How can you help clean up the Gulf?

As the war against oil continues on the Gulf, many throughout the community are wondering how they can help.

A number of organizations have set up websites or hotlines for volunteers.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has a number of useful numbers:

-to report oiled or injured wildlife: 866/557 1401

-to report claims related to damages: 800/440 0858

-to volunteer: 866/448 5816

Oilspillvolunteers.com is a central clearing house for volunteers to sign up with various groups and organizations which are already established in efforts.

The Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana is collecting information for volunteers on their website, lagulfrepsonse.com, and the National Wildlife Federation is looking for volunteers for Gulf coast surveillance teams.

The teams will be responsible for the daily monitoring of a specific geographic area of coastline expected to see impacts from the oil spill.

The volunteers will:

-Make daily tours of key wildlife and coastal sites.

-Help locate and identify oiled and otherwise injured wildlife and notify trained rescue teams.

-Help report on the arrival of signs of the oil spill to new (previously unaffected) areas in the Gulf region.

-Support wildlife and environmental agencies on understanding the timing and movements of oil along the entire Gulf Coast.

The Gulf Coast extends over an area of approximately 1,500 miles without bays, inlets and wetland communities. When these are added in, there is almost 10,000 miles of land and water to be watched for oil.

Those interested in volunteering may also go to www.volunteerlouisiana.gov/ to sign up.