The Chattanooga Chapter of Tennessee Ornithological Society monthy meeting will be held on Thursday, Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. at Ascension Lutheran Church, 720 Germantown Road in Chattanooga. Laura Marsh will present the program on "Bird Banding: A Model for Research Tourism."
Also, Tim Lenz will be presenting, "Birding Tech Evolution: eBird's Impact and Beyond."
Mr. Lenz said, "I will be sharing a unique perspective on the development timeline of some of the most popular and less well-known eBird features.
What was the impetus behind these features, and why did some never make the cut? We will also be exploring the impact they have made on conservation and on the birding community. You will learn some eBird best practices and secret tips you probably never knew existed! I will conclude the presentation with the motivation and ideas behind my new project, BirdingApp, a social platform made to fit the unique needs of birders in the field."
Mr. Lenz, software developer and lifelong birder, is a recent co-founder of BirdingApp. He served as a key developer on the eBird project for 17 years at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. During that time, he was also a member of the famed Team Sapsucker, including a record-breaking ABA big day in Texas in 2013 with 294 species. He has birded extensively throughout North and Central America, Colombia, and Australia. Tim relocated to Chattanooga this past May, captivated by the people, the weather, and the abundant birding opportunities. Originally from Reno, Nv., Tim earned his B.S. and M.Eng. in computer science from Cornell University in Ithaca, NY.