Northern
Shenandoah Valley
Audubon Society
(NSVAS)
The Northern Shenandoah Valley Audubon Society supports conservation efforts to preserve remaining habitat, to provide suitable substitute habitat and to clean up contaminated habitat for the protection and survival of wild animals, birds and plants identified as protected or threatened. We are a Chapter of the National Audubon Society and join them in raising awareness of important ecological issues.
Gulf of Mexico - Offshore Oil Rig Explosion and Oil Spill - 2010
NEWS FROM THE AUDUBON NETWORK - May 27thAUDUBON ON THE FRONTLINES OF GULF OIL SPILL
It has been over one month since the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion triggered what Audubon President Dr. Frank Gill has described as a "disaster in slow motion." Audubon's rapid response made us the first non-profit group to have volunteers on the ground when U.S. Fish & Wildlife needed them, and our volunteer response effort continues to grow - thanks to 13,000 volunteers who heeded the call on our website.
Mississippi River and Louisiana Coastal Initiative staff have joined with the Audubon of Florida team and national science and policy staff for both emergency response and long-term recovery planning. Audubon magazine is taking web visitors on location with daily reports with riveting photos, great journalism and sometimes heartbreaking perspective, http://magblog.audubon.org/oil-spill
Learn which of Audubon's Gulf Coast Important Bird Areas are being impacted or threatened by the spill at this new interactive map.
Briefly, 7 IBAs have been hit thus far:
Louisiana - Significant amounts of oil on beaches and in marshes and oiled birds and wildlife in Barataria-Terrebonne, Iles Dernieres-Timbalier Islands, Active Delta and Chandeleur Islands IBAs.
Chenier Plain IBA has oil on beaches but no evidence of oiled birds yet. (Paul J. Rainey Wildlife Sanctuary and Marsh Island)
Mississippi- Gulf Islands National Seashore (Ship Island unit has oil residue and oiled seabird videotaped by volunteer)
Alabama- Oil residue on beach at Dauphin Island IBA
Melanie Driscoll, Greg Butcher, David Ringer, and Mark LaSalle were instrumental in bringing Audubon's message about the spill's impacts on birds and wildlife to newspaper readers, radio listeners, web surfers and television watchers around the globe. To date, our communications efforts have yielded 2,400 media hits, including many major outlets. The following are only a few highlights.
Author Doug Brinkley writes on Roosevelt visit to Audubon Important Bird Area hit by oil spill in Yale 360 http://bit.ly/clpPjG
Audubon's Melanie Driscoll on NPR; discusses impacts on ecosystem & birds http://n.pr/atKdiq
CBS Evening News Jeff Corwin with Audubon's Greg Butcher & Melanie Driscoll http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/05/07/eveningnews/main6468908.shtml
Dr. Frank Gill opinion piece on CNN http://bit.ly/cYiXnF
Audubon provides expertise for front page New York Times graphic http://nyti.ms/dClzdy
Reuters reports: Audubon Important Bird Areas threatened by oil spill http://bit.ly/9sG0IJ
"It could be the strikeout punch," for the
Brown Pelican, says Dr. Greg Butcher,
http://bit.ly/aq5KT7
Paul Kemp, VP of Audubon Louisiana Coastal Initiative, comments on berm plan http://bit.ly/9aLoXC
Living on Earth Talks to Audubon's Melanie Driscoll http://bit.ly/dBrc4P
Audubon President Dr. Frank Gill Warns of Impact of Gulf Oil Spill http://bit.ly/dsCgDC
Dr Frank Gill and ten other conservation leaders sent a letter to President Obama urging "more direct oversight of public safety protection, environmental monitoring, and environmental testing in response to the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.: http://bit.ly/bscDEx
Mike Daulton commented on American Power act: "The Gulf Coast oil spill disaster is another vivid reminder that we can't afford to feed our oil addiction and promote the same old energy policies of yesterday." http://www.enewspf.com/index.php/latest-news/science-a-environmental/16304-audubon-leader-comments-on-proposed-american-power-act
Audubon has also received an outpouring of
support for our efforts, from volunteers, donors, and others - including our
Twitter followers and Facebook fans. One of them is a ten-year old New Yorker
who is finding fame and helping to raise funds with her drawings of birds.
http://bit.ly/bFSY9q
One of the best ways to keep up to date on Audubon's response and media coverage is to follow us on Twitter. www.twitter.com/audubonsociety
May 4th Report
Audubon Conservation, Communications, and Mississippi & Louisiana staff have been working non-stop since the first indication that the oil spill in the Gulf had the potential to become an environmental catastrophe.
Melanie Driscoll, Audubon's Louisiana Director of Bird Conservation was among the first wildlife experts to focus media attention on the birds and habitats at risk. David Ringer, Communications Coordinator for Audubon's Mississippi River initiative, as well others from throughout Audubon have also brought the Audubon perspective to media outlets coast to coast - and around the globe. This strategic communications effort has yielded over 500 media hits on the oil spill within the past 10 days, including NBC Nightly News, the New York Times and CNN.
Most important, our coverage is helping to generate awareness and commitment to the important conservation work that will lay ahead.
News Highlights
The New York Times: http://nyti.ms/dClzdy
Audubon's Melanie Driscoll on NBC Nightly News: http://mms.tveyes.com/Transcript.asp?StationID=944&DateTime=4%2F30%2F2010+5%3A35%3A44+PM&Term=Audubon+Society&PlayClip=TRUE
Dr. Frank Gill's opinion piece on CNN: http://bit.ly/cYiXnF
USA TODAY: How you Can Help: http://bit.ly/a3clfY
Endangered Terns on Gulf Coast in Path of Oil Spill: Audubon video http://bit.ly/9sVMJP
Audubon's Melanie Driscoll talks about what it's like on the front lines of the oil spill: http://bit.ly/bYPWOT
National Audubon Society on Gulf Oil Disaster How You Can Help: http://bit.ly/aBEQsA
"It could be devastating," said David Ringer of Audubon's Mississippi River Initiative: http://nyti.ms/dlzLgj
The Gulf oil slick hits the coast and coats birds while groups take action: http://bit.ly/dzfumX
Audubon's Melanie Driscoll Talks To National Geographic About Threats to Brown Pelican: http://bit.ly/drrbVT
BBC: Audubon warns of Catastrophe at Important Bird Areas along Gulf photos: http://bit.ly/9AeVwu
Audubon Center on coast of Mississippi prepares for oil spill. Video: http://bit.ly/cD4sWQ
Audubon's Melanie Driscoll Describes Potential "Catastrophic" damage to birds along Louisiana Coast:NPR Morning Edition: http://n.pr/8ZNAwr
Reuters reports: Audubon Important Bird Areas threatened by oil spill: http://bit.ly/9sG0IJ
Unfortunately, as we prepared to release this special edition of Newswire we have just learned the Oil Slick Has Hit Louisiana Chandeleur Islands, where about 3,000 brown pelicans, Louisiana's state bird recently delisted as an Endangered Species, are nesting and laying eggs. http://bit.ly/cDwIUt
To Keep up with What Audubon Is Doing please follow us on www.twitter.com/audubonsociety and at www.audubon.org
Shenandoah Audubon
Copyright © 2010
Last modified:
June 14, 2010