Athlone Town's Oiled Wildlife
Donation protected
Heading into day 8 of the Oil Spill. I was on the Shannon, Canal and Crossriver south of Athlone tonight until around 9.30pm, before meeting with NPWS and the Oiled Wildlife Response Network.
We are agreed that cleaning the Shannon/Canal/CrossRiver 3km stretch is number 1 priority, as the oil is not dispersing. I have asked the Oiled Wildlife Response Network to use their contacts to get a quote for the sponges/equipment that are needed to soak up the oil. This is best practice. I will pass this onto the Council in the morning but we may be forced to use funds from here if they don't step up fast.
Tonight I counted at least 12 more oiled juvenile swans south of the crossriver. They are part of a group of about 50 adolescents that live together. I didn't see the rest but they must be covered too, as the Boom on the Al was too little too late. It was installed without absorbent pads so wasn't technically effective until 5 days after the oil had stopped coming from there - Another padded Boom is needed somewhere downriver to catch some of the oil that was still "gushing black" from the AL last Saturday. The first casualties were in 72 hours before - that 72 hrs alone is a Massive amount of oil.
Day 7
6:30am - first river/canal sweep for corpses/oiled wildlife, oil dispersal check negative, local wind direction NW, oil travelling up canal.
8:10am - In at docks. Found a little oily shrew! Held tight for warmth but was dead in minutes. Email update to head of Environment in Westmeath Coco. (this will not be continued, as I am not even getting replies at this stage. This is the same Dept I applied to for funding for wildlife rescue/rehab in Athlone earlier this year. Refused on the basis that one of the 5 or so animal organisations I volunteer for may be entitled to apply for dept of agriculture grant in a year or so. (this would have absolutely no baring/knock on affect for me or Athlone! I wouldn't mind but the money I wanted was for training up locals for situations like this, where one wildlife volunteer just isn't enough. I had a list of at least 20 proven locals, ready to go. (the smella' rage is nearly overpowering the smella' swanshit here!)
8:30 - 9:00 First powernap in around 8 hrs.
9:30 - Bagged 2 swans and drove to Kaf Wildlife Unit. 2 very stressed swans, 1 with half wing gone. (caught a few miles up cross river) The other played chasing with me for ages last night before I had to ditch the kayak, wade and then swim after it!
11:15 - Into the shelter. Swans into paddock to destress. Too weak for second wash. (I had done first with Michelle in the wee hours) They needed tube feeding to hydrate.
11:45 - Cleaned out a few rooms in the unit whilst waiting for more volunteers- clean floors etc for a Buzzard, and another for an Owl, checked in on a Pine Martin, a Kestrel, a Badger.
12:30 - 2 adult swans and 2 cygnets given another careful clean. They are doing very well.
2:30 - On way home I found a feckin pigeon on in Rathangan so had to go back to the shelter!
5:00 - Back in Athlone - NPWS asked me to look for any corpses I disposed of so I spent 15 minutes in a large bin until I found a duck and a cormorant. Schtink!
5:30 - Meet with Oiled Wildlife Response Network and give a tour the area.
6:30 - We also met NPWS on site to plan a strategy. Everyone agrees that current council strategy has not worked.
8:00 - Another oiled swan spotted near crossriver. Back to house for Kayak. Did a lot of chasing - 1 swan was particularly bad but could still fly enough to escape me. Anthony McGonigle joined me and we spotted at least 12 more swans that will need to come out. In all likelihood, this will be all 50ish down there as the oil has not been contained or cleaned. Cattle, horses, foals seen drinking contaminated water.
10:00 - Contact Kildare to check on Swans, update the team and check how much more they can take from us.
10:15 - 11:30 NPWS/Oiled Wildlife Response Unit to plan what the clean up should look like. Confer with international experts online. Look for quotes for Sponges/Equipment etc. Quotes and information will be passed onto the Council tomorrow.
As we go into day 8, I need the people of Athlone behind me - we can get through this together. I'm losing count but so far I've taken 9 Swans, 4 dead Cormorants, 4 dead ducks, pike, perch, roach, mouse. Also a few dead dragonflies at crossriver! I've organised PostMortems on a number of animals, with the help of NPWS and Dept. of Agriculture in Coosan. I will continue to gather the dead as possible evidence.
I have No funds.
Petrol for relays, Vet bills, Swanwraps, Emergency response tents for possible on-site treatment downstream, generators, an onsite vet, Drone rental, Medication for ingested oil, Painkillers, anti-biotics etc. on standby towels, gloves, safety gear, We need to keep cleaning the wildlife we have and go collecting more. This will more than likely involve 50 swans and any other wildlife I see.
I urge the Council to listen to the Oiled Wildlife Repsonse Network/NPWS in the morning about the right course of action with Sponges in all affected areas and a Boom downstream.
I challenge the council to double whatever funds are raised here to show that this is being taken seriously.
Please give as little or as much as you can. This shouldn't be the way we deal with emergencies but here we are
I promise complete transparency with cash spent and to give any possible leftover cash towards Vet bills/Costs for Athlone Wildlife going forward.
