Seeking New Board Members and Community Volunteers
By Lucie Lehmann, Vice President
At a recent board retreat in Huntington, the Green Mountain Bird Alliance board met to review the year’s accomplishments, re-examine our mission and priorities, and set goals for the coming year. Our chief accomplishment, besides the usual number of well attended outings and programs, was to successfully transition to our new name, which the birding community has embraced for its clarity and welcome to all.
One of the key goals we set for the coming year is to strengthen our efforts to educate about and introduce new birders of all abilities, backgrounds and ages to the magical world of birding. We are especially committed to including young people and individuals who may not in the past have had the opportunity to get out and bird due to accessibility or other issues.
In order to meet that and other goals, including using social media more effectively, finding new program speakers, and recruiting new outing leaders, we are looking to recruit individuals with the passion, time, and skills to help expand our reach. There are two ways to do that: either as a board member or as a community volunteer with limited time but an interest to contribute in more targeted ways.
The areas that we are most interested in recruiting new people for include:
Communication, including writers for the newsletter and individuals skilled at using social media
Photographers to help document outings and other bird sightings and post them on social media
Skilled birders to help lead outings
People with strong computer skills, including experience working on websites
Sector leaders for the annual Winter Bird Count
Individuals with a financial background
Anyone with a passion for birding, education and conservation who wants to serve on the GMBA board
Board members typically serve for at least three years, work on at least one committee, and participate in ten online board meetings and two in-person board retreats each year. In addition, they often participate in outings, including sometimes helping to lead or co-lead them, though that is not a requirement. They do not have to be expert birders; rather, we need people who share GMBA’s commitment to our mission “to nurture an appreciation of birds and to protect them and their habitats.”
Community members who do not have the time to serve on GMBA’s board but who would like to contribute their time and skills in more targeted ways are most welcome and needed, as well.
If you are interested in serving in either capacity, please reach out to Pat Phillips at Phillipspatj@gmail.com or Lucie Lehmann at Luciemlehmann@gmail.com.
Photo: © Nathaniel Sharp, licensed under CC-BY-NC