After a life-changing experience during the 2011 Rena Oil Spill in New Zealand, Tina Hansen finally made her way to California to volunteer at Bird Rescue’s Los Angeles Wildlife Center – reconnecting with the organization that first inspired her.
An Unexpected Spark
Her story began in New Zealand, where what was meant to be a dream trip to watch the Rugby World Cup turned into frontline work during one of the country’s worst environmental disasters. In the early morning hours of October 5, 2011, the MV Rena, a large cargo ship carrying 1,368 containers, struck a reef in New Zealand’s Bay of Plenty, spilling several hundred metric tons of heavy fuel.
With no prior experience handling wildlife, Tina joined Maritime NZ’s clean-up efforts, preparing food for hundreds of affected Little Blue Penguins, holding them during feedings, and taking on “trolley duty” – ferrying the penguins to and from waterproofing pools to make sure they got plenty of daily swim time. To make the job even more fun, the team decorated the wagon with penguin images all over it, like a parade float.
The Rena Spill experience inspired Tina to change her career path. Though she had just earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Kinesiology, she went on to earn advanced diplomas in Forest Technology and Fish & Wildlife Technology, worked in forestry for four years, and completed a Master’s Degree in Environmental Management.
It was also during the spill that she first crossed paths with Michelle Bellizzi, who was responding on behalf of Bird Rescue. Michelle encouraged her to consider an internship. After the response ended, Tina returned home to Ontario, Canada, and for years, the idea remained only a dream. But the spark never faded.
Carrying the Spark Forward
When the timing finally aligned, Tina made that dream a reality and flew to Los Angeles to volunteer at Bird Rescue in February 2025.
While the regular Wildlife Rehabilitation Internship Program is a full-time three-month commitment, staff made a rare exception to adapt the schedule into one intensive month to accommodate her international travel. This ensured she could still gain meaningful, hands-on experience. Interns have gone on to work as Wildlife Rehabilitation Technicians for Bird Rescue, begin veterinary school, and build careers in animal care and conservation.
One of her most gratifying moments was releasing a Great Blue Heron she had helped care for – feeding, cleaning its enclosure, and holding the bird during exams. She also recalled the harder days, working with birds that arrived severely injured and could not be saved.
“But what else is memorable about that day is how well the staff handled themselves and used everything as a learning opportunity,” she said. “I also learned the value of laughter in an environment that can otherwise become really heavy.”
Today, Tina applies the lessons and passion she discovered during the Rena Spill to her work in environmental management. She supports monitoring projects using trail cameras and bioacoustic recorders, conducts bird and turtle surveys, and creates educational materials about species at risk. She also works with local units to prevent human–wildlife conflict, including helping communities reduce attractants that can lead to bear encounters.
Her commitment remains the same as it was 14 years ago: helping individual animals and supporting their ecosystems.