No, it isn’t quite Christmas time yet, but Oceanville compiler Mike Delesantro is planning ahead and has shared his request for volunteers, including possible compiling help, well in advance. This is forwarded at his request.
The Oceanville count includes Brigantine (Forsythe) refuge, Brigantine Island, Atlantic City and parts of the nearby mainland. Obviously it has some very good habitat as well as some more urban areas. This message was sent out to former participants; I’ve participated in this count, on the Atlantic City section, for a number of years. I’m not able to take on any compiling or organizing tasks but hope to help Mike find new participants and helpers so I got permission to post this.
If interested, please contact Mike, not me, not the list. The email address is <njocbc...> <mailto:<njocbc...>
> Hello, Christmas Bird Count Devotees!
> I know it's very, very, early to be talking about the next Oceanville CBC, (OCBC) but something has come up that will affect my participation in the count and I wanted to see what you all thought about any possible changes that may be needed.
> First, the “traditional” date for the OCBC is the first Saturday of the count season. For 2025, that will be Saturday, December 20. Count Week is 17 December to 23 December.
> I have been invited to participate in a birding tour to India that will occur immediately before that date and given airline flight delays and other “normal” travel problems, I may not be home in time to do the OCBC or I may be so jet lagged that I can't function in a useful manner.
> I can still act as compiler, after the reports are all submitted, but I will need the many count teams to be independent in the two weeks prior to count day. I will have limited internet access during the India tour so you all will need to coordinate all the typical last minute details and ensure you have everything arranged. That's why I am writing this message so early. We need to establish teams to cover as much of the count circle as possible, as soon as we can, so that planning will be complete before I depart. That means we need to recruit new people to cover areas that we missed last year and to help make sure nobody has an area they feel is too big to handle. Those of you who did the count last time should actively recruit to get more help and to groom successors for when you will inevitably be unable to continue your participation (many years in the future, I hope!).
> There are alternatives to this:
> 1. We can push the date back a week to December 27th. (Not ideal since that is so close to Christmas and some people may be traveling.)
> 2. Someone else can take on the role of planning and compiling the OCBC for 2025. Many of you have far more experience with doing the OCBC than I do.
> IN ANY CASE, please let me know what you think your level of participation in the next OCBC will be. Can you participate this year? Can you act as a team leader for one of the different areas within the count circle? To which area(s) would you like to be assigned? Will you be able to recruit helpers for your team?
> SEND ME EMAILS for potential new blood! We always will need more volunteers.
> Thanks!
> Michael Delesantro
