[SEMCO] IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wild Care's "Trash Your Tackle" Initiative is Underway - 10/3/19

Thu Oct 3 12:12:47 EDT 2019

Find PR and photos attached. Many thanks!

October 3, 2019

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Stephanie Ellis

Executive Director, WILD CARE Inc.

(For public - Wild Care Office) 508.240.2255

sellis at wildcarecapecod.org

(Media only) 650.319.5491

*Wild Care’s “Trash Your Tackle” Initiative Underway*

* To Reduce Marine Debris Impacts on Wildlife*

###

*(Eastham.* October 3, 2019) Wild Care, a wildlife rehabilitation center
located in Eastham, is excited to announce the official launch of their
initiative called, "Trash Your Tackle". In this pilot initiative, five PVC
receptacles have been installed at four separate locations in the Town of
Chatham. Locations include the Mitchell River Bridge, Hardings Beach, Barn
Hill Road Town Landing, and Strong Island Road Town Landing.

The receptacles will serve as repositories for derelict recreational
fishing gear - including hooks, lines, and sinkers. The ultimate goal of
the PVC receptacles is to provide a place for the public to deposit gear,
and safely remove it from the environment. Wild Care volunteers will empty
the receptacles on a weekly basis. Materials collected will be brought to
Wild Care to be weighed, itemized, cleaned, sorted, recycled, repurposed or
disposed of appropriately, depending on the materials.

“Dr. Robert Duncanson, Director of Health & Natural Resources, Town of
Chatham was instrumental in making this new initiative happen for Wild
Care--demonstrating the Town’s commitment to a clean environment that
benefits wildlife and people,” remarked Wild Care Executive Director,
Stephanie Ellis. "Our goal is to decrease the number of fishing-debris
related wildlife casualties, and raise awareness that materials such as
fishing line, hooks, lures, and sinkers can be extremely harmful to
wildlife - even when these items are not in the water. Wild Care has seen
over 25 fishing-debris related injuries in waterbirds in the past two
years, and the numbers have been increasing annually. In 2019, we’ve seen
14 animals brought to us with fishing-debris related injuries (15 animals
total, in 2018). Most of these incidents took place in August 2019 and in
the summer months, when recreational fishing is at its height.”

"Most people *want* to help the environment, but may not be aware of
exactly what to do,” states Ellis. “These receptacles will educate and
empower people to remove these items from the environment, so that they do
not become a hazard to wildlife, or to people. Hooks, line, jigs and
sinkers, when ingested by marine animals, often lead to obstruction,
starvation and ultimately death. Contrary to popular belief, birds and
other wildlife cannot digest hooks and plastics that get into their system.”

“The community has really rallied around this important initiative with
generous financial support and in-kind donations,” says Ellis. The Boy
Scout Troop #83 from Eastham built the PVC receptacles for the program,
with donated materials. In addition, Wild Care has received generous
donations from community sponsors:

*THANK YOU TO OUR 2019 and 2020 COMMUNITY SPONSORS:*

●      Cape Air

●      CARE for the Cape and Islands

●      CROW – Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife

●      Garvey Communication Associates, Inc.

●      Nauset Disposal

●      Nauset Marine

●      No. Chatham Outfitters (Our very first sponsor!)

●      The Cape Cod Five Foundation

●      The Andrew S. and Katherine Y. Keck Fund of the Cape Cod Foundation

For more information on Trash Your Tackle, visit:
<http://www.wildcarecapecod.org/trash-your-tackle>
https://www.wildcarecapecod.org/tyt/, <https://www.wildcarecapecod.org/tyt/> or
contact Executive Director, Stephanie Ellis at © 508-240-2255, or email
stephanie at wildcarecapecod.org.

Photos: Mitchell River Bridge, and Hardings Beach, Chatham

ABOUT WILD CARE:

*Origin of Trash Your Tackle:* This pilot project is modeled after a
similar successful initiative, launched in 2014 by the Center for
Rehabilitation of Wildlife (C.R.O.W.) on Sanibel Island, Florida called,
"Mind Your Line". This initiative was instituted to minimize wildlife
injury related to fishing. Thirty receptacles are placed throughout the
island. A recent analysis shows a downward trend in fishing-related
injuries between 2014 - 2017, in their most commonly impacted species. The
findings suggest that the program has a direct positive impact. *Trends in
Fishing Related Injuries to Wildlife in Southwest Florida, Emelie Perez, BS
Biological Sciences, 2019.*

*###*

*About Wild Care:* Wild Care’s mission is to treat injured, ill and
orphaned native wildlife for release, to prevent wildlife casualties
through public education and live counseling, and to engage the community
in conservation through volunteerism. Since our founding, Wild Care has
accepted over 27,000 wild creatures, representing 275 species of native
birds, mammals, and reptiles. On average, Wild Care receives over 1,800
wild animals per year for treatment. If you encounter injured, orphaned or
ill wildlife, please call Wild Care’s “Wildlife Helpline” at 508-240- 2255.
To view Wild Care events
<https://www.wildcarecapecod.org/category/events/>Click
Here <https://www.wildcarecapecod.org/category/events/> .  Visit our
<https://www.wildcarecapecod.org/>website
<https://www.wildcarecapecod.org/> and
like us on  <https://www.facebook.com/WildCareCapeCod/>Facebook
<https://www.facebook.com/WildCareCapeCod/> to keep up with events and
wonderful animal success stories.  To make a donation, please visit our
website: <http://www.wildcarecapecod.org/>wildcarecapecod.org
<http://www.wildcarecapecod.org/>.

[image: Wild Care MItchell River Bridge.jpg]
[image: Wild Care Hardings Beach TYT 2019.jpg]

Stephanie Ellis
Executive Director
Wild Care, Inc.
10 Smith Lane
Eastham, MA 02642
www.wildcarecapecod.org

Find us on Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/WildCareCapeCod>!
508-240-2255 office
<http://www.wildcarecapecod.org/>
   <http://bit.ly/wildcaresubscription>
<https://www.wildcarecapecod.org/artscramble/>
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