Volunteer Opportunities for BP Oil Spill Recovery

Grammy and Emma at the ocean.

I go to sleep listening to the news of how many barrels have leaked into the water that day, and I wake up listening to the endless reports of failed attempts to cap the pipe. On more than one occasion, I have woken up in the middle of the night with my heart racing, worrying about marine life and our beautiful Gulf Coast. “The oil is still leaking,” my sleepy mind reminds me, wondering how long this oil nightmare will last.

I am sure that many of you are feeling as helpless as I am. What can possibly be done about this national environmental disaster?

This quote by Edward Everett Hale has me thinking about volunteer opportunities with the oil spill recovery: “I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something. And because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.”

The following is by no means a comprehensive list of volunteer opportunities in the affected areas – it is a starting point for those who are interested. People are needed, money is needed, supplies are needed – and everyone, including kids, can help.

National BP Oil Spill Emergency Phone Numbers: According to the White House, the following phone numbers have been set up to request or report information related to the BP oil spill:

• Submit alternative response technology, services or products: 281-366-5511
• Request volunteer information and register to volunteer:  1-866-448-5816
• Submit your vessel as a vessel of opportunity skimming system or submit alternative response technology, services or products:  281-366-5511
• Report oiled or injured wildlife: 1-866-557-1401
• Report oil on land: 1-866-448-5816

 To submit a suggestion about how to stop the oil leak or clean up the oil: Visit BP’s Deep Water Horizon Response Web site.

National Wildlife Federation Volunteer Gulf Coast Surveillance Teams:  National Wildlife Federation Volunteer Gulf Coast Surveillance Teams are needed to help monitor the impact of the BP Oil Spill on wildlife and habitat.

Alabama Volunteer Information:  Visit www.servealabama.gov or call 888-421-1266.

Florida Volunteer Information:  Visit www.volunteerfloridadisaster.org for information about volunteer opportunities.

Louisiana Volunteer Information: Visit www.volunteerlouisiana.gov or call 1-800-755-5175 for updates about volunteer opportunities.

Mississippi Volunteer Information:  Visit www.volunteermississippi.org for volunteer opportunities. Call the Mississippi Department of Employment Security at 888-844-3577 about job opportunities. The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency call center can be reached at 1-866-920-6362.

Matter of Trust Hair for Oil Spills Program: Matter of Trust creates hair-and-nylon booms that are one small part of the oil clean-up effort in the Gulf. See Paul Farhi’s article in the Washington Post about their efforts. Volunteers are needed to make fiber booms to collect oil at various locations along the Gulf Coast. Visit the Matter of Trust Facebook page for locations, dates, times and contact information.

NOAAs National Ocean Service’s Office of Response and Restoration: As the nation’s leading scientific resource for oil spills, NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration Web site offers up-to-date scientific information about the oil spill’s impacts on sea turtles and marine mammals in the Gulf of Mexico.

BP Oil Spill Updates: Visit BP’s Deep Water Horizon Response Web site for information (or lack thereof) about the Gulf oil spill.

Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge: Learn about volunteer and donation needs at the Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge Web site.

Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research: Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research has been responding to wildlife involved in oil spills since 1976, with a trained and dedicated staff on call 24-hours a day. Learn about volunteer opportunities in the Gulf Coast.

CNN’s Anderson Cooper recently listed volunteer opportunities that include many other wildlife organizations. View Anderson Cooper’s volunteer list for that information.