Dear Tweeters,



I am writing you about my survey for birders that is part of my

Master's Project at the University of Oregon. Joel Geier from the

Willamette Valley Birding Trail Planning suggested I might contact

some other organizations that may not be linked in to the Oregon

birding list serves. Currently I have it out on three Oregon list

serves and a few organizations in southern Oregon have emailed the

link to the survey for me to their membership. Most Audubon chapters

were not willing to participate through voluntary emailing but

hopefully much of their membership has been able to access the survey

through the list serves. I am also waiting for a response from

California Audubon and Klamath Bird Observatory. I have had good luck

so far with responses but my window for collecting data is short.

Many from your organization may have access to the survey through

Oregon Birders On Line but many may not. I currently have ~190 respondents after a week and a half.

I'd like to get at least 350 to 500. I plan on doing a followup reminder on the 6th of April and one last

reminder and thank you on the 13th of April. I would be most grateful

if you would help with the distribution and participation of the survey.

Following is the background information for my study.



BACKGROUND:



23 March 2009



Dear Birding Enthusiast,



My name is Amy Hartell and I am a student in the Department of Landscape Architecture at the University of Oregon. This survey is part of my unfunded Master?s Project about how to better design birding trails and tour routes for everyone including people with disabilities. My research needs your perceptions. I am interested in how people?s knowledge, skill, motivation and future expectations shape their birding experience.

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.

Leaders of your birding organization(s) have agreed to give you the opportunity to participate in this survey either by emailing the survey for me to their membership or by providing access the survey through a birding listserve, electronic newsletter, or website. They include the Audubon chapters of Portland, Corvallis and Lane County and Klamath County, the Klamath Wingwatchers of Oregon, the Oregon Field Ornithologists and the Klamath-Siskyou-Modoc Recreational Group of Southern Oregon and Northern California.

Completion and submission of the survey is voluntary. 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. If you do not wish to participate, simply discard the questionnaire. 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. The survey may be taken through Survey Monkey (a secure online survey service) or by completing a writable pdf form and returning it as an attachment to ahartell at uoregon.edu. You can find the writable pdf on the Portland Audubon website: http://www.audubonportland.org/local-birding/survey



You may keep this letter for your records. If you have any questions regarding the research, contact Robert Ribe (faculty advisor), department of Landscape Architecture, (541) 346-3648, 230 Lawrence Hall University of Oregon Eugene, OR 97403-5234. If you have any questions regarding your rights as a research subject, please contact the Office for Protection of Human Subjects at the University of Oregon, (541) 346-2510. This Office oversees the review of the research to protect your rights and is not involved with this study.



LINK TO SURVEY THROUGH SURVEY MONKEY:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=cxlublFiM6992fty1mYbKg_3d_3d



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

studies. THE SURVEY CLOSES APRIL15, 2009.



Sincerely,



Amy Hartell

ahartell at uoregon.edu

541-892-0680