Author Archives: Leo Denton

Oil Returns to Dauphin Island Waters

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Saturday afternoon, in the Mississippi Sound just north of Dauphin Island, my brother, Joe, and I (in his boat) passed through sizable areas of surface oil. Click pictures below for larger, more detailed images.

Surface oil in the Mississippi Sound north of Dauphin Island

Surface oil in the Mississippi Sound north of Dauphin Island, photographed on June 19, 2010

In Katrina Cut, despite oil in the water just to the north, larger fish and birds were having a feeding frenzy on smaller fish.

Large fish and birds feasting on smaller fish

Large fish and birds feasting on smaller fish in Katrina Cut, photographed June 19, 2010

Katrina Cut has become rich natural wonder since Hurricane Katrina opened it. But to prevent oil from passing through it, we are now going to fill it in with rocks and sand. Sadly, the oil has now entered the Mississippi Sound not through the cut at all but from the west.

Bird and fish feeding in Katrina cut

Bird and fish feeding in Katrina cut, photographed June 19, 2010

About 40 minutes later, quite close to the feeding birds and fish, we saw a large area of approaching oil only 25 yards from the Dauphin Island beach. This oil also threatens the shores Bayou La Batre, Heron Bay, and other coastal communities.

Surface oil entering clear waters near Katrina Cut

Surface oil entering clear waters near Katrina Cut, photographed June 19, 2010

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Make Your Noise

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When a voice is needed, “Silence is the voice of complicity!” This Latin proverb calls us to ACTION … non-complicity … noise!

Natasha Bedingfield’s Unwritten (see Beached Oil) calls us to open up our dirty windows, let the sun illuminate us, reach for something in the distance … “No one else can feel it for you,” only you can share your gifts, your beauty, your needs, your perspectives.

Think, speak, act! “The only real prison is fear, and the only real freedom is freedom from fear!” shares Aung San Suu Kyi, Burmese dissident, political prisoner, and 1991 Nobel Peace Prize recipient.

To “feel the rain on our skin” is the beginning of connectedness. Being in touch with what is real gives us courage to make our noise.

Our new “News” tab (see above) will feature links to online articles that illuminate our connections with the Earth and each other. “News” will start small focusing on stories about the Earth. As “News” grows it will include humor too. Please be patient as this site develops. There is much to come!

Some Resources

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Here are some resources that have been gathered from a variety of websites:

Some telephone contacts of interest:

  • To report oiled wildlife call 866-557-1401
  • To report an oiled shoreline call 866-448-5816
  • To learn about volunteer opportunities call 866-448-5816
  • To inquire about or get involved in the Vessel of Opportunities Program call 281-366-5511
  • To discuss spill-related damage call 800-440-0858
  • To obtain coordinates where fishing areas are closed call 800-627-NOAA or 800-627-6622

Some websites of interest:

Some Involved Organizations

Other information

Please add other resources and organizations that you have found valuable by way of comments. Thanks!

Don’t let no Oil Spill Turn You ’Round

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Reddish and snowy egrets together

Reddish and snowy egrets weathering the oil spill together, photographed June 12, 2010, Dauphin Island

Today I was told, “This oil spill’s going to last for the rest of our lives.” Hopefully not, but one thing’s for sure, the human family has storms enough coming and brewing now to fill our lifetimes. “Constant vigilance!” as Mad-eye Moody vowed needs to be our motto too. In the last blog entry, I spoke of encouragement. But right now southerly winds are pushing the oil toward the Gulf beaches. Hurricane season is beginning with the warmest waters on record ready to fuel the cyclones. The economy worldwide is in disarray. So, ultimately, encouragement needs deeper roots.

That’s why, right now I’m humming African American spirituals which helped sustain deep encouragement in the midst of great trouble. “Sometimes I feel like a motherless chile …” “Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen …”

The spirituals proclaimed a firm, rebellious hope as well. “Trouble Don’t Last for Always …” “Don’t let nobody turn you ’round!” And later, “Don’t let segregation turn you ’round!” Today, let’s say together, “Don’t let no oil spill turn you ’round!” Today, like before, for all our problems, let it be a hope held inside. A hope held in common. The spirituals did not offer a quick fix, but an intergenerational hope passed from the old to the young, from parents to children, from friends to friends. A hope engraved in hearts by generous service. A hope sustained by the winds of the Spirit.