The Wildlife Center of Virginia is receiving many inquiries from people wishing to donate services, money or materials to help the wildlife affected by the recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.  This outpouring of concern and generosity is very gratifying, but we are urging people to be prudent in their decisions.  At this time, there are very limited opportunities for volunteers to participate in the care of wildlife in the region, and very limited opportunities to make a direct difference for oiled wildlife through your financial gifts.  Wildlife care is currently being provided by professionals; volunteers are not being allowed to participate in most activities.  The volunteer needs that do exist are being fully met by local organizations and people. Additionally, the efforts to clean oiled wildlife are not being funded through charitable donations. 

Unlike a natural disaster, such as a hurricane or earthquake, this is not “an act of God“; this is an act of BP!   There is a specific party responsible for this problem, and legally bound to cover the costs of cleaning up the mess.   Contributions and the donation of materials and supplies, in effect, benefit primarily BP – at  least as far as the direct care of wildlife is concerned.  Unlike Hurricane Katrina, this oil spill has not had a major impact on transportation or the supply of goods to the region.  It is a waste of time and money to collect paper towels and Dawn dishwashing liquid elsewhere to be sent to the Gulf states.  There are no local shortages.  Everything they need is available, and buying it locally supports the damaged local economy – and what is needed is being purchased in bulk, a far more efficient way to handle these products.  While people want to help through such donations, the truth is that responding to these offers, and dealing with these donations of supplies, is actually putting a burden on those involved with the oil spill response.

Over the last few weeks, the Wildlife Center of Virginia and a number of other national conservation organizations have become engaged in the region to pressure the authorities to dramatically expand what we feel are inadequate efforts to find and recover oiled wildlife, and monitor the environmental health of the region.  However, our recommendations have not yet been accepted or sanctioned by the government.  Currently the only people legally authorized to even touch oiled wildlife are agency personnel and the organizations contracted by BP to care for oiled birds and turtles.  The claims of anyone to the contrary – including organizations asking for your money or goods – should be viewed with great suspicion. 

When/if our recommendations are accepted, there may be more opportunities for people to get involved.  We will keep you posted.  Even then, it is anticipated that BP will still be responsible for the cost of all supplies and materials needed for the care of wildlife. 

In the meantime, if you wish to help oiled wildlife in the Gulf, you can contact your Members of Congress and the White House and urge a more vigorous effort to find and care for the victims of this disaster.  Of course, we would welcome your support of our efforts to expand wildlife care in the region, and to support the care that is currently underway through data collection and scientific expertise.  While we are not currently involved in washing oiled animals, the Wildlife Center is definitely at the forefront of changing policies and putting in place a more comprehensive response to the needs of wildlife in the region. 

 You can check the Wildlife Center website for updates on the situation, link to our Facebook page, or set up an RSS feed that will email you notification of the availability of new information.

Thank you for your concern.

Ed Clark