVER a 'good time' for an oil crisis.....however, this one could hardly have come at a worse time!!! migratatory birds on the move, thousands of nesting/breeding/hatching along the coast; seafood industry; resorts on the coast; livelihoods lost etc etc etc..... I have trouble trying to grasp the enormity of all that are affected by the oil. and of course, there are the 11 men that were killed in the explosion!!! it is indeed horrific on so many levels!!!!
it is indeed wonderful to again have people converging on our coast to help......!!!

Quote by: beans

Washing stations in Fort Jackson rescue center

Trained oil spill rescue teams from all over the US are on call. Although only one oiled bird has been picked up so far, they're not waiting around. They are getting ready for a large scale disaster.

It's so sad... all the nesting seabirds in the area will be negatively affected. Wetlands and marshes can't be cleaned up the way beaches and rocks can be cleaned. And then there are the marine mammals and other sea life. I think about the hatching turtles running into a sea filled with oil.

This letter appeared in the SF Chronicle on Saturday, May 15:

The blame starts with us

We are all guilty for the oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. Were it not for our consumptive love affair for oil, maybe, just maybe, the accident might not have occurred.

Congress is also remiss in this disaster for kowtowing to the powerful oil industry and not legislating for fail-safe guards for oil tankers and oil derricks.

Do we really need that leaf blower instead of a rake? Do we really need to speed to the store in our SUV, then drive around the parking lot looking for the parking spot closest to the door? If only - and this is a hard habit for us consumptive Americans to change - we could slow down and ask ourselves, "Is this trip necessary?", maybe we would not have to "drill, baby, drill," and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge could be protected forever.

Nothing is more heartbreaking than to see dying wildlife struggling to stay alive while coated with oil. Think about these images the next time you start up that SUV. Conserve, baby, conserve.

so well said.....Beans.

It is way past time that everyone realize in order to extract energy from the ground/make nuclear plants.....it involved highly dangerous jobs!!! A son was born 2 days ago to one of the widows from this disaster.....the more I hear about the errors leading up to the explosion, the more angry and frustrated I get.

We cannot change what happened, but we can change how we choose to live our lives and take better care of the planet. there are some conservation threads for discussion of various methods if people are interested in starting them up again.

how do YOU save fuel? water?

click

I just received an email from IWRC (International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council). US Fish and Wildlife Service sent the short movie clip, which shows the preparations being made for wildlife care at the Oiled Wildlife Intake Centers and in the field:

Deepwater Oil Spill

click

I just received an email from IWRC (International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council). US Fish and Wildlife Service sent the short movie clip, which shows the preparations being made for wildlife care at the Oiled Wildlife Intake Centers and in the field:

Deepwater Oil Spill

Thanks Beans..... nice to see some images of some of their preparations 2 weeks ago. I would point out that now the oil IS ON THE BEACHES and the birds are suffering.....no doubt all their mobilization and organization will help them work efficiently for the good of the wildlife.
this was posted on a local bird list, in the event any are interested in participatiing in various ways....

LABIRD-L@LISTSERV.LSU.EDU
Sent: Thu, May 27, 2010 2:52:32 PM
Subject: [LABIRD-L] Oiled Bird Monitoring efforts

LAbird,

We have been fortunate to have dedicated volunteers surveying our coastal
areas for oiled birds. American Birding Association (ABA) and the Baton
Rouge Audubon Society have generally offered financial support, through
contributions of their members - 100% of these funds will ultimately be used
to pay for monitoring efforts. This effort, however, is just beginning. We
will continue to monitor coastal areas in Louisiana and our protocol is
being used in Mississippi and Florida and we are working with National
Audubon to start surveying in Texas and Alabama. It will take months and
years to clean this mess up and the effects on our coastal avifauna will
similarly be long-lasting.

If you are interested in volunteering to conduct bird surveys, please
contact me off-list. We ask that you provide your own transportation, be
familiar identifying coastal waterbirds, and can deal with the normal
hazards of field work (walking, heat, bugs, broken glass, etc). For less
experienced birders, we can match you up with more experienced birders until
you feel comfortable to conduct your own surveys. We are not in the
business of handling oiled birds or doing rehabilitation, but instead report
affected wildlife to the appropriate agencies.

ABA has announced the project on their web site and I am starting to receive
emails from around the country of people who want to come to Louisiana and
help survey. I would like to ask if anyone would be willing to occasionally
house some volunteers with limited budgets. If so, please contact me
off-list.

Thanks very much to everyone for their continued support.

Erik Johnson and Jared Wolfe
LA Bird Response Working Group
labirdresponse AT gmail.com