Gulf Response Involvement Team: Volunteer Opportunities for Oil Spill in Louisiana

Special thanks to Lynda Schuh

Dear Volunteers,
 
Thank you for registering to donate your services to help in the BP Oil Spill. The outpouring of support has been amazing, and we are working to properly utilize your donated time and resources. The Gulf Response Involvement Team (GRIT) has been hard at work to identify when and where volunteers will be called to action. Please be patient as we work with federal authorities and BP to coordinate and organize volunteer participation.
 
Clarification: There is NO payment for volunteering your time through these conservation organizations. We do not have funding to assist you with travel, although we will provide food for volunteers on site.   For information on paid employment opportunities, please visit www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com or www.bp.com
 
GRIT is made up of numerous local, regional and national conservation organizations—including National Audubon Society, National Wildlife Federation, the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program, and the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana—that have joined forces and shared resources to develop a swift and effective plan to assist the authorities in their efforts to clean up any damage due to the oil reaching the coast.
 
Louisiana’s coastal wetlands were at great risk before this threat, and we need your help to ensure that the BP Oil Spill does not cause their extinction. The local, state and federal agencies are working hard to prevent the oil from reaching these fragile wetlands. At this time, we don’t want to interfere with these efforts. We are working with the authorities to identify volunteer opportunities, training and participation.
 
Our first concern is the wildlife. Those who have signed up with wildlife certifications and/or HAZMAT training will be called on first to assist in the recovery of oiled or injured wildlife. You will hear from us as the need arises. If you find oiled wildlife, please report it, along with specific location information, to the Wildlife Hotline at 1-866-557-1401.  This message service is checked every hour, and professionals with bird and animal-capture experience will respond to your message.  Please avoid entering affected areas or handling affected wildlife until you are a part of the coordinated response effort, for the safety of you and the wildlife.
 
Training will be required to volunteer. We are working on organizing the required 4-hour HAZMAT training, safety training and other needs for additional volunteers. Please understand that the crude oil is a hazardous substance and proper training is needed in order to handle, clean or transport the materials. Contact with the substance without proper training could result in significant health issues. Please also understand the fragile nature of coastal Louisiana’s wetlands and DO NOT attempt to conduct any recovery activities without the proper guidance or supervision from GRIT or the authorities.
 
We are in need of:
individuals or organizations that can donate their time and services with specialized skills, such as web design, database management, remote sensing, aerial monitoring, and communication technologies.
supplies and equipment to help with this recovery. If you, your community or company is interested in donated supplies, equipment, computers, communication devices, GPS technology, or anything else, please contact Mel Landry at mel@btnep.org for a list of needed supplies.
Until opportunities are better established, we ask that you be patient. The magnitude of this environmental disaster ensures that our coastal organizations will need your help for months and years to come.
 
Thank you again for your generous offer to help. We look forward to working with you.
 
Sincerely,
 
Gulf Response Involvement Team, made up of
 
National Audubon Society
 
National Wildlife Federation
 
Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program
 
Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana