I am glad I found this site! This is where the REAL Experience checks in. Thanks for the offers! I'm glad to get some folks offering to drop by at Bernheim. A little history about me: I'm just a guy that put up a martin house, got lucky and built a nice returning bunch of martins, and accidentally fell into public involvement. Where I work, there were martin houses. I asked around, and found that the man that put up the housing had retired long ago. The enviromental engineer welcomed my offer to monitor the martin housing. I quickly got tire of answering, "I'm not sure." to folks that would ask me questions about martins at this public site at work. I "armed" myself with knowledge, and read about martins more and more. I also downloaded informational handouts from The Purple Martin Conservation Association. When someone approaches me now, I have some answers, and usually a handout that they can take with them to read. I live walking distance to Bernheim Forest, and always thought this was a great place to introduce martins to people. Purple Martins almost entirely depend on human supplied nest sites, and so many of the best martin colonies are "tucked away", down secluded backroads. Long story short... I already had the handouts, and read about martins almost daily... I'm also a member of a "Purple Martin Clubhouse", and literally talk to some of the most experienced landlords in North America and Canada. So "For some reason", this hobby of martineering has exploded for me, and it is my simple goal to share these fasinating birds in a few public places. It amazes me that I seem to be "alone" in my public colony venture. Looks like I'm the only one in this area, South of Louisville, that is managing public sites. I'll bet I'm wrong. If you are sharing your birding to "the next generation", FANTASTIC !! Our native species have way too much non-native competition, and desperately need more folks putting up and managing Bluebird, Purple Martin and Tree Swallow houseing, just to name a few. Larry Melcher Bullitt County KY purplemartin AT windstream DOT net ================NOTES TO SUBSCRIBERS============== The BIRDKY Mailing List requires you to sign your messages with first & last name, city, & state abbreviation. -------------------------------------------------- To post to this mailing list, send e-mail to: birdky@xxxxxxxxxxxxx -------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, send e-mail to: birdky-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject line. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Visit the Kentucky Ornithological Society web site at http://www.biology.eku.edu/kos.htm * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * BIRDKY List Manager: Gary Ritchison, Richmond, KY E-mail: gary.ritchison@xxxxxxx