Fellow birders:

Below is a message now making the rounds. Help with this project is
needed. North American ornithology already has a lot more data than any
comparable discipline, certainly in terms of phenology and distribution,
and I am reluctant to jump on any of the many bandwagons enlisting
birders to accumulate still more. Enough is enough, and we don't need to
know where every robin is during every moment of its life these days.
Higher mountains of such data are not going to do much more to save birds.
        But this one is different. Here are six million heretofore neglected
scanned cards with data on N. American bird records, dating back into
the 1870s. They record first arrival dates of migrants (I don't think as
much of "departure" dates, since who knows?) and other pertinent
information. These cards preserve information with a substantial history
(130 years) significant size (six million handwritten reports containing
multiple observations), and better reliability than other databases.
        You can help organize these data by volunteering some time to
transcribe them at your convenience, using your own computer screen,
then mailing them to the BPP. Visit their page at
http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/bpp/index.cfm , and consider signing on to
help, even if you can spare only a few minutes every once in a while.
I'm not sure yet exactly exactly how it works, but you might be able to
choose a species you're especially interested in for the purpose, or a
decade, or a state/province. Check it out, anyway.
Bill Whan
Columbus


February 19, 2009

Greetings!

It's here!!
After much anticipation, we are excited to announce the launch of The
North American Bird Phenology Program (BPP) online data entry system!
Through this new online program, volunteers from around the world can
register on the website and begin transcribing historical bird arrival
records into our online database which were originally scanned in the
BPP office.

What is the BPP?
     The BPP is working to understand the scale of global climate change
and how it is affecting birds across North America. This is the oldest
and longest running bird monitoring program in the country, currently
housing six million records dating back to the early 1880's. The
program, started in 1880 by Wells W. Cooke, collected bird observations
by over 3,000 citizen scientists and came to an end in 1970, until we
revived the program during the last year. The records document bird
migration arrival and departure dates from around North America; an
unparalleled and untapped resource, but one in which we need your help
to modernize.

How can you get involved?
The BPP relies solely on volunteers to scan images of the migration
cards and transcribe them into our database. We accept participants from
all ages and backgrounds. AND you can participate from the comfort of
your own home! We need your help!

*     Online participants must register online at
www.pwrc.usgs.gov/bpp/BecomeAParticipant.cfm. There you can learn more
about the transcription process and register to become a transcriber.
After you register, you will receive a confirmation email which will
then take you through a 15 minute training video and back to the website
to begin transcription.
*     Also, If you are in the Baltimore-Washington area and would like
to help the crew of volunteers in the BPP office to help with scanning
and working with the historic files we welcome you to come and take part
in this program.  We even have Saturday hours!

Individuals, families, and small groups are welcome to help so if you
are interested in helping discover how spring and fall arrival times of
birds have changed since the 1880's, and I hope you are, please visit us
at www.pwrc.usgs.gov/bpp/<http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/bpp/>  or call (301)
487-5745.

           Sincerely,

           Jessica Zelt



BARC-East, Bldg 308
10300 Baltimore Avenue
Beltsville, MD 20705

Jessica Zelt
BPP Program Coordinator
USGS
Patuxent Wildlife Research Center
[log in to unmask]

Phone: (301) 497-5745
Fax: (301) 497-5624

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