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the OWCN story (PDF 886 kb)
The
OWCN is a legislatively mandated
program within The California
Fish and Game, Office of Spill
Prevention and Response (OSPR)
which strives to ensure that wildlife
exposed to petroleum products
in the environment receive the
best achievable treatment by providing
access to permanent wildlife rehabilitation
facilities and trained personnel
for oil spill response within
California. (OWCN
website)
It is a
statewide network of wildlife care
providers which includes regional
facilities established pursuant
to the requirements of the Lempert-Keene-Seastrand
Oil Spill Prevention and Response
Act. These facilities are to provide
rehabilitation for aquatic birds,
sea otters, other marine mammals,
and sea turtles in the event of
an oil spill and are maintained
in a constant state of readiness.
IBRRC proposes network
in the mid 80's
Since 1971 and prior
to the formation of the OSPR and
the OWCN, IBRRC was more or less
the only game in town when it came
to oiled bird response and rehabilitation
in California. IBRRC is actually
named in the Lempert-Keene-Seastrand
Oil Spill Prevention and Response
Act (download
PDF file: 1.5 Mb) as one of
the leaders in the field of oiled
bird rehabilitation. But the burden
of responding to oil spills with
limited funding, unavailable resources,
untrained volunteers and poor to
no facilities crippled our efforts
to help oiled birds. Many birds
were lost and our staff and the
California wildlife rehabilitators
and volunteers that helped in oil
spills were discouraged and left
hopeless.
Frustration led to brainstorming
and in the mid 1980's IBRRC presented
to then, California Department of
Fish and Game Director, Pete Bontadelli,
the concept of a network of wildlife
rehabilitation volunteers and facilities
within the state that could more
effectively respond to oil spills.
The concept included supplying these
existing facilities with basic oiled
wildlife care supplies and offered
basic training to the volunteers
so that we could be better supported
to us when we came to their town
to respond to an oil spill. We also
envisioned rehabilitation centers
being able to provide care to the
occasional oiled bird through training
and mentoring. Although enthusiastic
and extremely supportive of the
concept, the department had no funding
available to make this idea a reality
and the idea was shelved.
OWCN Becomes a Reality
Ten years after the
original concept was presented the
OWCN became a reality. Managed by
the Wildlife Health Center at the
University of Davis, CA, the OWCN
now has 24 participating organizations
throughout the state (Network
Map) that represent wildlife
rehabilitators, veterinarians and
biologists. IBRRC is proud to be
one of those participants and works
closely with OWCN on a daily basis.
OWCN and IBRRC Partner
in Spill Response and Training
IBRRC plays two major
roles within the OWCN. First, IBRRC
acts as the lead oiled bird response
organization that, under the management
of the OWCN, responds to most of
the oil spills that affect birds,
reptiles and fresh water aquatic
mammals in California. Secondly,
IBRRC is contracted to develop and
teach a series of annual trainings
for OWCN participants. These trainings
are designed to familiarize members
with concepts in oiled wildlife
capture and rehabilitation and are
presented at two levels, basic and
advanced.
Topics addressed include
laboratory and veterinary capabilities,
personnel skills and availability,
husbandry guidelines for aquatic
species and understanding record-keeping
procedures. These two day workshops
include hands on work with live
ducks to review capture and restraint,
physical examination, tube-feeding
procedures, venipuncture, the preparation
of hematology samples, washing/rinsing
procedures with particular emphasis
on waterproofing. The particular
rehabilitation needs of local species
that are prone to oiling are detailed.
Necropsy demonstrations are usually
conducted to enable participants
to understand potential effects
of oil and rehabilitation. A table
top spill drill is added to advanced
trainings and is tailored to local
conditions, e.g. species most likely
to be encountered, and areas most
likely to be hit with an oil spill,
will help to underscore local strengths
and delineate areas that need additional
work. These 5 annual workshops usually
begin in late March and continue
through October. For more information
on these trainings or other IBRRC
trainings or classes please e-mail
us.
