Now comes the hard part.

Ever hear the old saying "the waiting is the hardest part?" Well, I can certainly agree. Training is now complete and I'm ready for "the call." I have no idea where I will go, when I will go, or even if I will go to be a part of the effort to save the gulf some of the most helpless victims of the BP oilcano. Watching this catastrophe unfold in the news is beyond heartbreaking, it is infuriating. I want someone to go to prison for this. Not just country club prison, but real, honest to goodness prison.

Because I can only speak on the wildlife aspect of this oiltastrophe with anything even approaching knowledge, I will continue to stick with what I know. 

The Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 was created with the purpose of protecting migratory birds from capture, kill, transport or any other removal from their native habitat for any purpose. It created federal prohibition (unless given specific permits) to "pursue, hunt, take, capture, kill, attempt to take, capture or kill, possess, offer for sale, sell, offer to purchase, purchase, deliver for shipment, ship, cause to be shipped, deliver for transportation, transport, cause to be transported, carry, or cause to be carried by any means whatever, receive for shipment, transportation or carriage, or export, at any time, or in any manner, any migratory bird..." It was amended in 1960 to include criminal and punitive measures for violations. Each violation would result in a fine not to exceed $2000 (later amended again to total $15,000) and possible jail time of not more than six months. On the surface this might not seem like a big deal. Wow, fifteen thousand bucks and six months of jail for such a huge catastrophe? Well, that's until you really understand the law. By "each violation" they are not talking about each incident in terms of the entire event. They are talking about each individual animal affected by the event.

Mind you, that's not even talking about Endangered Species. Specifically concerning corporations the fines for the kill or harm of an endangered species from $200,000 to $500,000. Again, that's for each individual animal.

I can only hope that there will be criminal charges brought against those responsible if/when they are ever brought to light. I remain cynical, however.  In the meantime, I sit and wait for the phone call that may or may not come.

For the oiled marshes of Southern Louisiana, it is most likely already too late. We can hope to rescue a few animals here and there and move them to a new habitat should they survive their ordeal, but this is only if there should be any habitat left and there are no guarantees of even that small miracle. We are in a race against time, and BP has deliberately slowed the effort down in the failed attempt to save face/money/their collective asses. Sadly, our federal government has allowed them to do so. I've heard people say that this is Obama's Katrina, or his 9/11. I disagree. This is something far worse. Katrina and 9/11 will pale in comparison to the destruction we are most likely to experience here, and we have brought it all upon ourselves.

Backgrounds and intros

On April 20th, 2010 the nation watched in horror as an oil drilling platform almost sixty miles off of the southwest coast of Louisiana erupted into flames and fell into the sea with agonizing slowness. Eleven workers were killed in the massive explosion and subsequent inferno.

And then there was the bad news. By April 24 we learned that initial reports that no oil was leaking had been incorrect. To the tune of 5,000 barrels spewing forth in what is currently an uncontrolled oilcano nearly a mile under the surface of the Gulf of Mexico, making it extremely difficult for BP to remedy the situation. As of this entry, all efforts to stop the oilruption have failed. We may be staring down the barrel(s) of the worst man-made environmental disaster in our nation's history, possibly that of the entire planet.

Before I became Chief Chickenthusiast of Cluck-n-Neigh Farm,  I had plans of becoming a Wildlife Biologist. To quote an old joke I heard retold by John Cleese recently, "If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans." Once I graduated from the University of Tennessee with my BS in Wildlife and Fisheries Science life threw a few curve balls my way, ending my visions of field work, research and possibly a higher degree.

Not that my life hasn't turned out for the best, mind you. Just different than I'd imagined. I was quite content to embark on the great homesteading and sustainable living adventure and to raise my chickens to be happy healthy sources of pastured eggs for those in my community who might otherwise not be able to afford such "luxury."

But the drive to "do something" in the face of tragedy is a trait that has been with me for my entire life, and I often fretted that I never had the training or skills necessary to make a difference whenever disaster struck. So when I learned of the situation in the gulf, it hit me on so many levels. As a Biologist, an environmentalist, and a Buddhist. I could not let it go. Here was a situation that I did have the knowledge and skills necessary to be of service, and all I was doing was watching the news reports and crying. After many days of obsessing about the situation and my feelings of helplessness and hopelessness, I decided it was time to put my money where my mouth is and step up. Certainly my education and skills developed over three decades of working with animals across the taxonomic spectrum could count for something!

After much annoyance it appears my tenacity has paid off. I have been accepted for training in Oiled Wildlife Response, and once my additional required 6 hour BP Module 3 oil spill response training is completed I will be able to volunteer in the Gulf region should the need arise (and I'm certain it will). When news of the decision came, I thought I would start a blog so that I could share with you my experiences. I will do what I can to document this story with video journals, photos and blogs that will offer you a closer look at the situation from "on the ground." I am no journalist, however. I don't write well, I am highly opinionated, and very emotional. So reader beware.

This post is still a work in progress. I am currently balancing my blogging with studying for my prerequisite classes in ICS (Incident Command System) for the training I will be receiving in a few days. More to come, I promise.

Continued:
Well who would have thought I'd pass a test after all these years. I have gotten FEMA ICS-100 out of the way, my first step to satisfying the requirements. Two more classes to go before I head to Mobile for my first unit of live training. So for the next 24 hours I will be cramming, testing and getting the farm situated for a short absence.