Kinship Circle is focused on wildlife harmed in the Deepwater Horizon disaster. We partner with World Animal Awareness Society to:

• Comb beaches, estatuaries, nesting grounds and open waters — traveling hundreds of miles daily in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida — to find distressed animals and map the oil's present and long-term impact.


• Locate and report suffering animals to area Unified Command Centers.


• Give GPS coordinates and details on oiled wildlife — that expedite rescue and save lives.


• Embed on planes and boats with US Fish And Wildlife, Coast Guard and other agencies/officials to monitor oil damage and wildlife impacts.


• Document the oil disaster's influence on animal habitat and survival.


• Maintain a real-time map that charts our journey in photos, videos, interviews, news.

KINSHIP CIRCLE AND WA2S ALL EYES ON THE GULF (AEOTG) TEAM 1 MEMBERS, IN JUNE, FROM LT TO RT: (back row) Documentary filmmaker Tom McPhee and his son Kevin, (front row) Kinship Circle's Bonnie Morrison, Tania Velasco and Rachel Laskowski, Plaquemines Parish coastal director P.J. Hahn, Kinship Circle's Cheri Deatsch and Sister Michael Marie, AEOTG's Jon Shurtz. Photo (c) WA2S-Kinship Circle





OCTOBER 2010
Ecosystems As Far As Canada In Turmoil From Oil Crisis

SUBMITTED BY: Michelle Way
NEWS MEDIA: BP spill threatens a third of Canadian gannets, CBS NEWS

NEW OIL DETECTED
► 10/12/10, GULF OF MEXICO: Though plugged in July, oil from BP's rig explosion still washes ashore. An American Birding Association expedition describes Gulf Shores, AL beaches overwhelmed with oil stench… “Floating oil in Barataria Bay north of Grand Terre Island was reddish, snotty stuff in linear slicks, extending down into the water column.” READ MORE


SUCCESS! TURTLE HATCHLINGS SPARED
► 10/9/10, FLORIDA, ALABAMA: As oil closed in on Florida and Alabama beaches, a zero-hour effort to save endangered sea turtles began. Officials and volunteers unearthed turtle eggs by the thousands and moved them to Kennedy Space Center to hatch. Kinship-WA2S teams were involved with relocation of Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle eggs at Gulf Islands National Seashore. U.S. Fish-Wildlife reports that of 25,000 transferred eggs, 14,676 hatched babies have been released into oil-free waters. READ MORE


LINE OF DEATH
► 10/4/10, GULF OF MEXICO: AP's Rich Matthews dives into the Gulf of Mexico and finds a clear line between living and dead creatures on oil rig supports. A delineation marks where life ends and death begins, with virtually nothing alive above 35 feet. Scientists are uncertain, but say probability is high that reef damage comes from toxic dispersants and oil.


BACK TO TOP - FIELD NOTES LIST SEPTEMBER 2010
Spike In Dead Birds Expected; Other Gulf Species At Risk

SUBMITTED BY: Michelle Way
CONTRIBUTORS: CNN iREPORT by Darlene M. Eschete (photographer and resident oil monitor who led a Kinship Circle-WA2S boat team through Barrier Islands off Terrebonne Parish) Louisiana Barrier Island, Raccoon Point; PJ Hahn, Plaquemines Parish Coastal Management Director; On Wings Of Care

BABY WHALE DEAD
► 9/13/10, SOUTHWEST PASS, PLAQUEMINES PARISH, LA: A deceased baby whale washes ashore. Plaquemines Coastal Management Director PJ Hahn is with state Fish and Wildlife as they collect the animal. The Gulf of Mexico is home to roughly 1600 resident whales. Only adult males leave. Females and their young remain in the Gulf throughout their lives.


EXPECTATIONS GROW OF A SPIKE IN DEAD BIRDS
► 9/7/10, RACCOON AND WHISKEY ISLANDS, OFF HOUMA, LOUISIANA: Scientists begin to search Raccoon and Whiskey Islands for birds. Nesting colonies off Terrebonne Parish, previously off limits, will be scoured for about two weeks. Rhonda Murgatroyd, owner of Wildlife Response Services under BP contract for bird recovery, says scientists did not seize oiled birds in rookeries due to risk of disturbing nesting birds and their young. “There was a big outcry about leaving these oiled birds,” Murgatroyd said. Louisiana has about 140 nesting colonies. As of 9/5/10, responders have collected 1,531 live oiled birds and 3,261 dead birds. In June, Kinship Circle volunteers spotted oiled Royal Tern babies along shores of Queen Bess Island, LA. But personnel authorized to handle animals could not risk “trampling” the island as birds nested. We later learned that all these babies perished. Baby birds of species that nest near shores are easily oiled. Active chicks wander along shorelines as crude-stained waters roll in.


BACK TO TOP - FIELD NOTES LIST SEPTEMBER 5 2010
Wildlife Photographer Darlene Eschete Revisits Racoon Island — Dead Dolphin We Reported Is Still There!