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Oiled Virginia
rail during the 1999 Stockdale/Oildale
spill in Bakersfield, CA.
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One of our greatest
challenges is bringing the unique
concept of wildlife rehabilitation
to the public without negatively
affecting the birds in our care.
Wild birds are very frightened of
humans and are often stressed just
by being held in captivity. Human
interactions can also have a negative
impact on these birds reducing their
chances for successful rehabilitation.
Therefore, all handling and viewing
must be kept to a minimum.
Birds are typically
kept out of the view of the public.
However, we feel it is important
and valuable for the public to be
able to actually see the animals
during their rehabilitation with
their own eyes and learn about the
rehabilitation process. We have
circumvented this problem in a variety
of ways that will allow maximum
viewing by visitors while minimizing
human interaction with the birds.
Indoor Animal Viewing
A one way window has
been designed into the veterinary
clinic where animals are cared for
and housed. This window will allow
school groups and others to view
and interact with the rehabilitation
staff through a portable audio system
while they care for the birds. Through
this system students will have the
opportunity to learn about the rehabilitation
process and ask questions about
the birds currently under care.
This area is off limits to the general
public and only available to guided
groups.
Outdoor Viewing of
Rehabilitating Birds
When outdoors, rehabilitating
aquatic birds are housed in various
sized aviaries or pools. Although
the public is not allowed to go
into the animal holding areas signs
at the outdoor areas will describe
the birds currently under care and
explain the reasons for their rehabilitation
along with pertinent information
about each species.
For example, the Brown Pelican
is an endangered species that
is found in abundance along the
California coast and has made
a strong comeback since the 1970s
when their population was significantly
reduced due primarily to DDT poisoning.
Although their comeback has been
successful since the federal ban
on DDT was put into law they are
considered an extremely vulnerable
species and remain a federally
listed endangered species. Theirs
is an exciting success story that
shows what can be achieved through
the dedication and perseverance
of humans. At the same time, it
is because of the shortsightedness
of man that this species became
an endangered species in the first
place. These are the two main
points that will be made evident
through signage placed in viewing
areas near these aviaries. We
intend to tell the pelicans' story
and make the important point that
although their comeback has to
date been successful, it takes
the commitment of the public to
keep pelicans and other aquatic
birds protected on a long term
basis.
Because of the current
abundant pelican population and
their close proximity to humans,
they are common patients in rehabilitation
organizations along the California
coast. We expect to have a regular
flow of injured, sick and occasionally
oiled pelicans come to the center
for rehabilitation. Pelicans are
large birds that require expansive
aviaries for flight exercise with
large shallow pools for bathing.
Many other birds can be housed in
these cages with pelicans since
they typically interact in the wild
and are compatible with each other.
So, in essence these cages are actually
community aviaries housing a variety
of species with a variety of stories.
All of which have significance to
environmental education and human
accountability.
Video Monitor Viewing
for Indoor and outdoor caging
The outdoor and indoor
rehabilitation areas housing birds
subject to stress will have cameras
mounted over many of the cages so
that animals can be viewed from
the indoor classroom area. Video
monitors will also be conveniently
located in the visitor area for
public viewing. This will allow
viewers to see extremely shy and
more unusual animals that are not
usually available to viewing. Written
materials and photographs that explain
the rehabilitation process and interpret
the behaviors that are likely to
be witnessed will be mounted near
the monitors.
The San Francisco Bay
Oiled Wildlife Care and Education
Center
The San Francisco Bay
Oiled Wildlife Care and Education
Center (SFBOWCEC) is located in
northern San Francisco Bay in Cordelia,
CA. This facility is IBRRC's new
headquarters and houses the International
Training Center for Oiled Wildlife
Response, a program of IBRRC that
offers individuals and organizations
dedicated to oiled wildlife response
an opportunity to gain hands on
and practical experience in oiled
wildlife care and response. This
facility has the capacity to house
up to 1,500 oiled birds during one
event and will also house IBRRC's
local education program and our
ongoing aquatic bird and mammal
rehabilitation program. |
