The Oil Spill: What to Do Locally and What NOT to Do

With the growing oil spill disaster close at heart to residents of Sarasota County, Sarasota Audubon is making several recommendations.

• Most importantly, do not attempt to clean the beaches by removing natural debris from the shoreline. This time of year our beaches provide the nesting sites for many different species of birds whose nests are often camouflaged. Eggs can blend in perfectly with the sand, are hard to see and are easily stepped on and can be inadvertently crushed. Moving beach litter from the shoreline into dunes and areas above the high water line will lead to impacts to nesting birds and could result in damage to the dunes.
• Connect with Save Our Seabirds to volunteer your time locally. This agency’s leadership is certified for work with birds and wildlife directly impacted by oil.
• Follow alerts issued by Audubon of Florida, coordinating funding and volunteer activities statewide that will help with oil spill impacts to our wildlife. You can also volunteer with them to help with the effort outside of Sarasota County.
• Consider making a donation to Save our Seabirds (http://www.savourseabirds.org/; telephone number 388-3010) or Wildlife Center of Venice (http://www.wildlifecenterofvenice.org/; telephone number: 484-9657) for wildlife rehabilitation