EXCERPTS FROM: DARLENE ESCHETE, CNN iREPORT Louisiana Barrier Island, Raccoon Point
LOCATION: Raccoon Island And Barrier Islands Off Terrebonne Parish

9/5/10: I returned to the island I had visited 9 days ago, Coon Point, on a chartered boat with Shawn Carey (Migration Productions), Drew Wheelan (ABA) and Charles Bush (photographer). They wanted to see what others and I have seen… dead birds and the dead dolphin washed ashore that (Kinship Circle's Brenda Shoss had phoned in) to the BP Houma Command Center Hotline. Our Captain, Bob Lake, took us to the island's eastern point… First, I came across a dead laughing gull. Then another and another. We saw hundreds of terns and thousands of pelicans perched on the rock jetties and sand bar. Many species of waterfowl were present. But, mostly pelicans. An estimated 3000-4000 pelicans remain, from 10,000 strong previously. We counted 16 dead birds, but I'm sure there were more. All badly decomposed, mostly feathers and bones. I noticed black weathered oil on rocks. At mangroves where pelicans still nested, I scanned the area for dead birds. I saw none. Younger pelicans, still perched in nests, were white with a touch of brown in their feathers. Making our way back to the surf side, we traveled about a half mile westward and came upon the dolphin spotted nine days ago. It had decomposed pretty bad. The skin took on a rubberized, black look except for the bright orange paint that was sprayed across the body by Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Department. “LDWF” it read, in big, bright, orange letters. It was sickening to see an eyeball had popped out of a socket! Just thinking about how this mammal died… The trauma and pain must have felt devastating. Why did they use so many toxins in our water? If the oil didn't kill, then dispersants mixed with oil did… Others I've called in may have survived. That makes each day I do this worthwhile. MORE

BACK TO TOP - FIELD NOTES LIST SEPTEMBER 1-4 2010
Black Pellets In The Surf; Another Gulf Oil Platform Explodes

SUBMITTED BY: June Towler and Traci Dawson, Kinship Circle Team #7
LOCATION: REGION #2 — Dauphine Island, Alabama

Below, oil is found inside a dead crab at Pensacola Beach, FL. Photos (c) WA2S-Kinship. While interviewing Leann Sarco, we witness relocation of nearly 700 hermit crabs. Sarco, a Grande Isle Louisiana State Park Ranger, seeks supplies and volunteers to support her Hermit Crab Survival Project. Contact Leann Sarco.


On 9/4/10, Plaquemines Parish Coastal Management Director PJ Hahn tells Kinship's Rachel Laskowski: “We've found so many dead hermit crabs, it's unbelievable! This week hundreds of starfish washed up along Pass Chaland. I was too busy to photograph the event, but we had contractors take pictures.”

We also interview wild-animal photographer Darlene Eschete, who reports oiled animals and documents oil impacts. Her emotions run high when speaking about dead birds she has seen. Eschete has just reported a lethargic gull, who flies away as we film. We are still on site when a U.S. Fish-Wildlife boat arrives. Volunteer Craig Hill films the interaction between Eschete and USFW. The agency tells a story about a pelican they proudly rescued who now inhabits Audubon Zoo. Drew Wheelan of American Birding Association later joins us for an interview about his experiences on Grande Isle. He tells us about Royal Tern chick deaths on Queen Bess Island and confesses regret about not rescuing an oiled pelican who swam across the boom to an island. Wheelan is highly qualified, but threatened with fines if he handles animals.


BACK TO TOP - FIELD NOTES LIST AUG 22-31 2010
Rescued Sea Turtle Update At Audubon Aquarium

SUBMITTED BY: Brenda Shoss, Kinship Circle Director, Team #7
LOCATION: REGION #1 — Audubon Aquarium of the Americas, New Orleans, Louisiana

BACK TO TOP - FIELD NOTES LIST AUG 22-31 2010
We Find Oiled Pelican And Dead Dolphin In Barrier Islands

SUBMITTED BY: Brenda Shoss, Director, Team #7
LOCATION: REGION #1 — Raccoon Island And Barrier Islands Off Terrebonne Parish

CHECKING OUT BAYOU SWAMPS AND MORE ON OILED HERMIT CRABS
SUBMITTED BY: Fred Groeger and Jane Allen, Team #6
LOCATION: Atchafalaya National Wildlife Refuge
► SITES-ACTIVITIES, 8/26/10: We head west to explore the bayou, specifically Sherburne Wildlife Management, Atchafalaya National Wildlife Refuge and Bayou Des Ourses. The region is mostly swamp with a levee to the left and campgrounds. As we continue north through the refuge, we spot many turtles, a small rat snake, one young alligator and a broad-winged hawk. No oil is seen.

