For Immediate UseContact: Garrison Frost
November 5, 2008(323) 951-9620

After playing a central role in the Nov. 2007 oil spill recovery, Richardson Bay Audubon Center & Sanctuary continues to emphasize conservation and education as key to preserving the Bay.

Tiburon, CA – A year ago, Brooke Langston and her team at the Richardson Bay Audubon Center & Sanctuary in Tiburon dropped everything to help rescue birds and habitat following the Cosco Busan oil spill in San Francisco Bay. They quickly rallied staff and community volunteers to collect birds, and clean thick bunker oil from beaches.

“In an instant, we had to set aside all of our regular education and conservation work to deal with this major disaster,” said Brooke Langston, director of the Richardson Bay Audubon Center & Sanctuary. “Now that the spill is behind us, our daily work seems so much more important.”

During the spill, more than 400 oiled birds were observed or recovered in Richardson Bay. The Center also became a community center for volunteers, education, and data gathering.

Once the immediate concerns of the spill were over, Langston and her staff at Richardson Bay returned to their important work conserving and researching their corner of the Bay, as well as educating the community about the importance of this ecosystem. The Richardson Bay team has been working on new techniques to restore native oysters and eelgrass to the Bay – both of which contribute to the Bay’s natural water cleaning process.

“As bad as the oil spill was, we have found no evidence of oil in Richardson Bay since January,” said Langston. “We are pleased with the increased interest and support that the oil spill directed towards Richardson Bay and other precious natural resources in the Bay Area. This outpouring of support has helped our work in a lot of ways.”

In the months following the November 2008 spill, Audubon California took the fight to Sacramento, where it successfully advocated for a number of the legislative bills that improved the state’s ability to prevent and respond to such man-made disasters.

The San Francisco Bay has designated an Important Bird Area of Global Significance by Audubon California. It was given this high designation because it hosts well over 1 million birds annually, many of which are threatened or endangered species. San Francisco Bay is host to the largest shorebird concentration in the West.

About Audubon California 
Audubon California is building a better future for California by bringing people together to appreciate, enjoy and protect our spectacular outdoor treasures. A field program of the National Audubon Society with more than 50 affiliated chapters in California, the organization provides a rich outdoor experience for our members while promoting a variety of robust conservation programs to protect birds, wildlife and habitat.

More at www.ca.audubon.org.

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