I am so horrified over the tragic damage to come to our wildlife from this spill and want to volunteer to help cleanup the birds, wildlife ,whatever when the need arrises. If anyone knows where I can assist locally here in FL. please let me know. Thankyou
Cheryl, I think one of the best things we can do as nature photographers is to document the incident with photos. It is the message we send through photography that will influence society to make the necessary changes to help avoid such disasters in the future.
Speaking from experience I'd rather not have, there will be need for lots of hands, both trained and amateur. I'd check with Audubon and other established bird rescue programs in your area. I'm betting they have contacts that can help.
But know this: The simple act of sleeping and eating is going to be a burden on services in the affected areas. The more self-sufficient you can be, the better for the overall effort.
And I agree with Jim on the photography. I can guarantee that after the fact everyone will wish there had been more and better photographs. Your long term contributions may have lots more impact bringing your experience and camera gear to bear, rather than rubber gloves and dish soap. They can train anyone to clean birds, but meaningful documentation is not something volunteers can learn in an hour. Speaking first hand, when you're on scene, unless you're designated as a photographer with that task front and center, you'll be swept up in others. In the year we dealt with Exxon's fiasco, I shot exactly one roll of film and I didn't do that well. My bad, but I was rather distracted.
Good luck there guys, I really feel for you. Can't see it not getting to the beaches but I hope there's some way it can be prevented from getting further inland. What a nightmare.
Your greatest contribution will be documenting this human and environmental tragedy. Take thousands of business cards and give one to everyone you shoot so that they can find you when the need arises. The need will arise when litigations begin, insurance claims are filed, and compensation cases are decided. Resort owners will benefit. Fisheries industry will benefit. Potentially, you could benefit.
Housing might be an issue until FEMA gets off its ass and brings in trailers to house the thousands of volunteers about to descend on the gulf. If you have access to a camper trailer, RV, or nice tent, bring it along.
From a more pragmatic perspective, tragedies like this attract weirdoes. Bring some form of personal protection, whatever you are comfortable with, especially if you find yourself staying in one of the less secure abodes.
This is a real tragedy.
I'm a long way away and can't leave my very ill mother, but anyone who can go to help from the West Coast can borrow my 23 ft fully self-contained motorhome for weeks or months. It can comfortably sleep 3-4.
Maybe, just maybe volunteers should not flood the area until requested? If there is no structure in place to effectively use volunteers it could be more of a problem than a help. Also, shouldn't BP be hiring those whose jobs and incomes will be lost to do the clean up and animal rescue? rather than counting on volunteers? Of course this assumes BP will do the right thing. Just a thought.
Organizing volunteers and other helpers is one of the biggest jobs in disaaster response, and one often poorly done. Hundeds of people, well-meaning, but short-sighted, who flood a disater scene to "help" often add to the problems rther than "helping."
I hope the Audubon Society and other avai/animal rescue places step up and make major plans now before the thousands of hurt birds and animals start flooding in.
At least the motels, hotels, supermarkets, restaurants and laundromats are also not part of the disaster, as they were with Katrina. THEY will actually benefit and help put money in pockets.
Sandy r
Thanks everyone for the input. I have posted on facebook as well as contacted the audubon society. Let's see what happens.I fear the worst for our feathered friends as well as other wildlife.
I don't know the specifics of what might be already in place such as wildlfie rescue centers, but whatever is there will be ovberwhelmed. My guess is that the various state and National Wildlife Refuges will be important points as they will all have affected habitat, dead and heavily oiled wildlife, on-site staff, and facilities so they may become de facto rescue centers as things gear up. My guess is nothing can be done for the vegetation and smaller items in the food chain. Even the larger animals that are brought in will most likley have to be triaged, and even those with a chance at recovery will face an uphill battle. This event will outrage our minds and tear our hearts. There will be only losers in the short-term. The best we can hope for is more intelligent thought given to the use of natural resources and the rules and regulations regarding that use and liability to those seeking to use them.
I just did some checking Cheryl, and BP is already in the process of training volunteer and hired cleanup workers, as many as 3,000 to date. As far as I could gather, it's all local people so far, but the system is in place to funnel workers into the training programs and on to hot spots.
That's a stark and refreshing contrast to the fiasco that Exxon orchestrated up here. Exxon worked with two prime subcontractors who simply got 10% on top of whatever they spent. As a result, the more they spent, the more they got paid. Long and short of that, the contractors did all they could to roadblock volunteers working on the actual cleanup, in order to keep all workers (and themselves) paid. Therefore volunteers were limited to NGO and agency rescue operations.
