Hi Ralph,
I can't coment on what happened to your suggestions for improvement of the
NSWBA data collection and handling system as I don't know. However, I can
say that there is provision in the data entry system for the habitat details
to be entered, and make their way into the database. I will agree with you
that the system needs improvement and have been pushing for this myself for
some time.
You are not on my copy of the membership list, are you a member? If you were
you would have seen my note in the latest newsletter regarding habitat
recording and why I think we should dispense with it, basically because most
birders are not sufficiently skilled to identify the different habitats and
secondly, because most sheets that come in involve multiple habitats and it
is impossible to tell which bird was in which habitat.
In defence of the committee I should point out that they are all very busy
at the moment putting together a NSW Bird Atlas publication. They are all
volunteers and give their time freely for the love of birds. They are not
professional data management people. It's like most clubs and societies in
this country, the general members complain about the committe and the way
they do things but very few put up their hands to take over any of the work
of running things when it cames to the AGM and election of officers.
Paul Osborn
|
