Five members of team at International Bird Rescue attended Oilapalooza, the Oiled Wildlife Care Network’s (OWCN) biennial spill response conference, in Bakersfield, CA on October 23 and 24, taking part in a valuable opportunity to both teach and learn.
Our team participated in two panels that took place on Day 1. Dr. Rebecca Duerr, Director of Research and Veterinary Science, discussed protocols for managing Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza AKA bird flu, sharing critical insights to help protect both birds and responders.
Additionally, Lisbeth Montenegro, Wildlife Rehabilitation Technician, moderated a panel focused on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) in wildlife rehabilitation. Jennifer Martines, Wildlife Rehabilitation Technician, contributed as a panelist, highlighting the importance of inclusive practices in our field. To learn more and read the abstracts from the sessions, click here.
“DEIA conversations are important to creating an environment where people feel respected and accepted despite their different lived experiences.” Lisbeth said. “It was great to see the audience ask questions that focused on how to make positive changes.”
Oilapalooza is designed to provide OWCN network attendees with opportunities to meet and share experiences with other members, learn about new technologies, enhance individual wildlife response skillsets, and apply those skills during the Full Deployment Drill on Day 2.
Bird Rescue is one of the founding members of OWCN, an organization that was established in partnership with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife – Office of Spill Prevention and Response (OSPR). The network was formed as a reaction to the devastating 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill in Prince William Sound, Alaska and the 1990 American Trader spill in Huntington Beach, CA.