On February 27, the Oiled Wildlife Care Network (OWCN) was activated by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response (CDFW-OSPR) following reports of oiled birds in Central California. While multiple grebes were confirmed to be oiled, investigators did not identify a known anthropogenic (human-caused) spill associated with the reports.
Each spring and summer, wildlife rehabilitation centers across California prepare for one of their busiest times of the year: baby season.
From roughly April through September, many species of birds and mammals give birth and raise their young. For wildlife rehabilitation centers, including many organizations that are members of the Oiled Wildlife Care Network (OWCN), this means a dramatic increase in patients arriving at their doors.
From the moment a wild animal becomes oiled, the response becomes a race against time. The animal’s best chance at survival depends on highly trained expert responders working from practiced and proven protocols to rescue and rehabilitate it. The Oiled Wildlife Care Network (OWCN) brings together world class subject matter experts from across California to ensure animals affected by oil receive the best achievable care, while also maintaining safety and efficiency.
Threatened and endangered species are constantly at the forefront of my mind. In California, our at risk for oiling threatened and endangered species include the California condor, southern sea otter, several amphibian species and many others vulnerable to oiling.
Across the world, one species that connects directly to an oil spill survival story is the African penguin.
A snare mat — also known as a noose mat — is a flat panel (often a patch of hardware cloth) fitted with small nylon or monofilament loops. Making these traps usually takes 4 to 8 hours to make sure that they are sticking up correctly. When a bird steps onto the mat, one of the loops gently tightens around its leg. The researcher, who is always close by, immediately removes the bird, checks its condition, and begins data collection and in our case, prepares it for safe transport to stabilization or the primary care facility.
Earlier this summer, the Oiled Wildlife Care Network (OWCN) Management Team headed down to the California Department of Fish & Wildlife’s Marine Wildlife Veterinary Care & Research Center (MWVCRC) in Santa Cruz for a sea otter washing exercise.
The goal? To put our wash protocols to the test and make sure the facility (open since 1997) is ready to step up when a real oil spill happens.
Back in late June/early July, the OWCN management team traveled down to the Marine Wildlife Veterinary Care and Research Center (MWVCRC) in Santa Cruz to participate in a sea otter wash drill with our partners at CDFW-OSPR. At this drill I found myself serving as the facilities lead as we were also drilling the facility. In this role it was my job to ensure continued function of equipment and facility infrastructure to include lighting, wash table functionality, water quality, water pressure, boiler functionality, etc.
The Oiled Wildlife Specialist Course is consistently the most requested training we offer to our Network. Because this two-day course focuses on advanced techniques and is best taught in smaller groups, it often fills quickly and develops a waitlist.
You’ve seen the email. You’ve heard the ding. You’ve probably thought, “I’ll get to it later,” or “Not this time,” or even “Ugh, not another OWCN notification!”
We get it. You’re busy. Hands on trainings are way more fun. But here’s the truth: those emails matter more than you might think.
About a month ago, Frankie and I attended the EROS (Environmental Response to Oil Spills) training in Newport Beach, California as part of our onboarding. The training is organized by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response (OSPR) in partnership with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Today marks the 25th anniversary of the M/V Treasure oil spill, a disaster that released greater 1,300 tons of oil into the Atlantic Ocean impacting a significant number of African penguins (Speniscus dermusus). Approximately 20,000 oiled penguins were captured and brought into care. Additionally, more than 19,000 additional birds were pre-emptively captured and relocated to an oil-free environment. They were then released to return to their home range, and by that time the spill was cleaned up.
Picture this: a young Western toad, its skin caked with sticky oil and dirt, is hopping through an oiled creek bed. A few counties away, a Western grebe - a fully aquatic bird - has beached herself, her feathers clumped with thick crude oil.
Two animals impacted by two different oil spills…but when it comes to rehabilitation, these two creatures might as well be from different planets.
Let’s take a fun and educational deep dive into the wildly different world of rehabbing an oiled toad vs. an oiled grebe - two animals with very different biology, behaviors, and needs.
by Jane Riner, CDFW-UCD Free-ranging Wildlife Health Resident
My name is Jane Riner and I’m the 4th free-ranging wildlife health veterinary resident in a collaborative training program with the Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Center and California Department of Fish and Wildlife. One of my favorite aspects of the program is getting to share what we do with students and hopefully inspire future generations of wildlife veterinarians.
Hard to believe that this past Monday (May 19) marked the 10-year anniversary of a spill that changed so much in how we conduct our day-to-day operations – how we prepare for spills, train our responders, and conduct a response. Yes, as they say, every spill is unique, and with each spill we glean valuable lessons that help us improve how we fulfill our mission of best achievable proactive capture and care of oil-affected animals. The Refugio Oil Spill was no exception.
by Erin Lundy, Conservation Manager, Aquarium of the Pacific
On Friday, March 14, Brett Long and I were notified by OWCN of an oil spill in Long Beach around 10:00 am. We were able to gather some of our personal gear, a company vehicle, and coordinate with the staff that were going to remain on-site to provide coverage for the rest of the day. Brett and I had both never been the first on-scene, and we were pretty excited to have the opportunity to help but also nervous in anticipation of what we might be walking into.
