“Deepwater Horizon disaster: How oil spills affect local people and wildlife” presented by National Audubon Society

Melanie Driscoll, the National Audubon Society’s director of bird conservation for the Gulf Coast and Mississippi Flyway, will discuss oil spill prevention and preparedness and the risks facing vulnerable communities of the Salish Sea during a talk from 7-9 p.m. on Wednesday, February 15th, at the Whatcom Museum Rotunda Room in Old City Hall, 121 Prospect St., Bellingham. The event is co-sponsored by North Cascades Audubon Society and RE Sources for Sustainable Communities.

During the talk, “Deepwater Horizon disaster: How oil spills affect local people and wildlife,” Driscoll will share her thoughts on the need for prevention of oil spills, preparedness for an organization to find a role in the event of a major spill, and the particular risks facing Native Americans and other vulnerable communities in the Salish Sea.

Driscoll’s perspective comes from her involvement in the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster and subsequent years of response and restoration efforts, and the spill’s effects on wildlife, the environment, and local communities.

During the Deepwater Horizon disaster, Driscoll initiated wildlife survey efforts and provided biological interpretation regarding the relief effort to media, the public, and the environmental community. She also led Audubon’s conservation planning in response to the disaster and initiated their volunteer response effort. Driscoll has worked with Audubon since 2006.