[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

CBCS



C' Birders,
I have to admit that I purposely threw some oil on the fire to provoke
responses to the subject of whether CBCS conducted under the aegis of
NAS had any relevance to the average birder.

So far, there have been a number of comments expressed on C'Birds. They
have pretty much fallen into two categories:

a) CBCS are fun, and worth doing because it's a group thing and there's
the possibility of seeing a rare bird, so who cares about NAS"s
shortcomings, just go ahead and enjoy.

b) CBCS provide important long-term info about bird distribution which
is important to scientists and assists in bird conservation etc.

My response to a) is:
Why not continue to participate in CBCS through your local bird club,
Audubon Chapter etc.? Why does NAS have to be involved in your fun
thing, other than to collect their $5.00 mandatory contribution?

As far as b) is concerned, I really wonder what important scientific
conclusions have ever been developed by the avalanche of CBC info over
the history of the counts. Has any reputable avian scientist ever
written a peer-reviewed monograph based on this welter of information?
I'm not an ornithologist, so I really don't know. The skeptic in me
suggests that NAS has all the reasons in the world for maintaining this
"feel good" funding, while at the same time striving to reduce the
associated expenses so as to improve its "bottom line".

Remember, the NAS has for a long time been an organization prinarily
interested in conservation in a general sense. Its original primary
focus on birding has blurred significantly since it revised its mission
statement.

OK, Guys and Gals, tell me how wrong I am!

Tom Joyce
Brevard, NC