13-year-old Tucson girl spending summer collecting coins to save Gulf birds

TUCSON, AZ - A 13-year-old girl in Tucson will be spending her summer working to collect money to help with Gulf Oil Spill clean-up efforts.

Meagan Bethel said she was heartbroken after watching images of oil-slicked birds and knew she had to do something.

So Bethel launched "Coins for the Coast". She said due to the economy she knows many people don't have much money, but lots of people have change laying around.

Bethel started her collection drive last week, but piggy banks full of coins have progressed to checks of up to $100 and by Wednesday night she already had $800.

It is more than she had expected.

Her plan is to donate the money she collects to the Audubon Society and Tri-State Bird Rescue , two groups working around the clock to save wildlife in the Gulf.

Meagan’s Coins for the Coast announcement:

I started a campaign that I call Coins for the Coast.

I will come collect your jars of coins and spare change to help the marine life on the coast. Or, if you would prefer or live too far away, you can send a check for $5 instead!

As you know we are experiencing one of the worst environmental disasters of all time right off the Gulf coast. Oil-soaked creatures are now washing ashore daily.

If you can help me, please mail your spare change amount to:

Meagan Bethel

3247 N. Christmas Ave.

Tucson, AZ 85716

It is the marine life and birds that are most noticeably paying the highest price for this disaster. Even as soon after the spill as May 19, an estimated 14,499 marine animal lives were lost or severely affected by the oil spill (PATH: People Protecting Animals and Their Habitat, 2010).

And that is just the beginning, as the oil, broken down by all the chemicals, now sinks to the bottom of the sea. Soon the effects will be seen on oysters, shrimp, mollusks, and other bottom dwellers.

We know that time is of the essence right now! We must begin getting the funds to the people who already helping to clean the animals and birds that wash ashore immediately.

Although BP claims they will eventually pay for all the cost of the clean up, we don’t know how long it will take for them to act, and for those funds to be distributed. Our wildlife needs the help now.

I will forward whatever amount we gather to three places directly involved in helping to clean and rescue the affected animals:

The Audubon Society

World Wildlife Federation

Tri-state Rescue and Research

 

Thank you for helping me!

Meagan Bethel, Age 13

Tucson, AZ