I am forwarding this for Nancy Drilling:
Did you travel to the Black Hills in South Dakota to see the Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush (OBNT) this summer? If so, we are seeking your input to help assess the economic importance of birds and birding in the area. >From July 17 to August 19, 2010, an estimated 400 people travelled to the Black Hills to see the bird -- only the third sighting of this Mexican species in the U.S. and the first north of Texas. Most of these visitors spent money on food, lodging, travel and other expenses. To gather information on the local economic impact, Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory has created a short survey for people who saw or attempted to see the OBNT. The survey takes about 5-10 minutes to fill out and asks questions about your trip and about your involvement in birding activities. All responses and contact information are confidential and will not be used for any other purposes. We will report the results to area businesses and tourist agencies, land managers, and the general public. In addition, we hope to use this information to develop special birding programs and opportunities in the Black Hills. If you went to see the OBNT, go to http://www.rmbo.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/OBNTsurvey_v4.pdf to download the survey from our website. The survey is a PDF form that you can fill in (you must have Adobe Reader or similar software). Then simply return the completed form by e-mail, or print and mail the form to the address listed on the survey. If you prefer a Word version of the survey or have questions or concerns, contact [email protected] The more responses we receive from those who visited the OBNT, the more we can understand the bird’s economic impact. Please take a few minutes to complete the survey. Also, please forward this announcement to anyone you know who travelled to see the OBNT. Thank you! Good birding, Nancy Drilling Coordinator, South Dakota projects [email protected] Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory www.rmbo.org ---- Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
