Schumaker founded the nonprofit " On Wings of Care " in 2010 , which looks to promote the welfare of animals . Schumaker uses her skills as a pilot to assess animal habitats , helping with rescues and rehabilitation . She joined the Board of Directors of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society . Since the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010 , Schumaker has flown over the Gulf of Mexico for over 600 hours , locating and protecting animals . She flies a Cessna called " Bessie " . She is often the first responder for pollution incidents . In August 2011 she identified oil globules on the surface of the ocean which had erupted from the broken well of '' Deepwater Horizon '' . She published the book '' The Story of Pellie Lou : A Pelican Who Survived the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill '' in 2015 . She has returned to the oil spill with various news organisations , and supported the local community in seeking justice . In 2018 she flew over the coastline of Louisiana to evaluate the fallout from Hurricane Katrina . She has since studied hydrocarbon seepage in the Mississippi Canyon
Deepwater Horizon oil spill
Deepwater Horizon oil spill
Bonny L. Schumaker