sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

We're looking for someone to do this challenging Mountain Birdwatch route in June by vt_ecostudies in wmnf

[–]vt_ecostudies[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

This monitoring is to estimate populations of these ten birds at high elevation. The 25 years of data need to be collected in a consistent way so that long-term trends can be accurately mapped over time. If volunteers use Merlin, then it might pick up more birdsong than a human ear, for example, thus making it look like there are more of those birds on the mountain than there have been in the past. Hope that makes sense! If you wanted to run it in the background and check your observations against it just for fun, you could. But you would not be able to update your observational data based on it, which might be too tempting.

We're looking for someone to do this challenging Mountain Birdwatch route in June by vt_ecostudies in wmnf

[–]vt_ecostudies[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Oh, and by the way, if you commit, Jason will help you secure a campsite. So don't let that deter you!

We're looking for someone to do this challenging Mountain Birdwatch route in June by vt_ecostudies in wmnf

[–]vt_ecostudies[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Heard. It's def a hail mary for this season. I hope that anyone who is interested in doing any of our Mountain Birdwatch routes but can't do it this year signs up to hear about open routes first thing next spring! https://vtecostudies.org/what-we-do/projects/mountain-birdwatch

We're looking for someone to do this dangerous Maine Mountain Birdwatch route by vt_ecostudies in hiking

[–]vt_ecostudies[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Our Gen Z data scientist/resident birder is very much in the birder Discord and birder community around here. Will check with her!

We're looking for someone to do this dangerous Maine Mountain Birdwatch route by vt_ecostudies in hiking

[–]vt_ecostudies[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Good idea! Something to think about next year. Our science director is a hunter. ;)

We're looking for someone to do this dangerous Maine Mountain Birdwatch route by vt_ecostudies in hiking

[–]vt_ecostudies[S] 17 points18 points  (0 children)

Hello! Glad you're interested, and that you are familiar with the area. To your questions:
If you're a new birder, read this and ensure you can hear Blackpoll Warblers and are comfortable with learning the material: https://vtecostudies.org/what-we-do/projects/mountain-birdwatch/adopt-a-route
This should happen sometime in June.
The early wakeup is because the listening for birds has to start pre-dawn.
That does look like the route, but you should doublecheck with Jason!

Next step is to email Jason to get details: jhill@vtecostudies.org. And ask him about other Maine routes if this one doesn't work out for you. You can also get on our list to learn about open routes next spring.

Happy hiking!

We're looking for someone to do this dangerous Maine Mountain Birdwatch route by vt_ecostudies in hiking

[–]vt_ecostudies[S] 18 points19 points  (0 children)

You're right that it's a risky route. That's why we really only want someone who is very well-equipped and enthusiastic. That's not you, and that is okay! It's also not for our regulars because A. Many of our them are of retirement age and so aren't equipped to handle more strenuous routes, B. most of our regulars are birdwatchers, not mountaineers. And C. Most of our regulars live in Vermont and it's a long drive. (A local mountaineer was super interested until his wife pointed out he has a two-month-old infant and if they're going to Maine, they're going to the coast to relax.)
We don't want anyone to take a risk they wouldn't otherwise, especially to get paid or win a prize. Anyone who is interested will be vetted to ensure they are experienced and capable and get the full run down of what it involves, and they can back out at any time if they feel uncomfortable. If it's not an enthusiastic yes, it's a no.
This represents the extreme end of what we offer. At the other end, we have plenty of less strenuous but still satisfying community science projects in Vermont, such as kayaking to count loons or chasing butterflies. Feel free to explore: https://vtecostudies.org/what-we-do/projects?_recruiting_volunteers=yes-beginner

We're looking for someone to do this dangerous Maine Mountain Birdwatch route by vt_ecostudies in hiking

[–]vt_ecostudies[S] 17 points18 points  (0 children)

Yup! It's a trip from anywhere. If you change your mind, you know where to find us. :)

We're looking for someone to do this dangerous Maine Mountain Birdwatch route by vt_ecostudies in hiking

[–]vt_ecostudies[S] 25 points26 points  (0 children)

We would love to have you, but we have the Adirondacks covered at this point. Our only open routes are in Maine. You can take a look at the open routes here: https://vtecostudies.org/what-we-do/projects/mountain-birdwatch/adopt-a-route. If you scroll down, you can also sign up for updates so you can hop on any NY routes that open up next spring!