SUBMITTED BY: Rachel McKay Laskowski and Craig Hill, Kinship Circle Team #7
LOCATION: REGION #2 — Ocean Springs, Mississippi
► SITES-ACTIVITIES, 8/26/10: Darcie J. Graham, M.S. Research Associate, describes detection of oil and dispersants in crabs. She says they work in conjunction with Tulane University's crab project in Grand Isle, LA. In an interview with veterinarian James M. Askew, of Threatened and Endangered Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation, we learn about a large Kemp's Ridley turtle who cannot be released due to the oil disaster.


RESEARCHERS SEE DECLINE IN WHALE SHARK SIGHTINGS
SUBMITTED BY: Rachel McKay Laskowski and Craig Hill, Kinship Circle Team #7
LOCATION: REGION #2 — Ocean Springs, Mississippi
► SITES-ACTIVITIES, 8/25/10: We visit Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, University of Southern Mississippi, to interview Jim Franks, Senior Research Scientist. As a large fish specialist, he worries about oil impact on the Blue Tuna. We also speak to Jill M. Hendon, Fisheries Biologist, about Whale Sharks that have been swimming in oil. She is concerned about the fate of these top feeders and notes that their numbers have decreased. Harriet Perry, Director of the Center for Fisheries Research and Development, concedes off-camera that her legal staff advises her to not talk about oil and dispersants in crabs.


WILL DISPERSANTS KILL BACTERIA THAT DIGESTS OIL?
SUBMITTED BY: Rachel McKay Laskowski and Craig Hill, Kinship Circle Team #7
LOCATION: REGION #2 — Panacea, Florida
► SITES-ACTIVITIES, 8/24/10: First stop is Gulf Specimen Marine Lab in Panacea, FL to meet with Victor Spencer for an in-depth tour. We interview him about a Kemp's Ridley turtle with bacteria decay. This turtle with a disintegrating shell was found at an unusual location in August. Pollution triggered the bacteria that killed him and Victor feels the oil and dispersants may be a root cause. We discuss tests for water contamination, including university studies that show dispersants are killing plankton. Victor asks: Will dispersants also kill the bacteria that digest oil (bioremediation)?


OILY STRANDS IN WATER; NOW MORE DEAD OIL BIRDS THEN LIVE ONES
SUBMITTED BY: Fred Groeger and Jane Allen, Kinship Circle Team #6
LOCATION: REGION #1 — Venice, Louisiana and Hammond, Louisiana
► SITES-ACTIVITIES, 8/23/10: Kinship Circle's Fred Groeger embeds with Chris Pincetich of Sea Turtle Restoration Project (STRP). At 39 miles out from Venice, LA, divers submerge in wet suits while Chris snorkels near an oil rig. Chris and Scott Procter return with coral samples to assess. Divers report two black tip sharks, one Kemp's Ridley turtle, a large redfish, and many smaller fishes. Fish numbers are down.

Experienced diver Deb Castellana, of Bluewater, refuses to enter the water because she doesn't “like the look of it.” At one spot, the water is a dark olive green rather than its normal blue-green. Divers say ropey strands hang in the water. On our return to Venice, we stop three times to observe naturally occurring “foam fractation” flecked with brown spots and strings believed to be oil. Both boats gather samples for analysis and we record GPS coordinates. We see no sign of U.S. Fish and Wildlife, Coast Guard or BP.

On a separate track, Kinship Circle's Jane Allen is in Hammond, LA to tour International Bird Rescue Research Center. A bird with “old oil” is used to demonstrate clean-up. IBRRC Executive Director Jay Holcomb says older oil never completely comes off. Many “old oiled birds” are now brought in from rookeries where earlier rescue would have caused extensive damage to un-hatched eggs. IBBRC sees roughly 4-5 oiled birds daily, mostly fledglings, with 10 oiled birds in house. A total 220 birds are on-site, compared to over 500 birds (150 laughing gulls, young pelicans and spoonbills) two weeks ago. Oiled birds are stabilized, cleaned and released in Florida, Georgia and Texas.


TURTLES, DOLPHINS, AND BEACH CLEANUPS
SUBMITTED BY: Fred Groeger and Jane Allen, Kinship Circle Team #6
LOCATION: REGION #1 — New Orleans, Louisiana and Waveland, Mississippi
► SITES-ACTIVITIES, 8/22/10: We visit Audubon Aquarium where three rescued Kemp's Ridley sea turtles recover. About 20 turtles and one dolphin now reside at the Freeport-McMoRan Audubon Species Survival Center on the Westbank in New Orleans. We then travel to Waveland, Mississippi to meet Chris Pincetich of Sea Turtle Restoration Project. Chris digs for oil reportedly three feet down in the beach sand. At 18 ft. he finds no sign of oil. Volunteers then drive along the shore, photographing portable lights spaced several hundred yards apart. Beach cleaners work under these lights at night, to avoid daytime heat.


BACK TO TOP - FIELD NOTES LIST AUG 7-20 2010
3,000 Dead Laughing Gulls. Why Doesn't The Public Know?

