Last week, my husband and I went to the Wheeler Gorge Visitor Center to share with a group learning how to make Chumash clapper sticks and pine needle baskets, let by the delightful Julie Tumamait.
It was so much fun that I promised Center Director Mike Havstad that I’d share info about upcoming events. Well, true to form, I’m doing it at the last minute…
Tomorrow, Ron Barrett (the guy with jacket on in the photo above) will be talking about his efforts to save ocean animals like seal pups (the guy without the jacket in the photo above).
11 AM
Wheeler Gorge Visitor Center
Los Padres National Forest
Route 33

From Mike:

Rescuing Ocean Animals
Topic at Wheeler Gorge this Saturday
So what attracts burly soft-spoken navy man Ron Barrett to rescuing wildlife that may turn on him in the blink of an eye? It can’t be boredom; as he has a gratifying fulltime job with the U. S. Navy. It can’t be the pay as there is none as a volunteer. And it can’t be the hours and days of service, as he can’t pick and choose when an animal needs his help. He often gets calls all hours of the day and night. For Ron it is the challenge of capturing and caring for distressed or injured animals and then the reward of safely returning them to the wild. It is what his meaningful service is all about. Ron has been rescuing all types of marine wildlife for 14 years with the Channel Islands Marine and Wildlife Institute (CIMWI). The CIMWI is a non-profit organization dedicated to the rescue and rehabilitation of marine wildlife injured by either natural or unnatural causes and rescues thousands of animals annually. Ron and other volunteers work with Dr. Samuel Dover, CIMWI’s executive director and veterinarian, at a complex that includes a hospital, pharmacy, a laboratory with full research capabilities, administrative offices and outdoor pools at the former Vista Del Mar School campus, south of the Gaviota Pass on Highway 101.
Ron was recently featured in the VC Reporter on August 6, 2009 in the story Locals of Silver Strand Beach Rescue Seal Pup by author Carla Iacovetti. She wrote “It was not surprising to see the little pup bite down on Barrett’s hand; but when he told us that a seal’s bite is as difficult to break loose from as a pit bull’s, we were aghast. This is one reason people are discouraged from feeding or playing with seals, or wild animals of any kind.” The “little pup” was a male elephant seal which will weigh 5,000 pounds as an adult.
Ron will share his experiences and knowledge in his PowerPoint presentation “Rescuing Ocean Animals.” Learn about how he rescues sea lions, the dangerous and feared “sea weasel,” and other animals found in the surf and on the beach. You and your child will learn how to tell the difference between a seal and a seal lion and how to identify different types of whales.
As Ron nears his retirement from the navy he is looking forward to more volunteer hours with the CIMWI and is in search of another “Ron” he can mentor to continue his rescue missions. Someday we may have a young member in the audience who will become the next “Ron.”
The event will be held indoors at the Wheeler Gorge Visitor Center on August 22nd at 11:00 AM. Before and after the presentation Ron will have indoor displays for viewing. On display will be photos and the items Ron uses to capture wildlife.
Donations, which are used to pay for programs, are $3.00 for adults, kids 5 to 18 $2.00, and kids under 5 are free. The Wheeler Gorge Visitor Center is located on Scenic Highway 33, a one half hour drive north of the city of Ventura and fifteen minutes from Ojai.
Article by Mike Havstad
Photo courtesy of Ron Barrett