I know this spill is a train wreck, but hat's off to BP for the way they're already approaching it. Everyone touched by the spill should be thankful that it is BP and not Exxon.
I've posted this elsewhere, but it's important information. The author, Rikki Ott, is one of the most knowledgeable people around on the Exxon Valdez mess. It concerns the toxidity of oil and oil fumes. Be careful if you are able to go down to the Gulf. This is nasty stuff.
"State health officials are warning people who are sensitive to reduced air quality to stay indoors, but anyone who experiences the classic symptoms of crude oil overexposure–nausea, vomiting, headaches, or cold or flu-like symptoms–should seek medical help.
This is serious: Oil spill cleanups are regulated as hazardous waste cleanups because oil is, in fact, hazardous to health. Breathing oil fumes is extremely harmful.
After the 2002 Prestige oil spill off Galicia, Spain, and the 2007 Hebei Spirit oil spill in South Korea, medical doctors found fishermen and cleanup workers suffered from respiratory problems, central nervous system problems (headaches, nausea, dizziness, etc.), and even genetic damage (South Korea). I have attended two international conferences the past two years to share information with these doctors.
During the Exxon Valdez spill, health problems among cleanup workers became so widespread, so fast, that medical doctors, among others, sounded warnings. Dr. Robert Rigg, former Alaska medical director for Standard Alaska (BP), warned, “It is a known fact that neurologic changes (brain damage), skin disorders (including cancer), liver and kidney damage, cancer of other organ systems, and medical complications–secondary to exposure to working unprotected in (or inadequately protected)–can and will occur to workers exposed to crude oil and other petrochemical by-products. While short-term complaints, i.e., skin irritation, nausea, dizziness, pulmonary symptoms, etc., may be the initial signs of exposure and toxicity, the more serious long-term effects must be prevented.”[1]
Unfortunately, Exxon called the short-term symptoms, “the Valdez Crud,” and dismissed 6,722 cases of respiratory claims from cleanup workers as “colds or flu” using an exemption under OSHA’s hazardous waste cleanup reporting requirements.[2]
Sadly, sick Exxon cleanup workers were left to suffer and pay their own medical expenses. I know of many who have been disabled by their illnesses – or have died."
FACEBOOK PAGES:
Gulf Coast Oil Spill Volunteers
Louisiana Shore Cleanup
Save the Gulf of Mexico
Deepwater Horizon Response
America's Wetland: Campaign to Save Coastal Louisiana
Oil Spill Volunteers - Cleanup in Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama
Horizon Oil Spill
Volunteers needed for Gulf Oil spill response!
To report oil on land and for Community and Volunteer Information, call 1-866-448-5816.
To offer your vessel for service or submit alternative response technology, services or products, call 281-366-5511 or email HorizonSupport@OEGLLC.com
You can register through OilSpillVolunteers.com to volunteer or join a cleanup organization.
The BP Volunteer Hotline has set up numbers if you need to report injured wildlife or damage related to the spill. You can also request volunteer information at 866-448-5816.
The Oiled Wildlife Care Network is providing volunteer information, though help from private citizens is not being requested at this time.
Discussion
13 repliesSpeaking from experience I'd rather not have, there will be need for lots of hands, both trained and amateur. I'd check with Audubon and other established bird rescue programs in your area. I'm betting they have contacts that can help.
But know this: The simple act of sleeping and eating is going to be a burden on services in the affected areas. The more self-sufficient you can be, the better for the overall effort.
And I agree with Jim on the photography. I can guarantee that after the fact everyone will wish there had been more and better photographs. Your long term contributions may have lots more impact bringing your experience and camera gear to bear, rather than rubber gloves and dish soap. They can train anyone to clean birds, but meaningful documentation is not something volunteers can learn in an hour. Speaking first hand, when you're on scene, unless you're designated as a photographer with that task front and center, you'll be swept up in others. In the year we dealt with Exxon's fiasco, I shot exactly one roll of film and I didn't do that well. My bad, but I was rather distracted.
Housing might be an issue until FEMA gets off its ass and brings in trailers to house the thousands of volunteers about to descend on the gulf. If you have access to a camper trailer, RV, or nice tent, bring it along.
From a more pragmatic perspective, tragedies like this attract weirdoes. Bring some form of personal protection, whatever you are comfortable with, especially if you find yourself staying in one of the less secure abodes.
I'm a long way away and can't leave my very ill mother, but anyone who can go to help from the West Coast can borrow my 23 ft fully self-contained motorhome for weeks or months. It can comfortably sleep 3-4.