SUBMITTED BY: Fred Groeger and Jane Allen, Kinship Circle Team #6
LOCATION: REGION #1 — LA: Grand Isle, Mangrove Isle, Bay Jimmy, Queen Bess Isle

WHY DOESN'T THE PUBLIC KNOW MORE?
We learn that 3,000 laughing gulls (like bird in top right photo at at Fort De Soto Park, Pinellas County, FL) are dead from oil. Yet this death toll is publicly unknown. Volunteer Rachel Laskowski photographed hundreds of Royal Terns and their babies along oily edges of Queen Bess Island. Yellow chicks were stained brown (bottom photo). American Birding Assoc. Director Drew Wheelan tells us all these babies have since died. Photos (c) WA2S-Kinship


DEEPWATER RIG IS “DEAD, DEAD, DEAD.” WHAT ABOUT ANIMALS?
SUBMITTED BY: Fred Groeger and Jane Allen, Kinship Circle Team #6
LOCATION: REGION #1 — Venice, Louisiana

► SITES-ACTIVITIES, 8/19/10: We attend a press conference with Interior Secretary Ken Salazar. A boat tour will visit restored parts of Delta National Wildlife Refuge — 49,000 acres with imperiled species such as the American alligator, brown pelican and Arctic peregrine falcon — closed to the public since April. Once there we're told only “pooled press” may join Sec. Salazar in the refuge. The restriction strikes us as odd since ALL EYES ON THE GULF has been in the field identified as documentarians for months. We stay to film the news briefing, which includes NOAA Administrator Jane Lobchenco and EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson. Sec. Salazar declares that “we're nearing the end of Chapter One of this disaster.” Over the next 10-15 days, the Deepwater Horizon rig will be “dead, dead, dead.” Chapter Two will cover cleanup and restoration. EPA's Lisa Jackson delivers a personal message about her own heritage as a third-generation Louisianan. NOAA's Jane Lebchenco speaks briefly about the future, touching more upon restoration.


OIL DISASTER IS GOOD NEWS IF YOU ARE A SHRIMP!
SUBMITTED BY: Fred Groeger and Jane Allen, Kinship Circle Team #6
LOCATION: REGION #1 — In Louisiana: Venice, Belle Chasse, Port Sulfur, Bura

► SITES-ACTIVITIES, 8/18/10: First, we tour Plaquemines Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) in Belle Chasse with Jacob Stroman. The tiny rescue (20 dogs, 80 cats) moves to larger digs in September. PAWS can only verify two oil-related surrenders, though Mr. Stroman notes a dramatic rise in drop-offs since the spill. He is unable to confirm cause. We next visit Myrtle Grove Marina, Port Sulfur. We interview a local resident, off the record, about his unofficial test of Evolve, a natural cleaning agent. Our stop at Joshuas Marina in Buras, LA reveals many shrimp boats, grounded by oil.

MOST AGREE THAT LONG-TERM OIL IMPACTS ARE UNKNOWN
SUBMITTED BY: Dennis Pickersgill and Jua-Lezza Ayala, Kinship Circle Team #5
LOCATION: REGION #1 — Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary, Louisiana

► SITES-ACTIVITIES, 8/11/10: We meet with Public Involvement Coordinator Mel Landry at the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program. Next door at Nicolls State University, Landry stores animal supplies. Donations, received at Grand Isle, support Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries. An EPA grant funds Landry's initiative, not BP. In part, the program operates as a nonprofit that can accept donations. We ask Landry for his overview of the oil crisis. He notes less clean-up crews, but says wildlife efforts are still underway. He says long-term impacts are unknown and that a nationwide response will endure for some time.


THREE OIL DISASTERS: SHORELINES, WATERWAYS, DEEP WATERS
SUBMITTED BY: Dennis Pickersgill and Jua-Lezza Ayala, Kinship Circle Team #5
LOCATION: REGION #1 — Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana

► SITES-ACTIVITIES, 8/10/10: We meet with P.J. Hahn, Director of Coastal Management in Plaquemines Parish, who is unable to give us a formal interview. He wants permission from parish president Billy Nungesser, but agrees to speak off the record. He shows us video and photos that span early-stage oil relief to the present. Despite a government/BP rosy picture, Hahn believes that dangerous oil lurks underneath waters and beach sands. He shares disturbing footage of black ooze bubbling from a crab hole that his colleague has stepped on. We suggest Hahn revisit these spots for a then/now type comparison.

Upon leaving, we bump into Oky Flemming, inventor of the “Oilevator” device that extracts oil below surface levels. He assures us his device is marine-life safe. BP has yet to connect with him, even though below-surface oil removal has no set regimen. Later we meet with Samantha, a marine biologist, and Deb, both from Ocean Blue, at the Astor hotel. They've viewed oil from the skies and stress a perspective we've not heard before. There are three oil spills: One occurs on shorelines, another in open waters. The third takes place in deep waters. From a scientific stance, Samantha says finned fish will survive. But filter feeders such as oysters, shrimps, and crabs will need years of restoration that Samantha thinks BP should fund.


