Stuart et al.

I've been reading the thread on amateurs/volunteers in the sciences with
great interest since that it is what I now am and do. It was rather
amusing that in the same day's digest with an almost tortured attempt to
appraise the position and value of amateurs to science, were two calls
for contributions of information on bird sightings from - whomever!

Obviously there's a need for more observers in the "field" (or 'burb,
perhaps) and even if professional ones were hired more and paid more I
think there would still be a need. From my own point of view as a
birder, bander, rehabber (just say "bird" and I'll run do it), it's
great to be getting a free ride into the type of work I might have
chosen to do professionally if I'd had my head on straight 30 years ago
and I'm lucky to have also gotten into a good early retirement situation
where I have the time. I'm more honored to be included than worried
about remuneration, but then I see how this must look to someone who's
spent the time and effort to educate and train themselves
professionally. It's possibly harming their careers to have people out
there giving their services away.

As another angle, scientists who have come to rely on volunteers as
assistants worry that their data might be less than professional quality
("you can't get good help...").

Our local Audubon chapter got inspired to do some bird census work in
the municipal greenspaces around Anchorage, as a way of letting birders
contribute to the community knowledge base and to raise awareness of
urban wildlife. We had to make 3 surveys each of 9 parcels, each census
running from 5:00 to 9:00 a.m. No matter how we sliced it, we still
needed 27 experienced bird song identifiers, one for each outing - or
the same one for 27 outings. Piling up a bunch of inexperienced
observations somehow didn't multipy into adequate information.

The more disturbing underlying trend is that there are so many
occupations that people expect others to do for free or for peanuts: art
work (both performing and visual), photography, lectures in areas of
scientific expertise, child care, many kinds of teaching. Is there a
connection between the kinds of professions that get hit up the most
or am I a bit paranoid to think it is the ones that people are the
most likely to be doing out of love. (Well, that's too broad I guess.
One can be a lawyer or realtor out of love too, supposedly.)

It's a dilemma.

Chris Maack
Bird Treatment & Learning Center
Anchorage, AK
73201.3124 at compuserve.com