Groundspeak Portal

The Virgina Dept. of Game and Inland Fisheries had a great program called Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail. I think it would make another wonderful category. Similar to the Florida

"From the Atlantic Ocean on Virginia's eastern border, to the towering Mt. Rogers at its southwest corner, the Commonwealth includes every bird and animal habitat that occurs naturally between Maine and Florida. The state also offers a long history, rich culture, and tradition of warm hospitality to welcome visitors.

Within Virginia's 43,000 square miles of diverse natural habitat, you can find some 400 species of birds, 250 species of fish, 150 species of terrestrial and marine animals, 150 species of amphibians and reptiles, and a wide variety of aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates. The Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail celebrates this diversity. In fact, it is the first statewide program of its kind in the United States. In Virginia, three phases of the trail link wildlife viewing sites throughout the state." VGIF website. http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/vbwt/

This is my first category proposal so if I understand the rules, I am looking for committee members to join me in building this category.

 

well, i hope it sees more traffic than the FL cat....

chapterhouseinc:

well, i hope it sees more traffic than the FL cat....

Doubt it.  That's why I think these categories that are severely limited to a small geographic location and appeal to a specialized interest group just don't do well.  I wouldn't be entirely opposed to the idea, but unless you have a group who would be interested in actively waymarking this trail, then it probably is not viable, though documenting it with waymarks is a worthy goal.

I've got a FL one 2 miles from my home and have been there a few times geocaching and still haven't managed to get the waymark written and posted.

But I don't oppose a VA cat at all. Go for it! :)

I'm afraid I'm going to be the party-pooper who does oppose this.  At least on first reading (I'm open to persuasion  ). 

What specifically are to be included/excluded as waymarks? Trailheads? (we already have trailhead categories) birdwatching locations? (ditto), and so on. 

This category doesn't seem to be asking for a specific type of thing but rather a specific location of various things (which either could go into other categories, or which are too subjective/unremarkable to go into any category, or which are really interesting - and occur globally - and are crying out for their own category).

Now, on the other hand we already have categories like "route 66" that operate successfully on a similar principle.  So perhaps I'm barking up the wrong tree.  If you could explain what the rules for in/exclusion are then perhaps I'll understand a bit better.

Hope I'm not being too negative - this is intended in a spirit of constructive criticism.

I would not think the that Florida one is some kind of precedence for this, it was an early category and things have changed since then.  In general categories for a relatively small geographic area are usually not accepted, as this activity is global.   However, I would think that many of the sites on the trail would fall under other categories, such as scenic trails and bird watching locations.

I too am opposed. I've waymarked a point on these trails (http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM6FHK_New_River_Trail_State_Park_Foster_Falls_Va). I just don't feel it needs it's own category.

 

Thanks for everyone's comments so far.

I did a bit more research on the state site. If my count was close there are more than 625 of the sites listed. I guess I was looking to make it a category because it is an established state program like so many of the historical roadside markers which are categories and it includes birds and wildlife.

garmin_geek:

Thanks for everyone's comments so far.

I did a bit more research on the state site. If my count was close there are more than 625 of the sites listed. I guess I was looking to make it a category because it is an established state program like so many of the historical roadside markers which are categories and it includes birds and wildlife.

I think that if you present the category in that light when you write it up, it could have a chance at the vote. Things that sway me when I'm not sure when I'm voting are links to the "sponsor" web site.

Would it be possible for Florida Birding trails to expand to State Birding Trails?

gt.us:

Would it be possible for Florida Birding trails to expand to State Birding Trails?

I didn't like the limitations to the Florida Birding trails cat way back when it was proposed.

Check out the old forum thread from 2006 to see how opinions have changed over time. Today one of the primary criteria for a category is the question about whether the cat is global or not. Then not so much but user Razak even made the Global plea back then.

I would love to see a State Birding Trails or even a Birding trails of the World type category either by the current one expanding or by creating a new one. My preference would be the expansion of the current cat. but it is hard to get groups to do this.

A series of different categories similar to the history markers categories will not fair well in peer review.

I'm digging a Birding Trails cat because I think those are marked differently than how Birdwatching Locations waymarks are marked. It creates a different experience.

I think the category needs to be expanded to include Bird Watching Trails of the World.  The category 'Bird Watching Locations' covers most of the expected waymarks for this category.  The premiss is good and maybe an additional requirement like "Web Link showing the trail is identified as a Bird Watching Trail"  A Google Search brought up over 600 sites referencing Link..."Bird Watching Trail".  Just a thought.

Yes, I will have to agree on the global scale taking precedence, and I do like the "Birding Trails". I would want to make sure the "trails" are linked back to a government entity somehow, like Florida and Virginia.