1,415 BIRDS RECOVER AT HAMMOND WILDLIFE REHAB CENTER
SUBMITTED BY: Dennis Pickersgill and Jua-Lezza Ayala, Kinship Circle Team #5
LOCATION: REGION #1 — Hammond Wildlife Rehab Center in Hammond, Louisiana

► SITES-ACTIVITIES, 8/9/10: Today's tour at Hammond Wildlife Rehab Center reveals ample space and equipment for wildlife recovery. Oil impacted birds are received daily. Yesterday's intake of 20 birds brings Hammond's present total to 400, with several ready for release. To date this center has rehabilitated 1,415 birds, mainly pelicans and laughing gulls. They also help turtles and other bird species. No cleaned birds have returned, which suggests oil cleanup is working. We observe pelican washing, a skill for qualified experts only because it is extremely stressful for animals. A BP rep is always on hand. So far, there have been no problems negotiating supply needs for a humane wildlife recovery effort.


BACK TO TOP - FIELD NOTES LIST AUGUST 3-6 2010
NOAA Finds Loggerhead Turtle With Disintegrated Fins

SUBMITTED BY: Dennis Pickersgill, Jua-Lezza Ayala, Kinship Circle Team #5
LOCATION: REGION #2 — LA: Gulf Breezes, Florida; Gulf Shores, Alabama

BACK TO TOP - FIELD NOTES LIST JULY 26-28 2010
Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin Is Dead On Key Largo Shores

SUBMITTED BY: Darla J. Wolak, Kinship Circle
LOCATION: REGION #3 — Key Largo, in South Florida

► SITES-ACTIVITIES, 7/28/10: Marine Mammal Conservancy (MMC), in Key Largo, FL, receives a call from U.S. Fish and Wildlife about a deceased dolphin. With MMC responders on alert, a boat is deployed to retrieve the animal and a necropsy is scheduled. As a previously trained volunteer with MMC, Kinship Circle's Darla Wolak is able to participate in the event. MMC's director recovers a dead Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin whose organs are exposed. It takes four strong men and a towrope to haul the 6-foot dolphin ashore and hoist him onto a truckbed for transfer to the necropsy area. Everyone uses Vicks menthol rub to mask an overpowering smell of decomposition. Initial necropsy results reveal highly unusual parasites in the animal's lungs and suggest death is parasiste related. A shark attack occurred post-mortem. Sample analysis will provide more answers.

Photo (c) Darla Wolak, Kinship Circle 2010 All marine mammal deaths are tested for oil impacts. In a necropsy, the dolphin's wounds and internal organs are examined. Life history samples, along with toxicology tests, are preserved before the carcass is disposed.

ENDANGERED SEA TURTLE EGGS MOVED FROM PATH OF OIL
SUBMITTED BY: Brian Truitt and Shawndra Michell, Kinship Circle Team #4
LOCATION: REGION #2 — Gulf Breezes, FL; Gulf Shores, AL

► SITES-ACTIVITIES, 7/23/10: Today we document the excavation and relocation of 89 Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle eggs at Gulf Islands National Seashore, Fort Pickens Area. Anne Callenia and other U.S. Parks and Recreation employees meet with our team, press, and citizens there to witness the excavation. At the excavation site, key staff include: Nina Kelson, Acting Superintendent of U.S. Parks and Recreation Department; Rick Clark, Science and Resources Management; Lorna Patrick, USFWS Sea Turtle Biologist; LTC. Louis Roberson, Regional Director of Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission; Mark Nicholas, District Biologist with Gulf Islands National Seashore; and Lisa M. McInnis, NPS Resource Advisor.

The excavation begins at 5:00 pm. For the next 25 minutes, excavation staff delicately gather golf-ball size eggs from nests, to lay them in Styrofoam coolers filled with sand from the nesting area. The coolers, cushioned with shock absorbing pallets, are transported to Cape Canaveral in a climate-controlled tractor-trailer. Upon arrival, the eggs are stored in a temperature-regulated warehouse on Kennedy Space Center grounds until they hatch. BP has spent more than $3 million on Gulf Coast sea turtle relocation.

After the excavation we return to Gulf Chores, AL, where a beach walk reveals more oil pollution. As the tide recedes, dark brown sheen remains. Oil balls litter beaches. No people enter the water. Seashells, crabs, seaweed and other life forms are absent. Kinship's Shawndra Michell has experienced headaches, nausea, nosebleeds and fatigue — during most of our deployment — and agrees to let Brian Truitt film her. Driving west on Highway 182, we find a BP dumping zone where workers bag tar balls and other oil waste for mass burial in a landfill. They work without safety equipment or respirators.

An oiled Laughing Gull is repeatedly washed and rinsed in a long session at Theodore Wildlife.

