In recent years CanberraBirds has gradually changed from what it was originally intended to be, an information dissemination and discussion list, to one which also provides a place for birders cum photographers to share their photographs.
Although that has been found unsatisfactory by some, to me it is a natural development reflecting what is happening with digital technology.
The fantastic people at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology who are responsible for eBird and the Macaulay Library have also noticed this trend and have thought long and hard about it.
The consequence is that they are developing what they call the 'next generation tools for rich media'. At its heart is incorporating bird photos into eBird checklists:
quote
It allows eBird, the Cornell Lab, and its global partners to engage emerging communities of nature enthusiasts. Today many people are connecting with birds for the first time through the camera lens, rather than through binoculars. In many places around the
world, vibrant communities are springing up around bird photography. While taking photos of birds is fun, and sharing them with others is rewarding, our challenge is to capture this information in a way that is most useful for science and conservation. To
accomplish this, we need to build tools that engage these new communities and help them to enjoy what they love to do (share bird photos), while at the same time help steer them toward becoming better eBirders and scientists in the process. Through the tools
we’re developing, we hope to provide an exciting atmosphere for people to share and learn, while also emphasizing how to make your contributions most valuable for science. This next generation of naturalists can capitalise on the strengths of the fun side
of eBird, while contributing their rich media to a rapidly growing digital natural history collection.
unquote
Interested? Read more at
http://ebird.org/content/australia/news/ebird-and-macaulay-library-next-generation-tools-for-rich-media/ .
And do consider sharing your images not just on this list, where they are seen one day but then gone, making no contribution to science. If you attach your photos to your eBird checklists, they are archived and publicly available into the future, and will be
used by scientists in ways that we cannot imagine at present.
And it boosts your role as a citizen scientist on top of your role as a bird photographer.
Just a thought - David
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David McDonald
1004 Norton Road
Wamboin NSW 2620
Australia
T: (02) 6238 3706
M: 0416 231 890
F: (02) 9475 4274
E: m("dnmcdonald.id.au","david");">
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