Jay Holcomb Named Ocean Hero for 2010

Before and After Oiled Brown Pelican
Credit IBRRC

New dirt on BP: it's more like 60,000 barrels per day. Not five. So sue me. No, sue BP. Wait! We don't want to boycott them or sue them, else how are they going to pay for the massive cleanup that should take the next four decades? Wow. What a sticky mess.

Sticking to the mission of this blog, let's focus on the positive and celebrate the organizations that are performing holy work to save wildlife, one creature at a time. I've got a soft spot for the International Bird Rescue Research Center (IBRRC) because their work is so painstaking - it can take more than one hour to clean just one bird. Jay Holcomb, IBRRC's executive director, is leading the center's rescue work in the gulf and was recently named Oceana's Ocean Hero for 2010. Oceana, an international organization focused solely on ocean conservation, created the contest in 2009 to recognize individuals making a difference for the ocean and winners are announced on World Oceans Day.

Jay Holcomb (left) and the IBRRC team Cleaning an Oiled Bird
Credit IBRRC

In an interview with Oceana, Holcomb emphasized the power of individual action: “I have always approached my work one bird at a time,” he said. “My hope is that this award reminds people that whatever we can do personally to protect our oceans does make a difference, no matter how overwhelming the task may seem at times.”

Bless your heart, Jay. Thanks for providing a beacon of hope during this horrific crisis. We salute you!