RESCUED BIRDS, TAR-BALL MOUNDS, AND MILLIONS OF DEAD FISH
SUBMITTED BY: Brian Truitt and Shawndra Michell, Kinship Circle Team #4
LOCATION: REGION #2 — Theodore, AL; Gulfport, MS; Gulf Springs, AL

► SITES-ACTIVITIES, 7/24/10: We are at Theodore Wildlife Rehabilitation Center where Wildlife Ops Branch Chief Ken Rice begins our tour with an explanation of focus areas:
1) Oil impact on sensitive lands, i.e., federal lands, barrier islands.
2) Oil effects and response to soiled wildlife.
3) Continuing development of rehabilitation centers.

Per USFWS daily consolidated reports, as of July 22, 2010:
BIRDS Collected Alive: 1397, Collected Dead: 2599, Released: 551
TURTLES Collected Alive: 226, Collected Dead: 483, Released: 177
MAMMALS Collected Alive: 5, Collected Dead: 62, Released: 1
OTHER REPTILES Collected Alive: 1, Collected Dead: 1, Released: 0

We travel to Gulfport, MS to follow reports about Millions Of Fish Wash Ashore in Jones Park. A municipal worker tells us that BP quickly disposed of all fish. People are eerily reticent to talk about the mass death. Gulfport's coast is now colored deep chocolate. Our day ends in Gulf Shores, AL. Oil balls litter beaches here. Tar balls are scattered over tire tracks from BP's sand-moving behemoths. These oil globs are weird, sort of like deep-fried seaweed shellacked in stiff molasses.


BACK TO TOP - FIELD NOTES LIST JULY 10 2010
A Keen Eye For Oiled Wildlife Saves Lives

SUBMITTED BY: Jonathan Shurtz, with WA2S Executive Director Tom McPhee
LOCATION: REGION #2 — Pass Christian and Gulf Port, in Mississippi; Daphne, Alabama

BACK TO TOP - FIELD NOTES LIST JUNE 28-JULY 5 2010
Dead Dolphin, Possibly Pregnant, Ashore In Mississippi

SUBMITTED BY: Jonathan Shurtz, with WA2S Film Director Tom McPhee
LOCATION: REGION #2 — Pass Christian, Mississippi

► SITES-ACTIVITIES, 7/5/10: Tom McPhee and I interview Alan Schwartz, Large Transport Operator for Sumter County, FL Disaster Animal Response Team. His 45-foot climate-controlled truck for animal transport has space for surgeries and can even serve as temp housing. He)s available to transport birds from rehab to the airport for release. At the Mississippi coastline I photograph tar balls, dead fish, and a lot of July 4th trash. Dispersant residue is evident too. We interview cleaning crews and locals. While driving along the shoreline at Pass Christian beach, we see a waterside truck with people in masks holding a tarp. Tom asks me to investigate. At the scene, I see the carcass of a large (roughly 100km) female bottlenose dolphin. The dolphin is weighed and tested to discern if pregnant at death. She is abnormally large, with oil residue around her mouth.

ESCAPES & RESCUES FROM THE OIL FROM: Esther Regelson, Darla Wolak LOCATION: Grand Isle USFW Boat ► SITES-ACTIVITIES, 7/2/10: We search Grand Isle State Park for oil. Whitecaps are tinted yellow, a telltale sign. A photographer shows us a milky substance believed to be dispersant. He confirms that black “turds” washed ashore are tar balls. At the marina, we meet Alan Crabbe of Fish-Wildlife and proceed to Queen Bess Island, then Black Mangrove Island, a rookery with seabirds. USFW crew try to capture a heavily oiled pelican, but the scared bird hops beyond their reach. A circle of the island reveals a heavily oiled Roseate Spoonbill too weak to rise from water. This time, USFW agents successfully rescue the bird. BABY BIRDS STILL IN NESTS FROM: Esther Regelson, Darla Wolak LOCATION: Venice and South Pass, LA ► SITES-ACTIVITIES, 7/1/10: Kinship's Esther Regelson and Darla Wolak meet at Cypress Cove Marina in Venice, where USFW agent Bruce Miller says we have Coast Guard permission to boat, despite Hurricane Alex alerts. We cross the Mississippi into Dennis Pass, and then journey through South Pass before splitting into groups to view different regions. Oil coagulates along shores. A stretch of boom partially barricades the marsh. USFW agents look for dead birds in the marshes. Wildlife biologist David notes a distinct odor when oil nears a shore. We spot a Common Nighthawk startled from her nest. Darla sees two chicks in the sand. The babies are alive but uncommonly still. We document this odd behavior. Pelicans fly overhead and at least two look oiled. A storm forces USFW to cancel the rest of our tour. We boat back in a heavy downpour.

IN OPEN WATERS, ABOARD TANKERS
SUBMITTED BY: Esther Regelson, Darla Wolak Kinship Circle Team #2
LOCATION: REGION #1 — Venice and South Pass, in Louisiana

► SITES-ACTIVITIES, 6/30/10: From the Associated Bar Pilots Office we boat out to a tanker, then switch ships and head toward Southwest Pass. There is no visible oil around Southwest Pass until the very end where water spills over jetties. We are given little time to inspect the island itself, but do see oily grasses and shore. Scooped up grass leaves residue on hands. A pilot boat then takes us out to sea, where we board a tanker with a Japanese crew. Porpoises swim near the jetty, but open waters are too turbulent to detect oil. As we head back, oil slicks reemerge.


