Special update: The winners have been chosen!
Congratulations to Atlasers Whitney Passint and Tom Prestby, winners of our Rookie Recruit Contest. Together, Whitney and Tom Atlased the Waupun South NE specialty block and Waupun North SE block. The pair were randomly chosen from all qualifying checklists submitted by a Rookie Atlaser, with the help of a veteran, between July 22 and July 31.
In thanks for their excellent Atlasing efforts, Whitney and Tom will each win a new bird book or field guide of their choice. Thanks for the great work, you two!
Help us Finish a Strong First Breeding Season! Bring a Rookie Recruit into the Atlas Flock.
DO YOU HAVE 15 MINUTES? That’s all it takes to recruit someone to the Atlas team! We’d love to build our Atlas force as big as we can to finish our banner first breeding season, and we could use your help.
It’s easy! If you’re a veteran Atlaser, find someone who would make a good Rookie Recruit, and then help them submit a complete checklist by July 31. Both you and your Rookie will then be entered to WIN A NEW BOOK OR FIELD GUIDE OF YOUR CHOICE.*
It only takes 3 simple steps to teach a fledgling Rookie how to fly solo:
1. Give them a brief introduction of what the Atlas is (5 minutes), and show them all the online resources available at www.wsobirds.org/atlas.
2. Invite them to join you while you survey your Atlas block (no extra time for you!) so that they can learn the data collection protocols.
3. Show them how to enter their data correctly in Atlas eBird (10 minutes) and have them share the checklist with your account.
Rules
Any veteran Atlaser and their successfully recruited Rookie who submits a checklist on or by July 31, 2015 will be eligible for the drawing. To qualify as a Rookie Atlaser, the participant must not have collected or submitted any data for WBBA II prior to this contest. Contest entries will be based upon the first checklist submitted by a Rookie Atlaser only, additional checklists (though encouraged!) will not result in additional contest entries. Both veteran and their Rookie will be entered as a pair, and each will win a prize. Checklists must report all species detected and must use proper breeding codes.
After the Rookie Recruit properly submits their checklist, the veteran Atlaser should email us at atlas@WSObirds.org to let us know who you are, who your Rookie Recruit is, and which block they Atlased. We’ll enter you both into our drawing for a new book or field guide of your choice.* Veteran and Rookie Recruit do not need to choose the same prize.
Winner Notification
On Monday, August 3, we will randomly draw from qualifying Atlasers and their Rookie Recruits to determine the winning pair. Winners will be announced via Atlas social media accounts, including Twitter (@WIBirdAtlas), Facebook (Wisconsin Breeding Bird Atlas), on the Atlas eBird portal page (http://content.ebird.org/atlaswi/) and via email.
Prizes
*Winners can choose either one book or one field guide from the following lists. Veteran Atlaser and Rookie Recruit do not need to choose the same prize.
Eligible books include: Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Wisconsin; Wisconsin’s Favorite Bird Haunts, 5th ed.; Birds of Wisconsin, revised ed.
Eligible field guides include: Sibley Guide to Birds, 2nd ed.; National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, 6th ed.; Peterson Field Guide to Birds of Eastern and Central America, 6th ed.; The Crossley ID Guide: Eastern Birds; Kaufman Field Guide to Birds of North America.