Wetlands & Wildlife Care Center

08/14/2026

What an amazing release we had today! Thank you to everyone who came out and witnessed this inspiring event. And thank you to KTLA 5 News for joining us and spreading the word about what we do.

Several Brown Pelicans rescued amid a mysterious starvation event along the Southern California coast returned to the wild Friday after being nursed back to health in Huntington Beach. The Wetlands…

08/12/2026

Just when we thought we had seen it all!
As some of you may know, we are located almost directly across the street from a protected and monitored Least Tern nature preserve. And luckily for this one, Richard Zembal and some other volunteers were monitoring the site that day.

They noticed an individual apparently in distress and were able to carefully capture it. Once they had the bird in hand they realized something shocking. Tangled up in the Tern’s mouth was the head of another young Tern!

They were able to rush it over to us for prompt removal as the bird was in severe distress. Our veterinary team found additional tissue that was lodged further down the throat and cut away the excess so it could finally breathe and swallow again, and was cleared for release shortly thereafter.

As strange as it may sound, they have a theory on what may have happened. They have noticed a Barn Owl hunting in the area recently and have found similar piles of… well… Least Tern pieces scattered around the beach. Something that is common to see from raptor hunts.

This may disturb some people, but we think it’s important to show all sides of the animal kingdom. Though the outcome for the one Least Tern was not good we were able to save another (which is important as they are endangered!).

Finally, Zembal notes some inspiring news: they counted 218 nests with 23 being currently active. They observed 28 older chicks and 104 fledglings.

The California Least Tern was listed as an endangered species in California in 1984 with breeding pairs having dwindled to just 600. Now, there are over 6,000 breeding pairs. Though these numbers are an accomplishment, the species numbers continue to decline at a rate of about 5% annually, necessitating continued conservation efforts.

Data source: The California Department of Fish and Wildlife
Photo credit: Andrea Carpio and Helen Lin
Shared with permission from Richard Zembal, Principal Investigator and HBWC Board Member

08/07/2026

Bummed because you missed the last Brown Pelican release? Well you’re in luck because Friday 08/14 we have another batch of Brown Pelicans that are ready to go! Come on by and watch this amazing event.
Friday August 14
10 am
Huntington City Beach, near lifeguard tower 3.

07/29/2026

Come take a sneak peek behind the scenes of a Brown Pelican release! Interested in attending a release in person? Make sure you’re following us on social media and keep an eye out for when we announce the next one.

07/22/2026

Dr. Adam Ereth, Executive Director

The Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center (WWCC) is proud to announce Dr. Adam Ereth as its new Executive Director. Throughout his career, Dr. Ereth has built a reputation as a visionary nonprofit executive and environmental health champion. As Executive Director for WWCC, Dr. Ereth channels his background in land-use policy, environmental program development, and strategic planning into protecting local wildlife by advancing our critical care mission of community education and the rehabilitation and release of injured and orphaned native wildlife.

Dr. Ereth’s leadership experience spans national environmental initiatives, statewide public health programs, and local governance, including serving as Chair of the Costa Mesa Planning Commission. He has successfully guided public, private, and nonprofit entities toward sustainable environmental practices. Dr. Ereth’s notable work includes contributing to eco-friendly infrastructure projects and advising film, television, music, and sports organizations on sustainable production.

Dr. Ereth earned his Ph.D. in Public Health with a concentration in Environmental Health Sciences from the University of South Carolina. He also holds Master of Arts and Bachelor of Arts degrees in Geography from California State University, Fullerton, and San Diego State University, respectively.

An Orange County native, Dr. Ereth is especially passionate about Southern California wildlife and environmental issues. He looks forward to leading WWCC’s efforts to strengthen community partnerships, spearhead local conservation initiatives, and ensure a resilient future for Southern California’s native wildlife. Dr. Ereth also enjoys exploring the natural world with his wife and young child. An avid outdoorsman, he loves to rock climb, camp, hike, scuba dive, and is a competitive sailor.

07/18/2026

This Brown Pelican was rescued on the 4th of July after concerned beachgoers noticed it was unusually tame. Our team found a fishing hook lodged in its throat, and X-rays revealed four more hidden inside.

After one hook removal procedure had to be stopped when the pelican became unstable, our veterinary team carefully removed the remaining hooks over multiple procedures, including one that was wrapped around its jugular vein.

Now, this resilient pelican is recovering well, gaining weight, and we hope to see it back in the wild in the coming weeks.

Every piece of discarded fishing gear can become a life-threatening hazard for wildlife. Please pack out your lines and tackle, or try out a new hobby!

07/14/2026

You read that right- we want YOU to come out and join us to cheer on just a few of the many Brown Pelicans we have treated this year due to a starvation event, or what’s called an “Unexplained Mortality Event”. These few are a symbol of strength and resilience not only for their species but for everyone who had a hand in their recovery, including you, our supporters.

We’ll be meeting at Huntington City Beach THIS Wednesday 7/15 at 10 am. Just south of the pier at lifeguard tower 3 which is located right by First Street.

It’s free to attend but we appreciate your donations as they allow us to keep fighting to give our native wildlife a second chance at life.

See you there!

07/08/2026

Nature vs nurture: thieving gulls edition.
Right now we’re raising about 15 young gulls who all came in for various reasons- from falling off a roof, to human mistreatment (one was found in its nest, thrown in the trash!)- keeping these little guys fed is no cheap endeavor. They go through many pounds of food a day, and won’t be ready to release until they’re able to fly which can take up to two months. They are also clearly, VERY messy. The enclosure in this video was cleaned less than an hour prior (you’d never guess!). Needless to say, we couldn’t make this all happen without our volunteers and supporters.

06/30/2026

We just wanted to give a HUGE thank you and shoutout to Jodie for surprising us with these perfect nests for our Hummingbirds!
We’re currently caring for over 200 hummingbirds (3 different species: Allen’s, Anna’s and Costa’s), most of which were orphaned nestlings and fledglings.

If you’ve never seen a hummingbirds nest, they are extremely specialized, made from spider webs and plant materials. Because of how they’re carefully constructed, they form to the babies when they’re hatched and grow with them. As you can imagine, there’s nothing on the mainstream market that can replicate this, so we rely on these handmade nests for our babies.

The other day we received a surprise care package from an amazing artist all the way in the United Kingdom! Did you know hummingbirds are only found in the Americas? Jodie wanted to do something for them since she’ll never get to see them at home, so she made us 40 nests the perfect sizes for our little hummie patients. Thank you for supporting wildlife ♥️