Well said Kevin ! On Oct 18, 2015, at 4:04 PM, Kevin J. McGowan <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote:
Snip: "The refuge grants this privilege - this break from the norm - because it considers it an educational opportunity/event for the visiting public - one in which they can learn more about the refuge and the life it encourages. " Every birder I know is more than happy to tell anyone who asks what they're looking at and what's cool about it. If everyone was allowed to stand outside their car, looking through their scopes, the dialog, conversation, and education would be constant, not just in special events. Keeping the public in their vehicles decreases information flow and potentially decreases the overall enjoyment and education of the public passing through. As a compulsive educator, I find this stay-in-your-car! policy to be frustrating and counter-productive. I constantly find cool birds along the wildlife drive and hope someone will stop and ask me what I'm looking at. If I could, I'd get out of my car (on the passenger side) and flag people down to look at baby Virginia Rails or a Least Bittern. But, I can't do that, because I follow rules. So, I turn around in my car seat and hope to make eye contact with other cars passing by. They can't see my face, and they all pass on by. If I was allowed to stand outside the car they could see me and the level of education that occurs along the drive would increase by more than an order of magnitude. In my opinion. Kevin -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: Welcome and Basics<http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME> Rules and Information<http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES> Subscribe, Configuration and Leave<http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm> Archives: The Mail Archive<http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html> Surfbirds<http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds> BirdingOnThe.Net<http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html> Please submit your observations to eBird<http://ebird.org/content/ebird/>! -- -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
