OWCN Blog

It’s hard to believe it has been 15 years since I was an undergraduate student at Humboldt State University (now Cal Poly Humboldt). At the time I was majoring in Wildlife Biology with hopes of one day pursuing being a game warden with the California Department of Fish & Wildlife. However, other opportunities I pursued took me away from the picturesque redwood-lined campus on the Northern California coast. 

Growing up in San Francisco, I first encountered the term "domoic acid poisoning" in 1998 when The Marine Mammal Center diagnosed the first cases of this condition in California sea lions. I was 17 years old and eager to help. Driven by a passion for wildlife, I reached out to the Center, attended an orientation, and secured a spot on their Wednesday Day Animal Care Volunteer Crew. Every week, I made the 2.5-hour journey from San Francisco’s Mission District out to the Marin Headlands.

Pinnipeds and Pints has become a cherished tradition at the Pacific Marine Mammal Center (PMMC), bringing together staff, volunteers, and other partners for engaging discussions on best practices in marine mammal care. Every few weeks, the center hosts a guest speaker for a virtual evening chat, fostering education, collaboration, and camaraderie within the marine conservation community.

OWCN Touches Down in San Diego!

The Oiled Wildlife Care Network (OWCN) team—Dr. Victoria Hall, Danene Birtell, Wendy Massey, Dr. Jamie Sherman, and myself, Frankie Lill—hit the road this week for an exciting and impactful visit to San Diego. With a vehicle packed full of training materials, we were ready for a week filled with learning, connection, and collaboration.

I’ve done this dozens of times, but my adrenaline skyrockets nonetheless. His wide, unblinking eyes glare at me, his chest heaving with sharp but rhythmic breaths. He tracks my slow, deliberate movements. He watches for any sudden move I make, but still, he lets me approach. Two other team members hold wooden boards between us and him for protection- after all, he outweighs the three of us combined, and his teeth could turn us into quite the plastic surgeon’s dream.

Wendy here, welcome back! I know I said 'this Holiday Season' I bet you didn't think I'd add on Valentine's Day to the season... Did you? 

I am back for part two of my Spills of Christmas Past Series, I am discussing the MV Citrus Spill, a collision that happened in the Pribilof Islands. If you missed part one you can find it here!

Although the Tanzanite spill occurred a few years before I joined OWCN, it still gets referenced frequently around the office as a key example. I've learned a lot about this incident—and oil spills in general—thanks to these discussions. For anyone unfamiliar with the event, here's a quick recap:

Hello! I’m Jenna Stallard, Wildlife Care Manager over the Bird Department at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, and I’m thrilled to serve as Program Leader for our campus as the newest member of the Oiled Wildlife Conservation Network (OWCN). As I prepared for my first Oilapalooza event, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect, but I was eager to learn more about the network’s work, how the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance contributes, and what I’d be diving into as the new Program Leader.

Hi! I’m Anna Goldman, the Wildlife Museum Curator and Marine Wildlife Care Coordinator at Cal Poly Humboldt. As a new member of the OWCN, I didn’t know what to expect from Oilapalooza and honestly, was a little nervous. Cal Poly Humboldt (previously California State University) is the longest standing organization (29 years!), and with the title, came some pressure, in my mind. A bit of imposter syndrome if you will. I have only been in this position for 2 years, and still feel like I’m on a learning curve. 

Hi, I’m Maria Korte, from SeaWorld San Diego! I have been a member of OWCN since 2013, when I was on the marine mammal rescue team at SeaWorld. I went to my first Oilapalooza that SeaWorld hosted that year and was hooked! Since then, I helped intake some oiled sea lions at SeaWorld during the Refugio oil spill in 2015, and was on a hot shot team for the Pipeline P00547 spill in Orange County in 2021.

My name is Wendy Massey and I’ve cared for oiled animals since I was a kid but have only officially been responding to spills since 1992. So, in those 32 years, I’ve responded to well over 200 spills. This holiday season I am going to share the story of my favorite spill.

The M/V Citrus Spill

Part One

The Yacht Fire and Oil Spill

In the year 2000, wildlife veterinarians from the Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Center (including OWCN’s own Dr. Mike Ziccardi) and California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) started a collaborative mentorship program aimed at providing wildlife conservation-focused senior veterinary students with hands-on training under the mentorship of wildlife professionals in California. Twenty-four years later, this program is still going strong with over 75 alumni from across the United States (and even abroad)!

You may be asking yourself what does OWCN and oiled wildlife have to do with a Superfund site. It could be that HAZWOPER training is required for both oil spill response and the handling of other hazardous waste or maybe the fact that our equipment yard at UC Davis currently sits on a Superfund site. If either of these two came to mind, then you would be correct.