Designing Better Birding Trails: A Survey Request

Amy Hartell, a graduate student in the Department of Landscape Architecture at the University of Oregon is seeking the input of birders in developing better design guidelines for locating and building birding trails and tour routes. You can help by completing a simple online survey and submitting your responses no later than April 15.

The scope of the study and the survey is described more fully in Ms. Hartell’s request, as follows:

Dear Birding Enthusiasts,

I am a student in the Department of Landscape Architecture at the University of Oregon. Following is a link to a survey that is part of my unfunded Master's Project about how to better design birding trails and tour routes for everyone including people with disabilities. Data collected from this survey will be used to identify preferred birding experiences and how they may be provided for all kinds of birders and design for habitat conservation education. I am also seeking information on an important subgroup of birders, those with disabilities. The results of this survey will help me develop better design guidelines for locating and building birding trails and tours. Dan Gleason of the Oregon Field Ornithologists' suggested posting the survey may be a good way to reach birders everywhere.

Completing and returning the questionnaire constitutes your consent to participate. The survey does not ask for any personally identifying information such as names, addresses, and phone numbers. Responses will be completely anonymous; do not put your name anywhere on the survey. The survey is intended for anyone age 18 or older and considers themselves a birder. Completion of the survey will take 20-30 minutes.

To get started, simply follow this LINK TO THE SURVEY.

Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey to help with my studies.

THE SURVEY CLOSES 15 April 2009.

Sincerely,

Amy Hartell
ahartell AT uoregon.edu

Do your part to help improve birding trails and tour routes for future generations of bird enthusiasts. Take the survey right now, before you become distracted by other things.