urgent hour!

Heartbreaking Photo: Oil Soaked Seagulls

It is hard to escape the live feed of oil spewing by the hundreds of thousands of gallons into the gulf. This is one of the biggest environmental disasters we have witnessed this century. We are going to see effects of this "spill" for many years to come. Everyone has seen images of oil soaked birds unable to hold themselves up, and those surely will perish if no one interferes.

The worst is yet to come. Millions of birds, from the gulf to the arctic circle, are now on their southward trip to overwinter in the warm gulf region of the United States and Central America. More and more birds are going to be showing up in the gulf and more and more are going to find their usual feeding grounds oil covered.

A safe and healthy journey between here and the oil filled waters is going to be detrimental to the health and survival statistics of these traveling birds. The United States Department of Agriculture is working hard to work with land managers and owners to keep wetlands open for traveling birds, and creating wetlands to increase wading and feeding areas for traveling birds. To learn more about this program and how its going to help click here.

So what can we do? We can insure that our wetlands and wild areas are healthy environments, providing birds with protection, food, and healthy water to help them in their challenging travel endeavors.

So won't you join me? Wednesday July, twenty first, I am going to be utilizing my lunch time (12:00-1:00 p.m.) to clean the wetlands adjacent to the college campus. It is five acres of wetlands that are already seeing migratory species feeding and utilizing the area!

Wetland Adjacent to S.C.C. (Note Green Heron center)

So if you can spare five minutes, fifteen, even a half hour and help me clean up the trash, tires, and other debris from this area we can do just a little to help these birds survive the oil spill in the Gulf! I will be happy to provide leather work gloves, buckets and trash bags, and trash grabbers! All you need is a sturdy pair of shoes or boots and not be afraid of a little dirt and water!

If you can come and help please e-mail me A.S.A.P. dporter@stchas.edu. The cleanup location is mapped below, indicated by the yellow spots. (South of the South-east Entrance, South side of Cottleville Expressway.)

Wetland Urgent Hour

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Noon-1:00 p.m.

(Rain out date will be Thursday July 22)

Wetlands are Accessible from the Green Parking Lot south of Cottleville Parkway. Look for the green gator!