Urgently needed: Long-term counters for Autumn 2023
Dear friends of Batumi Raptor Count, raptor enthusiasts,
For every autumn count we rely on the voluntary work of a diverse group of counters from all experience levels and walks of life. We offer positions for participation anywhere from two-week periods til full seasons. In particular, we rely on a group of long-term participants staying with us for half a season or longer as the ‘backbone’ of our count. Usually, these positions are popular and easily filled. However, this year — for unknown reasons — we still have vacancies for most long-term positions. If, in a worst-case scenario, these positions do not get adequately filled soon, we are unable to ensure consistent count effort throughout the season and we may eventually even have to (partially) cancel the count for this autumn.
Given our experience in the previous year, we are still confident there are many enthusiastic birders able to commit for longer terms to our project. Please, if you are interested in participating yourself, or know someone who may be, forward them this urgent call. Long-term counters receive a discount on the daily fee between €10 and €15. Additionally, we can also offer these positions as internship positions for students. Finally, if you are unable to cover your participation fee for financial reasons, you should know that we can provide further discounts on a case-by-case basis thanks to other participants who have generously decided to pay extra on top of their fees. If you wish to apply for this further reduction of the participation fee, send an email to volunteer@batumiraptorcount.org.
In addition to positions for long-term counters, we also still have plenty of unfilled short-term 2-week slots available.
We strive to keep the barrier of entry for volunteering positions as low as possible. In case you feel there are ways in which we can improve this further, especially if you experience hindrances to participate, please reach out to us via email and we will see what we can do about this now and in the future.
Warm wishes,
Batumi Raptor Count
Edit June 16th, 2023: We’ve lowered the prices for long-term counters by €2 to €10 and €15/day for full season and half season counters respectively.