My experience is complete when I enter my reports into the BirdSource database. Projects like the Gulf Coast Migratory Bird Survey make the often-obscure idea of ornithology accessible for any birder. I alerted a number of interested people, sticking my neck out as much as the geese with this educated guess. We can all be citizen scientists, with our own speed and direction. We can contribute our data and insight to science.
Ground truthing, for example, has strong implications for conservation.
Being able to predict when and where large numbers of migrants will land may help protect key migrant stop-over areas from development. We can also use it to discourage the staff at golf courses, parks, and other areas from applying pesticides during key fallout conditions. Such service is only due gratitude for being witness to the marvelous wonder of migrating birds. Businessman and Lab member Paul Dickson is a lifelong birder who coordinates a Christmas Bird Count and chairs the Friends of the Red River Refuges in Louisiana. He particularly enjoys nature from a scientific perspective.