[Bristol-Birds] Access conditions at Musick's Campground
- From: "Wallace Coffey" <jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "Bristol-birds" <bristol-birds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 26 Jul 2009 03:34:34 -0400
OUR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ACCESS
AT MUSICK'S CAMPGROUND
Surely there must be some lingering
misunderstanding about the purpose
of the sign-in box at Musick's
Campground on South Holston Lake.
This box is maintained by Mae Musick,
the owner of the campground. It is
important to her.
She paints the box. She puts plastic
over the box to keep the sign-in book
dry. She provides the notebooks. She
provides all of the pens that are used.
This box was built by Bristol Bird Club members and erected
there more than a decade ago. We remove and file the
filled pages. We did that as a condition of access to the area.
We also agreed to help monitor ourselves and other birders.
That agreement is part of the condition of access.
For more than three years, a white card
has been present in the box which
requests that birders "PLEASE PRINT
NAME & CITY" we are from. We are
also expected to write our first and
last name and car model, date and
color....time in and time out. That was
a condition of access.
The card was put there by Mae Musick.
The instructions on that card about
printing name and city are in her
handwriting. This is important to
her. Her family places the card back
on top of the book every time they notice it has been pushed
back under the notebook out of sight. Perhaps it is not asking
too much of ourselves to assist with that.
Something else that belongs to Mae Musick is the entire land
which the campground occupies. She owns the road and
the gate and the driveway and the tons of gravel placed on the
driveway every year. She owns the bathrooms and maintains
them and cleans them and she mows the grass and keeps the
property in maintenance. She owns and does all of that. She
cuts plants away around the sign-in box and plants and
maintains the flowers that grow there.
Hundreds of birders from everywhere have been made welcome
at Musick's Campground and it has become one of the most
convenient and productive birding locations we enjoy.
We, as birders, must be among the most selfish,
thoughtless and uncooperative visitors anyone could host.
Why we persist at ignoring these most simple notations anyone
could be ask to record and why we evidently believe it is an
inconvenience to abide by these simple requests in return for free
and constant access as many times a year and as often as
we like, should be perplexing to most logical folks.
Some BBC members are approached, from time to time, informing
us that a certain vehicle is driving past the box and not signing
in or out. They sometimes get to be repeated, disrespectful
birders. Sometimes we have been asked "who drives" a certain
vehicle by description. That usually leads to they were not
signing in.
In addition, we sometimes get reports of birders driving in and
out of the area at a fast speed. The sign by the gate says the
speed is to be 5 mph. This speed limitation not only protects
forcing rocks off the road but also the safety of campground
pedestrians -- almost all of whom pay a significant monthly fee
to use this campground and to come and go. Some are pets
and children.
Mae Musick is a LIFETIME MEMBER of the Bristol Bird Club.
She paid that with a check made payable to the BBC. Please
raise your hand if you are a paid LIFETIME MEMBER of your
club.
In return, please remember, the next time you bird the campground,
whether you come alone or with your family or drive a van loaded
with students from a college or university, that your cooperation
is the only thing asked in return for your access and enjoyment.
If we are too busy or too occupied or in too big of a rush to
cooperate, we probably should not visit the area.
Mae Musick believes we provide a significant "security system" for
her campground. She believes that the constant presence of
birders in her off season of late fall, thru winter and into early
spring, is a deterrent to those who sometimes commit burglary and
vandalism at other nearby campgrounds. She believes that she
has a way of knowing whether persons in there are birders or
violators passing her keep out and private property signs at the
entrance. She believes that the record you write can help her
get back with you or others to determine if there had been anything
noticeable and to determine the actual time birders came and left
in relationship to any discovered illegal problems.
Finally, how can others -- often first time visitors from far away
communities and states -- feel the need to comply with any of
her requests if those of us who come there often believe everyone
knows who we are and we are privileged people who do not need
to abide by these simple requests ? Why should they be expected
to do anything different than anyone else -- mainly whatever they
feel like doing and that includes "nothing" ? We should lead by
outstanding example.
If there is a lingering misunderstanding about the use of the
sign-in box, it must be that some of us get our kicks
out of asking others to tap dance in and tap dance out and to
sign up to play a game.
If we, as birders, feel put off by conforming to the simple requests
of those who make this one of the best and most convent birding
localities in the region, then perhaps we do not appreciate the
access and opportunity provided us. If we are so self focused
that we feel we must dance to another drummer's beat, then perhaps
we should rethink who we are and what we appreciate.
Your first and last name (others in your party or appreciated)
your city and state
your car make and color
time you arrive and leave
Out of respect to your fellow birders, notations about what
birds of interest and numbers you observed should be recorded.
Mae Musick did not ask that this message be posted. She did not
know that it would be posted. She may or may not see it. She is
subscribed to Bristol-Birds Net and sometimes misses messages.
It has become painfully obvious over past years that we are not
living up to our conditions of access and it is long past time that
a more serious and sincere effort be made to ask for everyone's
cooperation. This campground has not always been open to
the coming and going of birders. After all, it is a place of business.
Access for the birding community was proposed to Mae Musick
and her late husband, James, by birders. It was and is a project
of the Bristol Bird Club. Conditions of access were presented
and agreed upon. We need to assure we continue to honor them.
Other related posts:
- » [Bristol-Birds] Access conditions at Musick's Campground - Wallace Coffey