SOME OF THE RESCUE EFFORT IS BOUND IN RED TAPE
SUBMITTED BY: Esther Regelson, Darla Wolak Kinship Circle Team #2
LOCATION: REGION #1 — New Orleans and New Iberia, in Louisiana

► SITES-ACTIVITIES, 6/29/10: At 5:30am, Darla Wolak and Esther Regelson are en route to the airport for a pelican transport. Dr. Sharon Taylor says the AEOTGE team must film from outside the gate. Dr. Taylor then enters another building, trailed by a German documentary crew. AEOTGE volunteers follow, but are pushed out by Dr. Taylor because we are not press. Esther calls Chris Tollefson (JIC) who had authorized us, but can't reach him. By now the transport is underway so we're forced to film from a far distance. Later we drive I-10 in heavy rains and flooding to reach New Iberia. Once there, we interview Gary Shiganaka and his NOAA associates about tortoise rescue. We also speak to Louisiana Wildlife-Fisheries Department, an EPA liaison, and NOAA rep Steve Gittings, who is optimistic in the face of the spill.


BIRDS GET PEPTO BISMOL TO SOOTHE OIL INGESTION
SUBMITTED BY: Esther Regelson, Darla Wolak Kinship Circle Team #2
LOCATION: REGION #1 — New Orleans, Louisiana

► SITES-ACTIVITIES, 6/28/10: We return to IBRRC Bird Cleaning Operation to interview director Jay Holcomb. We video oil decontamination of a "masked boobie" and interview IBRRC employee Rebecca about stress coping tools for rescuers. While there, we videotape arrival of an oiled tern wrapped in a towel for veterinary exam. The bird is oral-gavaged with tubing syringe that delivers Pepto Bismol directly into his stomach and relieves oil ingestion. We learn that authorized bird groups hope to determine how to handle fledglings, since they need to be weaned with adult pelicans.


BACK TO TOP - FIELD NOTES LIST JUNE 20-25 2010
An Infinite Mess Adrift At Sea

SUBMITTED BY: Darla Wolak with Esther Regelson, Byron Wilkes, Rachel Laskowski, Team #2
LOCATION: REGION #1 — Copobrie, Louisiana and Houma, Louisiana

BACK TO TOP - FIELD NOTES LIST Reflections From Our Volunteers At The Gulf Disaster

SUBMITTED BY: Sister Michael Marie, Kinship Circle Team #2

BACK TO TOP - FIELD NOTES LIST JUNE 18-19 2010
Animals In Oil: Can Unified Command Rescue Them All?

SUBMITTED BY: Rachel Laskowski, Jon Shurtz, Tom McFee, Kevin McPhee
LOCATION: REGION #2 — Fort Morgan, Alabama and Destin, Florida

CAPT. HESSEMER'S OIL NOTES BP Unified Command contracts two boats for LA Fisheries-Wildlife to observe oil impacts. BP and Coast Guard use dispersants and napalm to break-up oil. Vessels are barred within two miles of the burn-off site, but this may soon widen due to toxicity of daily 10 sq. mile burns. Capt. Hessemer believes that seismic cables will be installed to widen barricades for animals, boats or both. Communications must be clear because burn areas shift daily. Oil oozes to the north and northeast. Capt. Hessemer has seen one southward flow about 25 miles off shore. If not cleaned, this oil strand will hit shore in several weeks. Oil is classified in three types: Thick black/red oil: About a half-inch density. Sheen: Oily surface cover. Dispersant Oil Balls: Pea-sized to golf-ball sized clumps that float two feet below surface. They've seen just one skimmer picking up oil some 54 miles offshore from Venice, LA. Wildlife: Two boats have retrieved 64 juvenile Ripley turtles and missed three who dove underwater. Most turtles are recovered near BP oilrig VK989, 30 to 40 miles from shore. Other turtles are captured near rig ELF.

Turtles, crabs and seahorses swim northwest of the site toward clean floating sea grass or seaweed that acts as a natural barrier for oil. Captain Hessemer says that a NOAA trailer had cleaned and transported turtles to the English Turn rehab facility. While NOAA handled the first 63 turtles, their trailer is now gone. Apparently an Animal Control Officer took yesterday's juvenile turtle to the Fort Jackson rehab center. I later contact Fort Jackson, but am told the turtle is no longer there…but even if he were, I could not see him without Unified Command approval. Other species: Capt. Hessemer has spotted a large pod of Spinner Dolphins in clear waters northeast of the spill and a pod of white dolphins inside an oil encirclement. He is unsure if they can escape by diving beneath oil. He's seen colored ibis 25 miles offshore in clean waters. Puffer fish, sargasum and blue runners swim beyond sea grass/seaweed boundaries. At present, several captured puffer fish are not oiled. Captains Hessemer and Aderhold welcome our presence on board, but cannot make this decision without BP-Unified Command approval. I also speak to three more charter boat captains made inactive by the oil. On a couple trips more than 140 miles at sea, they glimpse large tuna, chicken dolphins and mahi mahi. All seem to swim away from the oil.

