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Orphaned ducklings
need your help.
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T
he Auto Club's (AAA) Great
Battery Roundup, an Earth Day
related campaign to recycle as many
old batteries as possible, is not
only good for the environment, but
is helping International Bird Rescue
Research Center (IBRRC) feed and
care for thousands of orphan ducklings.
Between April 19 through
24, every battery dropped off at
locations in Vallejo, Vacaville,
Fairfield and Napa, will put $2
into IBRRC’s orphan duckling
fund. Last year, the bird rescue
center, located on the edge of Suisun
Marsh in Cordelia, successfully
raised and released nearly 1,000
ducklings including mallards, wood
ducks and gadwalls.
This year, the center
is hoping to break records for the
battery roundup and collect as many
batteries as they can. The duckling
enclosure they have designs for,
is $15,000 short of funds, and unless
a better enclosure can be built,
staff fears ducklings may have to
be turned away.
“We were really
stretched to the limit last year,”
said Michelle Bellizzi, rehabilitation
manager for the center. “We
desperately need a new duckling
enclosure, and more volunteers,
because we take ducklings from five
surrounding counties. This year’s
Great Battery Roundup could be the
answer.”
Unfortunately, every
year more than seven million batteries
are illegally dumped in natural
areas like rivers and streams, end
up in landfills or the corner or
someone’s garage. This doesn’t
have to be; used vehicle batteries
can be recycled, conserving 99 percent
of the salvageable lead, sulfuric
acid and petrochemicals. Tragically,
only 95 percent of batteries are
recycled, leaving millions of batteries
leaching lead and sulfuric acid
into the environment. Lead has a
serious impact on human health and
children are particularly susceptible.
Lead poisoning can cause behavioral
problems and learning disabilities.
For waterfowl, lead ingestion almost
always leads to death.
Deposit Sites
The Great Battery Roundup
drop off locations that benefit
IBRRC are as follows:
Napa:
Napa Valley Tow, 265 Silverado Trail,
707-252-3000,
Mon-Fri 8:00-5:00
Vacaville:
Vacaville Tow, 56 Commerce Place,
707-448-6340,
Mon-Fri 8:00-5:00; Sat 8:00-12:00
Vallejo:
Wiler’s Towing, 1340 Lemon
Street, 707-642-5108,
Mon-Fri 7:00-4:00; Sat 8:00-1:00
Fairfield:
Roadrunner Tow, 1950 Walters Court.
707-437-6148,
Mon-Fri 8:00-5:00
If you don’t have
batteries to recycle, but would
like to contribute to the IBRRC
Orphan Duckling Fund or our other
programs, please go here:
Remember these Safety
Tips: Wear gloves and safety glasses
when handling batteries. Place them
upright in a cardboard box or plastic
container when transporting them
for recycling. If the battery case
is cracked or leaking, be especially
careful to choose a leak-proof container.
Do not smoke or expose batteries
to an open flame, and make certain
they will not shift or tip over
in a moving vehicle.
Return to list of
press releases
Media contact:
Karen Benzel, International Bird Rescue Research
Center, karen@ibrrc.org
Office: (831) 622-7588
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