My Top 5 Memories of 2023
As we welcome the new year (which is already off to a running start), I wanted to take a moment to reflect on some of the amazing things I’ve had the privilege to be a part of over the last year with the Oiled Wildlife Care Network. I sat down and made a list - some personal, some professional – and narrowed it down to my top five memories of 2023 to share with you all.
Coming in at number 5 is the Wildlife Disease Association conference I attended in Athens, GA in July. This is a conference I look forward to every year, not only to obtain the continuing education credits needed for my veterinary license, but also an incredible opportunity to learn, network and have fun with wildlife professionals from all over the world. I represented OWCN by giving a presentation entitled, “From Birds to Beavers: Lessons Learned from a Multi-Species Oiled Wildlife Response in a Semi-Urban Landscape.” To read more about my experience at the WDA conference check out my previous blog.
Speaking of the Tanzanite Park oil spill response, number 4 is the collection of all the positive resighting data received on our former patients. In November, Kyra (with the help of OWCN’s Sam Christie and a citizen scientist, Karen Richardson) wrote a blog highlighting some of these resights, including “a Match Made in Rehab,” where two of our patients who were treated, recovered, and released during the oil spill became a mated pair and produced healthy goslings! With the help of citizen science, 20 of the 23 released patients have been resighted!
Moving on to number 3, although the Oiled Wildlife Care Network’s mission is to provide “the best achievable proactive capture and care to oil-affected wildlife anywhere in California,” there are times in which our expertise is called upon out of state and even overseas. In June, myself, Wendy, Mike, and former OWCN Management Team member, Curt made our way to Montana to respond to a train derailment over the Yellowstone River. We performed daily boat surveys to search for affected wildlife with the help from local guides and swift water experts. In the evenings I’d hear stories of the “good ol’ days” from the three (above-mentioned) first-generation oil spill responders.
Number 2 highlights the power of a network of wildlife professionals dedicated to helping wildlife in need. In June, hundreds of California sea lions and elephant seals stranded in southern California with symptoms of domoic acid poisoning, a secondary toxic effect of harmful algal blooms. Local marine mammal rehabilitation centers were inundated with patients, including OWCN Member Organization, the Marine Mammal Care Center of LA (MMCC-LA). Over a period of a few weeks various members of the OWCN team (including myself), traveled to San Pedro to assist with the overwhelming patient load. It was an incredible opportunity to work alongside the MMCC-LA staff and volunteers from other organizations across the country while helping these incredible species.
And finally number 1 goes to a new type of response, one in which OWCN worked with more patients, more Member Orgs, and more responders than it has in recent history – the Tulare Lake avian botulism response. Over a period of two and half months, OWCN treated over 1200 birds affected by avian botulism. Albeit exhausting, this response was rewarding with a greater than 70% release rate! Tune in for more information about this response at our upcoming Town Hall Wednesday January 24 at noon. If you are interested please register for this Zoom webinar in advance and sign up in your Better Impact responder profile.
That’s a wrap on 2023….and looking forward to all that comes in 2024!