One of the most important form of our members’ activity is local groups. They are created on the initiative of the members who are willing to take joint action in their area.
The nature of actions depends on the group. OTOP’s Secretariat often suggests specific actions but it is the group that ultimately decides whether to take up an action. This largely depends on the age of the members, their specialist knowledge, the amount of time that they can devote for the group and their profession.
Local OTOP groups are diverse. There are groups that, for instance, specialise in bird monitoring. Other groups focus most of their efforts on education or active conservation projects, combining these with monitoring.
A meeting of the group is hence a good opportunity to learn from more experienced colleagues and find out where to watch birds, what optical equipment to purchase, how to protect birds and their habitats, how to write a project proposal, and so on.
