When the oil hit the shores of the Gulf of Mexico, an illustrator in New York named Kelly Light felt its impact, and decided to act upon her grief. She created the Ripple blog and invited illustrators to create small sketch cards in exchange for monetary donations to the wildlife rehabilitation orgs deployed to the disaster scene. So far over $10,400 has been raised in modest increments of $10 and $50, with art streaming in from the crayons of school children to the markers of Mo Willems.
Volunteers from Tri-State Bird Rescue in Newark, Delaware, located minutes from my home, were first on the scene in the Deepwater Horizon Wildlife Response, joined by the International Bird Rescue Research Center, the Sea Turtle Conservancy and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. I can tell you from personal experience that Tri-State is a small organization that not only needs but deserves donations and support. No bird rescue effort is too big or too small. In July I took an injured Scarlet Tanager from my yard to their facility and in a week was invited to retrieve her and release her back where she belonged. My cousin Patrick scooped a stunned Red-Tailed Hawk off the highway and brought her to Tri-State, and he was there to open the cage on the day of her release. I love people who love birds who love people who love birds.
In two weeks I shall attend an information session for aspiring bird rescue volunteers at the facility. Spaces are limited so I’m crossing all fingers and toes for the chance to play nurse with the birds.
And if my submission isn’t too late, the painting above will be available for sale on the Ripple blog—I’ll confirm this within the next few days and post as soon as I know for sure. As I told Kelly, the Yellow-Crowned Night Herons that inspired “Time to Fly” may very well be scoping the gulf marshes for an oil-free spot to feed after their long-distance fall migration. They’re just one of hundreds of bird species who nested in the northern states during the spill, now wintering in the affected areas. I hope they keep their feet clean.
Love this post, love the drawing, love people who love people who love birds.
I, too, am pondering volunteering to help birds this fall…the Lindsay Wildlife Museum has a training program that starts in October. I’d get to work with owls! Hawks! Eagles! And other amazing animals. Let me know if you get in!
🙂
Do it! And then we can share bird hospital stories. Owls! Hawks! Eagles!