SEA TURTLES NEED RESCUE FROM OIL-BURNING WATERS
SUBMITTED BY: Bonnie Morrison, Sister Michael Marie, Byron Wilkes, Kinship Circle Team #2
LOCATION: REGION #1 — Headquarters in New Orleans, Louisiana

► SITES-ACTIVITIES, 6/18/10: We follow up on turtle rescue involving Kevin Aderhold, owner of Strike Zone Charters. He has five boats and is under contract with BP to conduct water rescue with Blair Witherington, a research scientist with Florida Fish-Wildlife Conservatory. Aderhold says they catch 1 to 11 oiled turtles daily. He is aware of 64 turtle rescues and two deaths over the last three weeks. The turtles are brought to English Turn Species Rehab Area in Belle Chasse, Louisiana. Kinship Circle's Byron Wilkes tries to clarify whether sea turtles are burned alive when they swim through oil burnoffs. The purpose of the rescue operation, Aderhold explains, is to divert turtles from fiery waters.


BACK TO TOP - FIELD NOTES LIST JUNE 15-18 2010
Oil-Caused Income Loss Ups Companion Animal Surrenders

SUBMITTED BY: Bonnie Morrison, Kinship Team #1
LOCATION: REGION #1 – New Orleans, Louisiana

SUBMITTED BY: Bonnie Morrison, Kinship Team #1
LOCATION: REGION #1 – New Orleans and Belle Chasse, in Louisiana

► SITES-ACTIVITIES, 6/15-18/10: Over the last several days, our attention turns to other victims of this disaster: Surrendered companion animals. We begin to investigate how loss of livelihood (much like the mortgage crisis) leads to abandonment of domestic animals.

Kinship Circle's Randy Wheat, Sister Michael Marie and Bonnie Morrison interview Tessa Corthell, Jefferson Parish LASPCA Director, regarding the oil spill's impact on economy and families with companion animals. The shelter is currently filled to capacity. We next tour Animal Rescue New Orleans (ARNO) in Harahan, LA and speak with the shelter manager. Kinship Circle's Randy Wheat conducts a phone interview with ARNO Executive Director Charlotte Bass. Kinship Circle Mary Kelly arranges for AEOTGE to attend a shelter task force meeting. An attending member suggests that AEOTGE Director, Tom McPhee, set up a hotline or email for the public to report the spill's economic effects on people and their animals.

Jacob Stroman of PAWS Rescue in Belle Chasse, LA tells us this shelter does not see oil spill repercussions for companion animals. However, there is a push for pet food and pet food bank donations in Ft. Sulpher, LA. PAWS is a no-kill shelter with a waiting list. Animal guardians fluctuate from anger to pride or shame when relinquishing pets, so it is sometimes difficult to discern the real reason.


BACK TO TOP - FIELD NOTES LIST JUNE 16 2010
Engulfed in Silence And The Absence Of Birds

SUBMITTED BY: Sister Michael Marie and Randy Wheat, Kinship Team #2
LOCATION: REGION #1 — Lafitte, Louisiana; Barataria Bay, Louisiana

RESIDENTS WORRY GULF COAST WILL BECOME A DEAD ZONE
SUBMITTED BY: Bonnie Morrison, Kinship Team #1
LOCATION: REGION #1 — Base Camp in New Orleans, Louisiana

SUBMITTED BY: Sister Michael Marie, Kinship Circle Team #1
LOCATION: REGIONS #1 and #2 — New Orleans, LA and Pensacola Bay Area, FL

► SITES-ACTIVITIES: Tom McPhee and Sister leave Abita Springs for New Orleans, while Bonnie Morrison, Rachel Laskowski and Jon Shurtz go to Pensacola Bay. Our REGION #1 group surveys the Audubon Species Survival Center on a forested peninsula off the Mississippi River. This facility conducts wildlife rehab, endangered species reproduction, and marine mammal rehab. Nearly 40 oiled turtles have come through so far. We join REGION #2 team members in Pensacola to scout for oil-affected animals…

Thomas and Susan Bizzell of Pensacola offer to help procure boats and aircraft for wildlife assessment. The couple is distraught over physical and economic losses attributed to the oil. Tom feels that most residents believe the Gulf will evolve into a dead zone. The Bizzells say big network news stories are stale and incomplete. They are intrigued by the concept of our documentary and want to help record the reality of this tragedy… Daphine, AL residents Robert and Joanne Reintz generously provide their home as a volunteer base. Joanne is very upset over oil that has invaded Orange Beach and Gulf Shores. Sticky black now oozes into Mobile Bay too. Joanne hopes word spreads about the true extent of damage.


BACK TO TOP - FIELD NOTES LIST

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