Looks like I talked myself out of my very first category submission ;-)

geek

garmin_geek:

Yes, I will have to agree on the global scale taking precedence, and I do like the "Birding Trails". I would want to make sure the "trails" are linked back to a government entity somehow, like Florida and Virginia.

Looks like I talked myself out of my very first category submission ;-)

geek

Just a little more homework to find different bird trail sponsoring agencies, and a team to support you, and you could do this one!

garmin_geek:

Yes, I will have to agree on the global scale taking precedence, and I do like the "Birding Trails". I would want to make sure the "trails" are linked back to a government entity somehow, like Florida and Virginia.

Looks like I talked myself out of my very first category submission ;-)

geek

Don't be so sure. Good luck getting the folks running the FL birds trails cat to expand it. You never know, they might. Speaking from personal experience, I've had zero luck getting some categories expanded, hence Neon Signs, Lincoln Highway, and now, Man-Made Devilish Locations.

Anyway, before attempting a new category, I suggest you try and see if the FL group's willing to work with you in expanding thier category. If not, then we'll take it from there. Just be sure you keep us posted on your progress.

My  $.02

Redneck Parrotheads:

I'm digging a Birding Trails cat because I think those are marked differently than how Birdwatching Locations waymarks are marked. It creates a different experience.

I'm glad you posted that, I was about to make a rather pompous post about it being redundant, as we already have "birdwatching locations". 

Cat would need to give clear instructions about differentiating between the two, and the "locations" cat should be updated to include a cross link if/when the new one is published.

 

Team Sieni:

Redneck Parrotheads:

I'm digging a Birding Trails cat because I think those are marked differently than how Birdwatching Locations waymarks are marked. It creates a different experience.

I'm glad you posted that, I was about to make a rather pompous post about it being redundant, as we already have "birdwatching locations". 

Cat would need to give clear instructions about differentiating between the two, and the "locations" cat should be updated to include a cross link if/when the new one is published.

LOL

I'd heard there was already raised eyebrows about why I'd oppose the redundancy of a separate category for aviaries but support birding trails so I thought to follow-up with a comment that explains why I feel the way that I do.

I don't think we need to update Birdwatching Locations. We don't exclude birding trails, but I presume that a category solely devoted to trails would have to establish different requirements than the ones Birdwatching Locations has. Birdwatching Locations handles aviaries, entire parks, and trails so our requirements for trails aren't tailored for them. A category solely for trails would be able to give the poster and visitors a different experience, one tailored for the trail. Cross-posting for Birdwatching Locations from the birding trail category would be welcome as far as I'm concerned.

This doesn't make a whole lot of difference but Virginia's "trail" includes birds and wildlife.

Birding and bird watching are really the same thing, so the points on the VA trail are bird watching locations which really fit into the broader, already existing category. I don't have a problem with that.

garmin_geek:

This doesn't make a whole lot of difference but Virginia's "trail" includes birds and wildlife.

Birding and bird watching are really the same thing, so the points on the VA trail are bird watching locations which really fit into the broader, already existing category. I don't have a problem with that.

*nods*

Birdwatching Locations must be sites that are officially established with the primary intent of birdwatching... otherwise we'd have Aunt Mabel's backyard and the library pond where the geese stop during migration. In fact, one of our clever "nay" votes from that peer review stipulated that one can see birds anywhere. (I'm telling you... you don't need an intentional spelling error to tell if people aren't reading a category in peer review.) Anyway, a category that welcomed other wildlife would be another difference from the Birdwatching Locations category. However, I'd be careful getting too far into the wildlife aspect of a birding trail or you'll begin to blur the line between birding trails and nature trails.

If the current category won't be expanded, I see no reason why a new category cannot be created. I'd like to see it written up! And I'll even read the whole thing in peer review!

Redneck Parrotheads:

feel the way that I do.

I don't think we need to update Birdwatching Locations. We don't exclude birding trails, but I presume that a category solely devoted to trails would have to establish different requirements than the ones Birdwatching Locations has. Birdwatching Locations handles aviaries, entire parks, and trails so our requirements for trails aren't tailored for them. A category solely for trails would be able to give the poster and visitors a different experience, one tailored for the trail. Cross-posting for Birdwatching Locations from the birding trail category would be welcome as far as I'm concerned.

I didn't mean a whole rewrite.  Just that if the new cat is approved, add a sentence along the lines of "If your waymark is a birding trail rather than a birdwatching location (the difference is ....) the please post your waymark in this cat (insert link)  cross posting is encouraged if your waymark fulfils the criteria for both"  Or something like that.  And a reciprocal sentence on the other cat.