Thanks.
Ru
We are agreed that cleaning the Shannon/Canal/CrossRiver 3km stretch is number 1 priority, as the oil is not dispersing. I have asked the Oiled Wildlife Response Network to use their contacts to get a quote for the sponges/equipment that are needed to soak up the oil. This is best practice. I will pass this onto the Council in the morning but we may be forced to use funds from here if they don't step up fast.
Tonight I counted at least 12 more oiled juvenile swans south of the crossriver. They are part of a group of about 50 adolescents that live together. I didn't see the rest but they must be covered too, as the Boom on the Al was too little too late. It was installed without absorbent pads so wasn't technically effective until 5 days after the oil had stopped coming from there - Another padded Boom is needed somewhere downriver to catch some of the oil that was still "gushing black" from the AL last Saturday. The first casualties were in 72 hours before - that 72 hrs alone is a Massive amount of oil.
Day 7
6:30am - first river/canal sweep for corpses/oiled wildlife, oil dispersal check negative, local wind direction NW, oil travelling up canal.
8:10am - In at docks. Found a little oily shrew! Held tight for warmth but was dead in minutes. Email update to head of Environment in Westmeath Coco. (this will not be continued, as I am not even getting replies at this stage. This is the same Dept I applied to for funding for wildlife rescue/rehab in Athlone earlier this year. Refused on the basis that one of the 5 or so animal organisations I volunteer for may be entitled to apply for dept of agriculture grant in a year or so. (this would have absolutely no baring/knock on affect for me or Athlone! I wouldn't mind but the money I wanted was for training up locals for situations like this, where one wildlife volunteer just isn't enough. I had a list of at least 20 proven locals, ready to go. (the smella' rage is nearly overpowering the smella' swanshit here!)
8:30 - 9:00 First powernap in around 8 hrs.
9:30 - Bagged 2 swans and drove to Kaf Wildlife Unit. 2 very stressed swans, 1 with half wing gone. (caught a few miles up cross river) The other played chasing with me for ages last night before I had to ditch the kayak, wade and then swim after it!
11:15 - Into the shelter. Swans into paddock to destress. Too weak for second wash. (I had done first with Michelle in the wee hours) They needed tube feeding to hydrate.
11:45 - Cleaned out a few rooms in the unit whilst waiting for more volunteers- clean floors etc for a Buzzard, and another for an Owl, checked in on a Pine Martin, a Kestrel, a Badger.
12:30 - 2 adult swans and 2 cygnets given another careful clean. They are doing very well.
2:30 - On way home I found a feckin pigeon on in Rathangan so had to go back to the shelter!
5:00 - Back in Athlone - NPWS asked me to look for any corpses I disposed of so I spent 15 minutes in a large bin until I found a duck and a cormorant. Schtink!
5:30 - Meet with Oiled Wildlife Response Network and give a tour the area.
6:30 - We also met NPWS on site to plan a strategy. Everyone agrees that current council strategy has not worked.
8:00 - Another oiled swan spotted near crossriver. Back to house for Kayak. Did a lot of chasing - 1 swan was particularly bad but could still fly enough to escape me. Anthony McGonigle joined me and we spotted at least 12 more swans that will need to come out. In all likelihood, this will be all 50ish down there as the oil has not been contained or cleaned. Cattle, horses, foals seen drinking contaminated water.
10:00 - Contact Kildare to check on Swans, update the team and check how much more they can take from us.
10:15 - 11:30 NPWS/Oiled Wildlife Response Unit to plan what the clean up should look like. Confer with international experts online. Look for quotes for Sponges/Equipment etc. Quotes and information will be passed onto the Council tomorrow.
As we go into day 8, I need the people of Athlone behind me - we can get through this together. I'm losing count but so far I've taken 9 Swans, 4 dead Cormorants, 4 dead ducks, pike, perch, roach, mouse. Also a few dead dragonflies at crossriver! I've organised PostMortems on a number of animals, with the help of NPWS and Dept. of Agriculture in Coosan. I will continue to gather the dead as possible evidence.
I have No funds.
Petrol for relays, Vet bills, Swanwraps, Emergency response tents for possible on-site treatment downstream, generators, an onsite vet, Drone rental, Medication for ingested oil, Painkillers, anti-biotics etc. on standby towels, gloves, safety gear, We need to keep cleaning the wildlife we have and go collecting more. This will more than likely involve 50 swans and any other wildlife I see.
I urge the Council to listen to the Oiled Wildlife Repsonse Network/NPWS in the morning about the right course of action with Sponges in all affected areas and a Boom downstream.
I challenge the council to double whatever funds are raised here to show that this is being taken seriously.
Please give as little or as much as you can. This shouldn't be the way we deal with emergencies but here we are
I promise complete transparency with cash spent and to give any possible leftover cash towards Vet bills/Costs for Athlone Wildlife going forward.
Thanks.
Ru
Organizer
Ru Bear
Organizer