Date: 5/25/26 11:18 am From: Dana Williams <dwilliams...> Subject: [VTBIRD] Experienced birder needed for VT Forest Bird Monitoring Program
Hi Everyone,
The Vermont Center for Ecostudies (VCE) is seeking a volunteer to conduct point count
surveys at one of our long-term forested study sites. Initiated in 1989, the Vermont Forest Bird Monitoring Program
<https://vtecostudies.org/what-we-do/projects/forest-bird-monitoring-program/> (FBMP) is one of the continent’s longest-running studies of interior forest bird populations.
Currently we have a vacancy at *Sandbar Wildlife Management Area in Milton, VT.* This site will require someone who is comfortable working around poison ivy and using a GPS as some of the site markers need to be replaced.
*We expect to have several vacancies open up next year so please also reach out if you are interested in participating in the future.*
*Skills Required:* Volunteers must possess excellent bird
identification skills (both visual and aural), and be capable of
identifying the majority of songbird species that breed in Vermont
forests. They must also be capable of hiking on variable terrain, often
without trails, and navigating with GPS and/or map and compass.
*How much time will it take?* The total time commitment is approximately 6-8 hours
total during June and July. Because this is a long-term monitoring
program, we are most interested in participants who can make a
multi-year commitment to the project.
*What will you do?* On two separate mornings in June, you will survey for birds during a
10-minute sampling period at each of 5 survey points spaced 250 meters
apart. Each survey will take approximately 2 hours (including hiking to
and from your vehicle and between points). Surveys are to be conducted
during the early morning hours (e.g. arrive at the first point at
approximately 5:00 AM, so being functional before dawn is also a
prerequisite!). In addition, another 1-1.5 hours of time is required to
transfer data from field forms onto data sheets, and enter data into an
online, web-based data entry system before August 31st.
Please email me at <dwilliams...> if you are interested or have questions!
