Date: Sun, 13 Aug 2000 06:01:27 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Norm Saunders Subject: Re: Inappropriate behavior - a future strategy (long) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Bob, You have a lot of good ideas, but you should understand that MDOsprey is most definitely NOT an MOS-sponsored list and many, if not most, of the subscribers are not MOS members. I think the requirements regarding posting a rare bird sighting that you made are good ones, but I think they are the responsibility of the poster--in fact it just seems like common sense to do the things you suggest before publically spreading information about a rare bird on private property. The point is though that it should be the responsibility of each and every one of us to both act in responsible ways in the field and on MDOsprey. Best, Norm Saunders ----- Original Message ----- From: "Bob Mumford" To: Sent: Monday, August 07, 2000 12:41 PM Subject: Re: [MDOSPREY] Inappropriate behavior - a future strategy (long) > I have read with interest the many thoughtful responses to the Hoopers Island > incident and think it is safe to conclude the following: > > 1. No one, other than the people directly involved, knows exactly what > happened at 1845 Hoopersville Road on the weekend of July 29-30. We on the > net know what Les Roslund was told by the property owners and some neighbors. > We do not know, for example, whether there was one or more than one > photographer with a large lens. We apparently have not identified any of the > culprits. > > 2. Regardless of what actually occurred, it has been interpreted and labeled > as aggressive and inappropriate. Some behavior, such as driving over > people's lawns, is beyond debate. But other things are much more subjective. > To the neighbor, a photographer with a large lens was "intimidating". To > most of us a large lens is just a large lens, no more intimidating than a > pair of binoculars. It is hard to believe that anyone knowingly "sneaked up" > on the poor woman gardening. But she was frightened. > > 3. In a "community" a large as birding has become, there will be some folks > who step over the line to unacceptable behavior. Regardless of our own > personal behavior, and that of the vast majority of others, the reputation of > birders (and environmentalists in general) can be damaged by the aggressive > behavior of a few. > > 4. Many, if not most, birders are reluctant to speak to the miscreants at the > time of an infraction, either because it is not their nature and/or they have > had unpleasant experiences with confrontation in the past. > > 5. Virtually all birders want to preserve access to rare birds on both > private and public property. > > To the above, I add my own assumptions and conclusions: > > 1. MOS members are uncommonly decent, law-abiding and conservative and > responsible in their behavior and unlikely to be the transgressors in "the > incident". (I could be wrong, of course). > > 2. Most people will behave appropriately if they know what is expected of > them. > > 3. There is a world of difference between unknowingly violating ground rules > and willful aggressive behavior that violates other's privacy or property > rights. > > 4. If we do not learn from this unfortunate incident and set up a SYSTEM for > the future, we are almost guaranteed to have a repeat a year or two down the > road. Maybe sooner. Exhortations to the choir are seldom successful in > correcting the sins of the parishioner in the back pew. Prevention is the > strategy of choice. Ex post facto regrets and recriminations are a poor > alternative. > > MOS would do an enormous favor to the larger birding community by > establishing a SYSTEM for managing the response to rare birds. Such a system > might work as follows: > > 1. A person would volunteer (or be assigned from a pool of volunteers) to be > the point person for a newly discovered rare bird. He/she would be the sole > point of contact and the bridge between home/land owner and the birding > groups. > > 2. The point person would meet with the home/land owner BEFORE an address or > directions were posted on the net. During the initial conversation, the > point person would brief the home/land owner on the likely response to a > posting, suggest some ground rules for managing visitors and ask the > home/land owner for his/her own needs/requirements, etc. > > 3. Only after the home/land owner gave specific permission and identified > ground rules would the rare bird be announced with directions on the net. > Guidance and ground rules would accompany the post. > > 4. The point person would be responsible for providing whatever was necessary > for the execution of the home/land owner's ground rules: a sign or signs, > orange plastic construction type tape to mark off-limits areas, etc. (the > cost of these items ought to be borne by the MOS). The whole philosophy > should be to make visitors viewing of the bird as close to "hassle free" to > the home/land owner as humanly possible. > > 5. It is not beyond reason to think of a watch system, where an MOS person > would be on location, on duty, for perhaps two hours at a time, during > weekend hours, to guide visitors, prevent problems and to intercede if > untoward behavior was developing. Aren't there enough of us now to staff > such a watch? > > 6. Following departure of the rare bird, the point person would be > responsible for preparing a letter signed by, say, the MOS president, > thanking the home/land owner for granting access and accommodating the > birders. ABA type framed certificates would seem a likely follow-on project. > > If we are not willing to devote this kind of time and effort, we have no one > to blame but ourselves in the future if we are cut off from access because of > the unruly behavior of a few. I personally would hate to go back to the old > system of only a select few being advised by a telephone tree of the rare > birds, or the other suggested alternative of only organized groups being > granted access. > > Bob Mumford > Darnestown > > ========================================================================> To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com > with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey > ========================================================================> ========================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ========================================================================== =========================================================================