Back Behind the Redwood Curtain

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. 

Ultimately a stint with the California Army National Guard would take me across the world to Afghanistan, whereupon my return I did not choose to return to my studies behind the redwood curtain. Instead, I chose to seek a degree in Animal Science from UC Davis, which opened several career opportunities before finding myself joining the Oiled Wildlife Care Network (OWCN) at UC Davis in June of 2022. 

So you could imagine my surprise when I found out OWCN had a link to Cal Poly Humboldt. For those who do not know, Cal Poly Humboldt is home to one of our several purpose-built facilities, the Marine Wildlife Care Center (MWCC). These facilities were built in collaboration with the Office of Spill Prevention & Response, OWCN, and OWCN member organizations to facilitate a rapid response to oiled-affected wildlife throughout the state. In collaboration with the Department of Wildlife at Cal Poly Humboldt we directly manage the MWCC, which sits dormant until a situation arises where we would need to activate the facility.

Even though the facility is dormant, it still requires a watchful eye and routine upkeep. This past February, the OWCN logistics team – which includes Wendy Massey (Senior Manager of Logistics) and myself (Logistics Specialist) – traveled through the towering redwoods to Cal Poly Humboldt's campus to facilitate a water softener replacement. Ideal water softness (2-3 grains per gallon) is important because it improves the cleaning process of oiled animals, helping the animals regain their natural insulation and buoyancy quicker, thus improving their chances for survival. Facilities systems such as water softeners are integral to our facility readiness and response, which is why oversight on these purpose-built facilities is ongoing. 

It’s a surreal experience having attended Cal Poly Humboldt 15 years and now having a connection to it in my role with OWCN. It’s an unintended circumstance I find myself in, but in a way feels like an unexpected full circle. It was truly a humbling experience to be on campus again amongst the fog, the redwoods, and the memories of a past not forgotten. 

Thanks for Reading!

Danny Vickers 
Wildlife Logistics Specialist

P.S. Wendy had a bigfoot sighting!