by Dr. Flo Tseng, Associate Dean for Diversity, Inclusion, Equity, and Climate at the Cummings School
My experience working in oil spills began prior to the founding of the OWCN. Soon after I began working at the Progressive Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) near Seattle, WA in 1991, the Tenyo Maru spill occurred, and I was enlisted to help out. The first seabirds came into the basement of the PAWS facility but soon thereafter, a formal response was set up in an old seminary as mandated by the new Oil Pollution Act of 1990. Unfortunately, the release rate was relative
by Matt Rezvani OWCN Advisory Board, Managing Partner for CalStad
As an individual who had involvement with legislation resulting in the creation and history of OWCN, I thought I might briefly share my recollection of how the organization got its start and what it has accomplished since then.
March 24, 1989 was a day of awakening for America and possibly for the world, when an oil spill from the oil tanker Exxon Valdez in Alaska covered Prince William Sound with 11 million gallons of crude oil, creating one of the largest environmental impacts in this sensitive area.
by Dr. Julie Yamamoto OSPR Acting Administrator, OSPR Deputy Administrator
When I was asked to write this blog in honor of OWCN’s 30th birthday, I admit it took a while to jog my long-term memory (yes I am of a venerable age and started my career well before the term “blog” was even coined) in order to look back on the long and prodigious history of the OWCN. Not all organizations get to be 30 years old and even those that do don’t necessarily grow and develop in positive ways, let alone become ‘world class’.
by Dr. Richard T. Golightly, Professor Emeritus, Wildlife Department, Cal Poly Humboldt
Thirty years ago today marked the beginning of my involvement with (what was to become) the Oiled Wildlife Care Network (OWCN). A friend and I, who worked for the National Park Service, were driving from Humboldt to Sequoia Kings Canyon National Park to conduct an animal capture and restraint training. We stopped by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife facility in Rancho Cordova to say hi, and drop off some samples. As we were leaving, Dr. Dave Jessup saw me in the parking lot and brought over a large document.
by Dr. Pam Yochem, OWCN Advisory Board, Scientific Advisory Committee, and SeaWorld
My name is Dr. Pam Yochem and I am a member of the Advisory Board and Scientific Advisory Committee for California’s Oiled Wildlife Care Network (OWCN). Dr. Mike Ziccardi invited me to do a guest blog post in recognition of the 30th anniversary of the OWCN. I was happy to do so, as involvement with the OWCN has been one of the highlights of my career.
My involvement in the oil spill community has included research, teaching and service through my associations with Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute, SeaWorld, and UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.
OWCN’s mandate, as many of you know, is “best achievable proactive capture and care to oil-affected wildlife”. This means that as a Network we are always striving to do a better job. As such, there have been great advances in the way that we care for animals – from capturing them in a safe and effective way and getting them into care as quickly as possible, to providing supportive care while they are at a facility to remove the contaminant and gain their strength back prior to release.
This month is my 4th month working at OWCN. I will give you an update on some of the things I’ve done so far.
From day one I began receiving online trainings, but by my second week I started the in-person trainings and the first one was HAZWOPER (Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response). During this 40-hour course I learned about how to stay safe during responses and the correct procedures we need to follow.
The Oiled Wildlife Care Network (OWCN) and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) – Office of Spill Prevention and Response (OSPR) work collaboratively during California spill responses involving oiled wildlife. The OWCN and OSPR have a shared interest in protecting our State’s natural resources and wildlife and also have a genuine interest and commitment to each respective organizations’ diversity, equity, and inclusion goals.
In 2023, the Oiled Wildlife Care Network (OWCN) partnered with California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) to provide care for birds affected by an avian botulism outbreak on Tulare Lake. From late August to November, we admitted a total of 1210 birds to our makeshift hospital at the Kern National Wildlife Refuge. Responders from seven OWCN Member Organizations were mobilized for this event.
As the cold, rainy season has come to a close and we welcome the 90+ degree Fahrenheit days (in Davis) I thought I’d share some “end of season” stats. For our avid readers, you may recall last year’s blog about the OWCN’s Individual Oiled Animal (IOA) Program and the influx of patients admitted to our member organizations during the winter months. If you do not have the memory of an albatross, much like me, here’s a quick refresher.
If you have been keeping up with OWCN’s blog posts, back in January I announced breaking ground on the new San Francisco Bay Oiled Wildlife Care and Education Center’s training center. Now four months later I am happy to announce the near completion of the new training center. With the completion of the new training center, we also say farewell to the old training center and lab modulars.
The OWCN is excited to announce Oilapalooza 2024, which will be held in sunny Bakersfield, CA!
This year we will be making the structure of the conference even more interactive and exciting. Day One will be similar to our previous Oilapalooza events, consisting of lectures and other interactive activities. So, what’s different about this year? We will be running a Full-Deployment Drill (FDD) at the OWCN’s newest inland response facility at the California Living Museum (CALM).
Earlier this week, JJ and I spent the day in Rancho Cordova at the Prairie City State Vehicular Recreation Area (near Sacramento) for an All-Terrain-Vehicle (ATV) training. JJ has had practice driving ATVs in Guatemala with his uncle, but had never had formal training, and I took this training many years ago when I had just started at OWCN. So, it was good for both of us to spend the day with Mia Roberts from CDFW-OSPR as she instructed us (and two OSPR Game Wardens) on how to operate ATVs safely.
Our Network of oiled wildlife responders would not exist without the amazing fleet of volunteers dedicating time and expertise to caring for wildlife throughout California. This week we have spotlighted 8 individuals who were nominated by our Management Team for their significant contributions to the Network in the last year.