Sandy r
I hope the Audubon Society and other avai/animal rescue places step up and make major plans now before the thousands of hurt birds and animals start flooding in.
At least the motels, hotels, supermarkets, restaurants and laundromats are also not part of the disaster, as they were with Katrina. THEY will actually benefit and help put money in pockets.
Sandy r
Sandy r
That's a stark and refreshing contrast to the fiasco that Exxon orchestrated up here. Exxon worked with two prime subcontractors who simply got 10% on top of whatever they spent. As a result, the more they spent, the more they got paid. Long and short of that, the contractors did all they could to roadblock volunteers working on the actual cleanup, in order to keep all workers (and themselves) paid. Therefore volunteers were limited to NGO and agency rescue operations.
I know this spill is a train wreck, but hat's off to BP for the way they're already approaching it. Everyone touched by the spill should be thankful that it is BP and not Exxon.
I've posted this elsewhere, but it's important information. The author, Rikki Ott, is one of the most knowledgeable people around on the Exxon Valdez mess. It concerns the toxidity of oil and oil fumes. Be careful if you are able to go down to the Gulf. This is nasty stuff.
Lessons from Exxon Valdez
"State health officials are warning people who are sensitive to reduced air quality to stay indoors, but anyone who experiences the classic symptoms of crude oil overexposure–nausea, vomiting, headaches, or cold or flu-like symptoms–should seek medical help.
This is serious: Oil spill cleanups are regulated as hazardous waste cleanups because oil is, in fact, hazardous to health. Breathing oil fumes is extremely harmful.
After the 2002 Prestige oil spill off Galicia, Spain, and the 2007 Hebei Spirit oil spill in South Korea, medical doctors found fishermen and cleanup workers suffered from respiratory problems, central nervous system problems (headaches, nausea, dizziness, etc.), and even genetic damage (South Korea). I have attended two international conferences the past two years to share information with these doctors.
During the Exxon Valdez spill, health problems among cleanup workers became so widespread, so fast, that medical doctors, among others, sounded warnings. Dr. Robert Rigg, former Alaska medical director for Standard Alaska (BP), warned, “It is a known fact that neurologic changes (brain damage), skin disorders (including cancer), liver and kidney damage, cancer of other organ systems, and medical complications–secondary to exposure to working unprotected in (or inadequately protected)–can and will occur to workers exposed to crude oil and other petrochemical by-products. While short-term complaints, i.e., skin irritation, nausea, dizziness, pulmonary symptoms, etc., may be the initial signs of exposure and toxicity, the more serious long-term effects must be prevented.”[1]
Unfortunately, Exxon called the short-term symptoms, “the Valdez Crud,” and dismissed 6,722 cases of respiratory claims from cleanup workers as “colds or flu” using an exemption under OSHA’s hazardous waste cleanup reporting requirements.[2]
Sadly, sick Exxon cleanup workers were left to suffer and pay their own medical expenses. I know of many who have been disabled by their illnesses – or have died."
Please read the article. Don't take it lightly.
Cheers
Carl
http://deltasierraclub.blogspot.com/2010/05/sierra-club-sign-up-to-help-with-bp-oil.html
http://www.crcl.org/
http://www.volunteerlouisiana.gov
http://www.nwf.org/Wildlife/Wildlife-Conservation/Threats-to-Wildlife/Oil-Spill.aspx
http://emergency.louisiana.gov/
http://www.oilspillvolunteers.com/register.php
http://www.mobilebaykeeper.org/
http://www.mobilebaynep.com/
http://gulfseagrant.tamu.edu/oilspill/index.htm
FACEBOOK PAGES:
Gulf Coast Oil Spill Volunteers
Louisiana Shore Cleanup
Save the Gulf of Mexico
Deepwater Horizon Response
America's Wetland: Campaign to Save Coastal Louisiana
Oil Spill Volunteers - Cleanup in Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama
Horizon Oil Spill
Volunteers needed for Gulf Oil spill response!
To report oil on land and for Community and Volunteer Information, call 1-866-448-5816.
To offer your vessel for service or submit alternative response technology, services or products, call 281-366-5511 or email HorizonSupport@OEGLLC.com
You can register through OilSpillVolunteers.com to volunteer or join a cleanup organization.
The BP Volunteer Hotline has set up numbers if you need to report injured wildlife or damage related to the spill. You can also request volunteer information at 866-448-5816.
The Oiled Wildlife Care Network is providing volunteer information, though help from private citizens is not being requested at this time.