In every single one of your survey photos there is a way to match your photo to your data, your filled out chalkboard! This board has gone through many iterations in the 26 years COASST has existed:
- Whiteboards are too expensive and don’t work in the rain.
- Purchased chalkboards are too expensive and are too large to fit in your photos.
- Boards spray painted with chalkboard paint are annoying to make and the paint wears off.
- Base molding cut to size used to be made of rubber and hold chalk well. It is now made with more plastic than rubber and does not hold chalk well.
- Base molding with chalkboard paper stuck onto it works alright, but the tape gets sand stuck on it and eventually they fall apart.
We don’t think there is any one perfect solution, but we have settled on a latest iteration that we hope works better. Lamination and wax pencils!
The new board, now called a photo card, is a heavily laminated item that still has the 15cm measurement strip and now has specific spaces set aside for your beach name, date, tag #, and an optional place to put your bird identification. On the back is a reminder of what to do when you find a beached bird, just in case you haven’t found one in awhile and forgot!
To write on this card you will need a grease pencil (also sometimes called a china pencil, or a wax pencil). We will be providing one of these with each photo card. The markings made with these pencils will stay on even when you get caught in the rain and they are erasable by rubbing with a finger or a piece of cloth. If you are someone who regularly loses writing implements, you can purchase a pack of spares on Amazon for under $10 or they are available at many art stores.
There are two important things to remember with this new photo card.
- You need to write LARGE on it so we can see your writing in a photo. Fill the whole sections.
- It isn’t as heavy as prior chalkboards so be sure it doesn’t fly away on windy days. Stick a corner in the sand or place a small rock on top.
Let us know if you would like one of these new photo cards sent to you in the mail. We will be incorporating them into new COASSTer’s kits as we conduct trainings.
Tips and Tricks
- If you survey just one beach, write your beach name on the card with a sharpie. It never needs to change! (We can also send you multiple cards if you want one for each beach)
- The bird ID section is optional, feel free to leave it blank.
- A piece of cloth works best for wiping off the markings, a corner of your shirt works but be sure it isn’t a shirt you care about in case it stains.
- Wrap tape with some string under it around the top of your grease pencil. Now you have a pencil leash and can attach your pencil to your pack or whatever you want!