Busy, and the Tri-State Bird Rescue

So, it appears that all the blog posts swirling around in my head don’t write themselves. What nonsense this? When I’m at work all I can think about is what I want to say in this space, and then once I’m free all I want to do is stretch my weary bones in the sunshine or take a nap. I’ll have to spend a few hours typing them out tonight before they overcrowd my brain and cause it to explode. I’ve also been to a few places I want to tell you about, another giveaway in the works. Busy, busy, busy.

Very quickly, though: I live just a few minutes away from the Tri-State Bird Rescue, and I recently attended an open house there to learn about how I could volunteer. A few days later, the oil spill occurred, and the first oiled bird rescued from the Gulf (a northern gannet) was transported to the rescue. I’ve no idea how many of these rescues exist throughout the country, but if the first oiled bird was sent here, there can’t be that many.

This is nesting season, and the impact the oil spill will have on birds will be significant. Rescue efforts will need to be swift and ongoing, and it will be resource- and time-intensive. It takes up to four people and up to 45 minutes to wash a large bird. Up to 300 gallons per bird are needed for the cleaning process.

Please consider donating to the Tri-State Bird Rescue (even just by using GoodSearch as your search engine) or attending a volunteer information session. I had been planning to wait until fall, when all three kids are in school full-time, but I am willing to step up now if they will let me.

Of course, if you are not local to the rescue, you can donate to efforts taking place in the Gulf. The National Wildlife Federation has made this easy: text “WILDLIFE” to 20222 to donate $10.

The Coast Guard estimates that 5000 barrels of oil are being leaked each day. That’s 200,000 gallons. Hello? Where is the outrage? It’s not just the birds, people. It’s all of the marine life. It’s all the little guys in the food chain that feed the bigger guys- you know, like people who eat seafood. It’s the quality of the water. It’s the people of New Orleans, who really did NOT need this, and other coastal cities who rely on tourism dollars. It’s all those people who fish for a living. And for those who don’t care about anything until it affects them personally– this is going to affect the price of oil, let’s not pretend otherwise.

Can we start speaking seriously about other forms of energy now? Pretty please?