The World

Day 36, and oil is still gushing into the Gulf of Mexico. Volunteers from all over the country are heading to the shores of Louisiana and Mississippi to help in any way they can. A lot of these volunteers are training to save and clean animals that have been affected by the oil, particularly birds, whose oil-soaked feathers prevent them from flying and keeping warm.

Sharon Schmalz is the executive director of Wildlife Rehabilitation & Education in Houston, Texas. She helps instruct volunteers on the proper way to clean an animal covered in oil, using ducks and Dawn.

Will you support The World today?

The story you just read is available for free because thousands of listeners and readers like you generously support our nonprofit newsroom. Every day, reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you: We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.

Make a gift today, and you’ll get us one step closer to our goal of raising $25,000 by June 14. We need your help now more than ever!