by Eric and Joanna Reuter

We will be stepping down as CAS field trip coordinators this summer, so it is time for someone else to step up and ensure continuity. We believe strongly that field trips and community outreach should be a core mission for an organization like CAS, and we will continue to lead some individual trips.

This position’s core purpose is to organize a slate of worthwhile birding trips, to recruit leaders to make them happen, and to communicate their schedule via the CAS website (and other means as desired). It requires organizational skills, attention to detail, and some comfort with technology. It does NOT require any particular level of birding knowledge, and it does NOT require leading any trips. Traditionally, this role was filled by a board-level Chair position that attended meetings and had a vote. When we agreed to serve, we negotiated a lower-level Coordinator position that did not require regular board participation. Anyone interested can discuss their own level of commitment with the board.

There is a stable structure for running a base level of two trips a month, plus many other recurring field trips. The CAS website maintains a many-year history of past field trips, and a multi-year spreadsheet records trip leaders, attendance, and eBird links; both serve as planning/reporting resources for a future coordinator.

Over the summer, we’d be happy to discuss the role with any interested candidates, and to offer training/guidance in how to use CAS’s online event-posting system. CAS will need a new person (or persons) active in time for the traditional field trip season to begin in September.

If you have specific questions about the role, feel free to contact us at birds@ozarkoutsider.com 

For more general inquiries, or to propose yourself (or others!), contact CAS President Lottie Bushmann at lottie.bushmann@gmail.com