These are questions you may ask about participation in the Conservation Area Checklist Project and State Parks Checklist Project (CACHE and SPARKS).
1. I am not an expert birder. I'm sure my lists are not nearly as complete as an expert birder's would be from the same site on the same day. Do you want my data?
ABSOLUTELY, YES! This is a project we all can contribute to. Every birder's lists are useful additions to the database. JUST MAKE SURE YOU RECORD THE DATE OF YOUR TRIP AND THE BEGINNING AND ENDING TIME. These are required for data entry.
2. I went to the same conservation area or state park two days in a row. Do you want all of the species on both lists, or just the newly seen ones for the second day?
Enter the full list for each day.
3. I live near a conservation area or state park not among the special ones for this year. I go there a lot. I sometimes bird other state parks and conservation areas that aren???t focus parks or target areas. Do you want the lists I make on these visits?
YES! Any list made of observations in any conservation area or state park adds important information to the database.
4. Sometimes I go to conservation areas or state parks with one or more friends. We all keep lists. Do you want each of us to enter the sightings from the same trip?
NO. It is best if only one enters the list and fills in the field indicating who else was present. Please decide who is going to enter the data before you part. If there are species not on both/all lists for the day, those additional species should also be entered on this one list.
5. Should lists made on organization field trips (such as a local Audubon) be entered in the database?
YES! Just make sure that you decide at the beginning of the trip who is responsible for entering the data and and the participants (either as individual names or as members of an organization). Make sure that person has a full list at the end of the trip.
6. I have some old lists of birds I saw at a conservation area or state park--some are from last year and some from several years ago. Do you want these lists put into the project database even if I have numbers for some species and just species names for the rest?
YES! IF YOU KNOW THE DATES AND TIMES OF THE TRIPS. You can put ???1??? in the space for species number and note in the ???comments??? field that an actual count was not made. When possible, please include the numbers of individuals for the species entered. The abundance is an important part of the data.
7. I have records from conservation area or state park visits, but I cannot (or do not wish to) enter them in the database, myself. Do you still want these lists?
YES! If you have lists (handwritten, computer print-out, filled-in conservation area, state park, or MO checklist, or other) that are appropriate for the database, but you do not wish to enter the material on the website, contact Edge Wade: 1221 Bradshaw Ave., Columbia, MO 65203, (573) 445-6697. She will connect you with someone who has volunteered to enter data for other people.
8. How do I volunteer to enter data for other people?
Contact Edge Wade below.
9. Suppose I want to take some special responsibility for birding a particular conservation area or state park, is there some way I can do that?
YES! Contact Edge Wade below.