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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 13, 1982)
Oily heroes University students, faculty help ducks By Harry Esteve Of tha Emerald Sometimes journalists have to make a choice between being good at their job and being good citizens When I heard about the diesel spill early Friday morning, my first instinct was: Story I waited for Emerald photo editor Bob Baker to get his gear ready, and then followed him to the Mill Ducks Continued from Page 1 By 8 a m. Friday, the Highway Department has reported the incident to the Department of Environmental Quality, says Janet Gillaspie, DEQ informa tion officer Larry Lowenkron, DEQ envi ronmental engineer was at the spill site within two hours, she says By noon nearly 100 volun teers were snagging ducks in butterfly nets, wading with out stretched arms after ducks, herding 10 to 20 birds at a time with volleyball nets and anx iously clutching fuel-drenched flapping geese The immediate concern was to combat hypothermia, says Greg Stickrod, director for laboratory animal services of the University psychology department The diesel dis solves water-repellent oils in the bird's feathers, allowing water into their down insulation It's "just like getting your sleeping bag wet,” Stickrod says The result is that the ducks and geese drown Stickrod and his staff organ ized a duck wash and treatment center in the laboratory animals' building near the pond Volunteers washed geese and ducks in detergent and kept them warm with hair driers they brought from home Canoes were launched from the University boathouse to remove ducks from the pond s islands Pick-up trucks were sent to rescue birds next to the University inn. Animal regulation trucks ap peared on the scene and began carting geese and ducks to the agency’s shelter where two vet erinarians stood ready Imagine tube feeding, wash ing and rewashing 338 ducks, says Flood The birds have been "farmed out” to veterinary clinics and homes equipped to care for them until the water is safe, she race The pond was empty and dead-looking In the clear, chilly air the sharp smell of diesel lightly burned the back of my throat The ducks were quiet and hiding in bushes surround ing the pond, as if they had chosen to suffer in private silence. Besides myself and the pho tographer, there were only a few other people around One was says Since geese mate for life, they must be returned so they can find each other, she says "Their lives have been turned upside down ” Robert's Environmental Ser vices has been hired by the highway department to clean the diesel fuel from the pond and the Millrace Lowenkron says the DEQ may initiate legal action against the highway department According to Lowenkron, Oregon law states any company, group or organization causing an oil spill resulting in a "slick" is legally responsible speaking through a walkie-talk ie and seemed "official.” I asked what had happened and he told me about the diesel spill. I asked him if the ducks were in danger of dying He told me they had only a 10 percent chance of living I thought about the Millrace ducks, how much they meant to the University, and the instinct returned: Bigger story I followed Bob around as he took pictures of ducks that looked dazed and sick. A few people came down to the pond with bread as part of their daily ritual of feeding the ducks I kept wondering why no one "official” had taken charge of rounding up the ducks to try and save them And then I wondered why I wasn't doing anything Because I'm after the story, I answered myself, but I wasn’t convinced. At that moment, two faculty from the animal labs ran down to the pond and announced that we could start washing ducks in the labs I made a flying grab at a duck — and missed. It didn’t take long to learn to work in pairs to trap the ducks, who by now were agitated and honking and flapping and run ning. More and more people were running across Franklin Boulevard to the pond. Members of the Survival Center were passing out instructions on how to wash the ducks. I helped dry the first duck at the animal laboratory, one that seemed to have gotten the worst of the diesel. It was al ready half-dead. As the small room became overcrowded with stu dents and ducks, I went back to the pond to catch more Ducks. At times it seemed pointless The rumors were that once a duck was coated with fuel, it had little chance of surviving no matter what efforts were made to save it And the facilities at the animal labs were much too small to accommodate the hun dreds of ducks and geese But we persisted A man with a red beard and suspenders leapt out of a canoe into the diesel covered water to try and save a duck that appeared to be drowning After nearly all had been rounded up at the Mill race, I caught a ride to the University Inn, where stu dents were doing every thing they could to keep about 50 more ducks out of the canal I returned to work at 4 p m. smelling like an oil refinery Another Emerald reporter had to write the story Counterclockwise, from upper left: This diesel oil-drenched duck fared worse than many of his fellow fowl in the Millrace. Two of the dozens of volunteers who aided the 338 fowl captured at the Millrace untangle a goose from the butterfly net used to catch it. Workers from Robert's Environmental Services, a private firm contracted by the state to clean the spilled diesel oil from the Millrace, use a vacuum to suck oil from the pond's surface. A pair of volunteers chase an oily duck who chose to stay in the water rather than seek safety on a drier surface. A woman cleans a stricken goose in a makeshift bathtub, using a soapy water solution. Photos by Bob Baker WE’VE MOVED THE MARKET. Come visit the Saturday Market in our new location at the Park Blocks... Hth A Oak Downtown Every Saturday 10-5 until Christmas DON’T MISS OUR 6-DA Y CHRISTMAS “MARKET IN THE PARK” Dwembcr 18-23 SATURDAY MARKET for more information 886-8885 ■ttpoooooaBonnciooooooooooooopoooooooooooonno Video-Cinema Center N E M A I Santo Ft Trill Starry brat Flyw Ca-SUrrlm C* Ftatsri Tin Flying Doncei Sorriaf UanrilHvn c I N E M A II Prskall Ckoerlsadars Starring The Dallas Darlings Plus Erotic Co-Hit MM xn 1049 Willamette 342-1616 T-MIR TODd V NATURAL HAIR DESIGNS FOR MEN AND WOMEN s 50£ off / all Nexxus products Great gift ideas 561 E. 1 3th Across From Max s 485-4422 Coupon expires December 25. 1982 P German /AgS VWs MERCEDES-BMWs DATSUN-TOYOTA-AUDI Reliable service for your foreign car 342-2912 2025 Franklin Blvd Eugene, Oregon UNIVERSITY OF OREGON HOUSING DEPARTMENT POSITION AVAILABLE: STUDENT LOCKSMITH Starting Wage: $5.74 per hour DUTIES: Perform lock repairs and repair evaluations for residence halls and family housing areas after normal working hours, which includes nites and weekends. Will perform special rekeying services during some vacation periods. REQUIREMENTS: Must be U of O student taking 8 or more hours per term and living in a University Housing operated facility. Must be available for nite and weekend work with two weekends per term off. Must be available for training program by the campus lock shop the first week of January. Must be able to perform duties throughout the academic year, working approximately 10-15 hours per week on call — pager will be provided. Must have held positions of responsibility such as security work, cashiering, or other work requiring responsibility for funds, buildings or other materials. Must have written references from former employers or supervisors of the above. APPLY AS FOLLOWS: Secure application form from the Area Desk or Front Desk in the main Housing Office at the corner of 15th & Agate. Phone Monica Hubert, Custodial Coordinator at 686-4286 by December 17th to interview between December 15-30th and bring application with written references to your interview. Koinonia Center 1414 Kincaid. . . across from PLC and the Library Free coffee and tea available Sponsored by Campus Interfaith Ministry
