Wetlands And Wildlife Care Center   

An oil-soaked bird lying helpless on a beach stained with black crude oil is a haunting image—one that Southern Californians know all too well. Since 1971, at least 44 oil spills exceeding 10,000 barrels (420,000 gallons) have occurred along the Pacific Coast, each threatening the survival of thousands of wild animals and damaging fragile ecosystems. One of the most devastating incidents occurred in 1990, when 400,000 gallons of Alaskan crude oil spilled off the coast of Huntington Beach. That tragedy spurred the Alliance for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education and the Huntington Beach Wetlands Conservancy to begin planning for a permanent wildlife response center. On March 31, 1997, with support from the California Department of Fish and Game’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response, Southern California Edison, and others, the Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center (WWCC) opened in Huntington Beach as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit wildlife rehabilitation facility. The WWCC admits sick, injured, and orphaned wild animals with the goal of rehabilitation and release back into the wild. The center is open seven days a week, year-round, and is also committed to public education on wildlife and habitat preservation. WWCC is one of only 12 primary facilities in California designated by the Oiled Wildlife Care Network (OWCN)—centers equipped to manage oil spill response from rescue through rehabilitation and release. Since opening, WWCC has responded to dozens of spills affecting thousands of birds and marine mammals, with a release rate exceeding 65%. We receive wildlife patients from 62 cities across Southern California, and even as far as Henderson, Nevada and Parker, Arizona. Our trained staff and dedicated volunteers are on 24-hour call to respond to petroleum spills and other emergencies. WWCC can care for up to 400 birds and mammals at once, with an emergency capacity of 1,000. Our team includes licensed volunteer veterinarians, trained wildlife technicians, and over 250 committed volunteers. Volunteers work four-hour shifts daily from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., and are trained through a three-hour wildlife nursing course followed by a written exam. Non-animal care volunteers provide essential support in cage construction and repair, plumbing, electrical work, landscaping, data entry, education, fundraising, grant writing, and public outreach. While treatment and rehabilitation areas are not open to the public, tours can be arranged by appointment. Educational programming is central to our mission. Our “Under Our Wings” program introduces teens ages 16–18 to wildlife care and conservation; many graduates have gone on to veterinary school, marine biology, and environmental science careers. WWCC also trains interns and externs and offers community-based education programs to increase awareness and inspire action.