Dear Bird Rescue Supporters:
I’m sure you are aware, there is an oil spill crisis unfolding in Southern California, as a 125,000 gallon spill is now reaching beaches in Orange County. I am writing to you as I make my way from our Northern California headquarters to our Los Angeles clinic to assist with spill response efforts.
International Bird Rescue has been activated in this multi-agency spill response. This means we are working with and through our partners at the Oiled Wildlife Care Network to help mitigate the impact on wildlife. We have staffers in the field, as well as in our Los Angeles wildlife clinic, working to care for animals affected by the spill.
Responding to wildlife affected by oil spills is what we were born to do. The expertise we have learned through 50 years of caring for wild birds, and the best practices we use at our clinics every day of the year, will be put to work to save wildlife. We are committed to provide all requested wildlife assistance to the authorities. See more: Pipeline P00547 Incident Wildlife Numbers
In a crisis such as this, it is natural to ask, “How can I help?”
1. Stay away from the area, and encourage others to stay away as well. Not only is the oil a hazard to your health, human activity on the beaches will keep animals from coming to the beach. Oiled birds and mammals in distress need to beach themselves to get out of the oily water. Once on the beach, we can rescue them. Please give the animals room to come out of the water by staying away from the beach.
2. Report oiled wildlife. If you see oiled animals don’t try to catch them yourselves. Instead report those sightings immediately via this hotline number: 1-877-823-6926.
3. Stay informed about the incident at https://calspillwatch.wildlife.ca.gov/.
4. Finally, support the work that goes on at Bird Rescue every day. The work we do in our wildlife clinics every day ensures that we have a highly trained team of staff and volunteers at the ready in crises such as this one. Our normal clinic operations, caring for wild birds, do not stop during a spill. Your support for our day to day clinic operations will help us gear up and backfill staffing as we deploy our staff toward spill efforts. Donate here
Thank you for being a supporter of Bird Rescue. Your generosity helps ensure that trained, caring individuals are always at the ready to care for our wildlife – whenever and whatever the need.
Sincerely,
More
We’ve been there before: 1990 American Trader oil spill in Huntington Beach, CA
American Trader Oil Spill Survivor: Brown Pelican Found Alive 19 Years Later