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By Alice Berkner. IBRRC founder
One million gallons
of bunker oil spilled into San Francisco bay on January 18,
1971. Thousands of seabirds had been affected and there were
about 16 different treatment centers scattered around the
Bay Area. Tom, a friend of mine – who happened to be
a veterinarian– asked me if I wanted to go to the hastily
established Richmond Bird Center and help out.
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| The old Berkeley,
CA IBBRC office/rehab center was located in
Aquatic
Park from 1975 to 2001. The City of Berkeley
graciously
provided the space rent-free. (IBRRC photo) |
It was logical that Tom help because he had something
to offer, but as an R. N. it was not obvious to me how I could
be of assistance. Still, I felt badly and wanted to contribute
somehow. Had it not been for society's use of petroleum, the
disaster would not have happened. I felt strongly that it
was the responsibility of us all to help clean up the mess
we had created.
As long as I live I will never forget the odor
that assaulted me as I walked through the doors of the Center.
It was a horrendous mix of rotting fish, bird droppings,
oil, and, strangely enough, vitamin B. Almost as bad was
the noise!
I've been sensitive to loud noise all my life and the nightmarish
mix of screaming birds, guitar music, fork lifts, and people
voicing the complete range of human emotions in that echo
chamber of a building threatened to deafen me. I was not
two
feet through the door when a woman came rushing toward the
exit, tears streaming down her face, wailing "I've
been here twenty-four hours and they won't give me my own
bird!"
It got worse, much worse.
Questioning the status quo
My questions regarding the treatment of the birds
brought dreadful stories about mineral oil baths, absorption
of mineral oil with cornmeal and medication combinations that
would have killed people. Controversy raged around the tube
feeding of birds with the majority belief being that to do
so would result in the death of the animals. All agreed that
birds obtained any water they needed from the food they ate
so drinking water was not needed. I did not know much about
seabirds at that point but I did question the offering of
bread and milk to loons. I was told, in hushed tones, that
the 'vets' recommended this diet.
The emotional atmosphere was difficult to understand.
There was a dramatic intensity I had seen only on TV medical
programs, but almost never in real hospital settings. What
I found truly upsetting was the anger directed toward the
corporation responsible for the spill, Standard Oil of California
(later Chevron). To listen to the talk, one would have thought
that the company intentionally planned to have two of their
vessels collide. Granted, it was a stupid mistake but intentional?
I think not! This attitude bothered me a great deal. I found
it childish, irrational and counterproductive.
Standard was funding part of the bird cleanup
effort and each week expenses had to be justified and negotiated.
It was not always easy to explain the need for shrimp to someone
who knew nothing about seabirds. A vast majority of the equipment
had been donated and all the labor was volunteer. Funding
had been channeled through the non-profit Ecology Center in
Berkeley, but Standard felt things would go more smoothly
if the Bird Care Center incorporated as a separate non-profit
entity. A group of us followed through and Federal non-profit
status was granted in April to the International Bird Rescue
Research Center. I want to go on record here by saying that
I did not favor the chosen name. I found it too long and a
bit pretentious. Amongst ourselves we used Bird Rescue and
reserved the long form for ceremonial occasions. To this day
I avoid our full name as I do the plague.
April saw not only our incorporation but also
a move from the warehouse to rent-free quarters above the
Berkeley Humane Society. The remaining birds had been moved
to an outside facility and could not be released until they
had molted their damaged feathers which did not happen until
September. By then we knew enough to call them scoters,
not
scooters. We'd also learned that grebes were grebes and hurrays
were murres. When the last birds were released, the few
of
us that remained decided to continue the organization.
Learning from a disaster
Of the 1,600 birds received by the Richmond Bird
Care Center, 16% had survived. This was an unheard of success,
but far from satisfactory. One of the first and I feel, most
valuable things we did was to institute a literature search
in the area of seabirds, their anatomy and physiology, how
they were affected by oil, the use of medication in aviculture
and anything remotely connected to the problems we had experienced.
We actively investigated the use of solvent to clean oiled
birds but were very concerned with the toxicity factors involved
with its use. It was during our four years at the Humane Society
site that we read of detergent cleaning techniques developed
in England.
In 1975 we moved the bird center to Aquatic Park
in Berkeley, CA. By providing this location to us rent-free,
the City of Berkeley has contributed to our work far more
than they realize. Without their assistance our accomplishments
would be few indeed. I cannot express in words how deeply
grateful I am to the City of Berkeley for what they have given
us for so long.
So much has been done at this location which was
perfect for our needs at the time. We had switched from solvent
cleaning to detergents shortly before our move with vast improvements
in survival rates. During this period we maintained and improved
our relationship with Chevron. Establishing trust with them
was made easy by their people with whom I associated: Forrest
Smith, Bill Leek and Ivan Gilman. I made it plain that it
was our wish to work with Chevron and not against them. My
attitude was not that of the stereotypical "environmentalist
" of that time but that of a consumer who accepted responsibility
for what could result from petroleum consumption on an individual
and even species level. I felt it important to develop a cleaning
technology that could lessen impact on oiled endangered and
threatened species and that by responding to spills involving
more numerous species precarious populations of birds would
not be subject to experimentation when oiling occurred.
Chevron put us in touch with Stu Horn of Mobil,
June Lindstedt-Siva of ARCO and introduced me to the various
oil spill cooperative managers. We are grateful for Chevron's
support throughout the years and today one of their employees,
George Jardim, is a member of our Board. In 1980 I met Chuck
Webster, then of Marathon, who later served as President of
our Board of Directors. We received a great "credibility
boost" when we signed our first response contract in
1977 with the Alyeska Pipeline Service Company and have worked
closely with them ever since. There are many companies and
individuals too numerous to mention but the petroleum industry
has been our greatest financial donor for twenty-five years.
Saying thanks to all that helped
Many other agencies, organizations and individuals
have also helped. The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service at
one
time sponsored workshops in the coastal States. Our present
Board President, Don Kane, was a member of the Service when
I first met him. We have always worked closely with the California
Department of Fish and Game and still have a mutually beneficial
relationship with them. Procter and Gamble has donated hundreds
of gallons of "Dawn" and much more. And what can
I say about Jay Holcomb? Of all the people I've met in
the
past twenty-five years, he has made the greatest impact.
The magnitude of our work increased dramatically after
the "Exxon
Valdez" oil spill and our growth under his guidance
has been beyond my imagining. Our staff and response team,
developed
by him, are without peer. I am greatly indebted to him. There
are others who serve in a volunteer capacity without whom
we could not function as we do, our Board. Space does not
permit me to individually recognize all those to whom I
owe
thanks but I want to express my deep appreciation to those
who have helped in the past and will help in the future.
Had I been told in 1971 that 30 years hence we
would end up treating over 148 species of birds (not to mention
assorted turtles, snakes and other non-feathered wildlife)
in 100 different oil spills on five continents and attain
a 78% release rate of king eiders on the extremely remote
Pribilof Islands, 100% release rate of white pelicans in Louisiana,
a 96% release rate of common coots in congested and polluted
Southern California or the rehabilitation of 18,200 penguins
in South Africa... my response would have been "In your
dreams!" But we have done just that and at times I tend
to view with disbelief what we have accomplished. Many people
still do not see the value in treating oiled wildlife but
as more and more species head for extinction at a greater
rate than ever before, perhaps this attitude will in itself
become extinct for it has no place in today's world.
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