Dr. Onik Arian, a longtime Ventura resident who worked for two decades in the emergency room at St. John's Pleasant Valley Hospital in Camarillo until moving to Northern California about a year ago, died over the weekend after a wave swept him off a jetty, officials said Monday. Arian was 61.
Arian hit his head on the jetty's rocks in the Sunday morning accident in Crescent City and died of blunt-force trauma, the Del Norte County Sheriff's Department said.
Arian, an avid bird-watcher, was swept off the jetty while taking part in the Audubon Society's holiday season bird count in Crescent City, located in the northwest corner of the state about 20 miles south of the Oregon border. His body was recovered almost immediately, said Sheriff's Cmdr. Bill Steven.
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Dr. Onik Arian, a long-time friend to California’s birds and birders, was tragically killed on December 14th 2008 after being swept from a jetty in Crescent City, CA while participating in his local Del Norte County, California Christmas Bird Count (CBC).
His untimely death at age 61 represents a devastating loss to his family of course and to the wider California birding community, as well as to the many International friends he made over the last 30 years during his annual spring visits to Pt. Pelee National Park in SW Ontario, Canada.
Since Onik’s death, a number of actions have been initiated in his memory, among them the following:
1. An Onik Arian Warbler Research Fund has been set up through Bird Studies Canada, located in Port Rowan, Ontario.
The mission of Bird Studies Canada is to advance the understanding, appreciation, and conservation of wild birds and their habitats, in Canada and elsewhere, through studies that engage the skills, enthusiasm, and support of its members, volunteers, and the interested public.
Bird Studies Canada is a not-for-profit organization built on the enthusiastic contributions of thousands of volunteer Citizen Scientists. Data from Bird Studies Canada’s volunteer surveys and targeted research projects are used to identify significant population changes and help direct conservation planning.
Donations to the Onik Arian Warbler Research Fund should be sent to the attention of Debbie Badzinski at the following address:
Debbie Badzinski
Ontario Program Manager
Bird Studies Canada
115 Front Street, PO Box 160
Port Rowan, ON
N0E 1M0
519-586-3531 (ext.123);
toll-free 888-448-2473
www.bsc-eoc.org
2. Pt. Pelee National Park agreed to inaugurate Parks Canada’s new “bench program” with a memorial bench in Onik’s memory. This bench was dedicated on May 18th, 2009 during a simple ceremony in the presence of many of Onik’s friends and will be permanently located in Tilden’s Woods on one of his favourite Pelee trails.
3. Anyone wishing further information regarding either of these projects should contact Brock May, a 30 year Canadian friend of Onik’s, via email at: Outside_Exposure@telus.net.
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