The New England Wildlife Center told the OSAC meeting it has expanded wildlife‑response capacity with MOSFRA funding and is building both training and equipment resources to support large bird‑response events.

Zach Mertz, CEO of the New England Wildlife Center, said the nonprofit received two MOSFRA grants and that the most recent award was $75,000 to support training, response kits and growing the responder network. “This 1 was, heavily training focused,” Mertz said, describing a CE‑certified course the center designed for first responders and veterinary staff.

Dr. Priya Patel, chief wildlife medical director, walked participants through the hands‑on washing lab the center now offers. She described the feather‑test method (using plucked feathers to determine detergent concentration) and detailed the logistics of a full wash: water maintained around 104°F, monitoring vitals throughout the procedure, and the need for multiple washing stations to process large numbers of birds. “Each bird takes about anywhere from 40 minutes to an hour to wash,” Dr. Patel said, stressing the staffing and space demands of mass responses.

Dr. Patel and Mertz reviewed the Muddy River response earlier in the year: staff stabilized and washed more than 50 oiled birds and released 45 after rehabilitation, a result they credited to pre‑positioned field kits, trained staff and interagency coordination. They also noted infectious‑disease screening (bird‑flu testing) prior to wash procedures and described plans for a capital campaign to build a dedicated disaster‑response facility at the Cape branch.

The center invited partners and municipalities to attend training sessions and said it has prepared dozens of field kits that can be mobilized quickly to support response.