Data Entry Volunteer for CBS & I-WeBS

Bird surveysData entry
Time involved A few hours per week
Skills required Experience using MS Excel
Duration All year
Location Nationwide - From Home
Four-paper-forms-fanned-out-on-a-desk About this role

Deadline: Volunteer applications are accepted throughout the year until the maximum capacity is reached. Currently, we have filled all volunteer positions for this role. Please check back again soon.

No. of volunteers needed: 1-3

Assist the project by entering data from hand-written sheets into an online data entry portal or into standardised Excel sheets.

Tasks:

  • Entering data from paper forms (pdf or images) into standardised excel sheets or an online data entry portal. Data comprises survey visit details, bird codes/names and count numbers.
Impact

BirdWatch Ireland oversees two of Ireland’s longest-standing wildlife monitoring initiatives: the Irish Wetland Bird Survey (I-WeBS) and the Countryside Bird Survey (CBS). These flagship programs, funded by the National Parks and Wildlife Service, track migratory waterbirds and countryside breeding birds, respectively. Recently marking their 30th and 25th anniversaries, they owe their success to the massive survey effort by volunteers and staff of the NPWS and BirdWatch Ireland over the decades. Together, they’ve provided vital data on over 50% of Ireland’s regularly occurring bird species, aiding in the designation of Special Protection Areas (SPAs) under the EU Birds directive. Moreover, they contribute internationally by informing bird status reports and providing data to global initiatives like Wetlands International and the Pan-European Common Bird Monitoring Scheme.

Benefits of taking part
  • You’ll be contributing to two important long-running bird monitoring programmes that inform on the status of Ireland’s birds.
  • You will gain experience in standardised data collection and data entry.
  • Indirectly, you will gain knowledge of the bird species and their numbers that occur at different sites around Ireland, a knowledge of the survey methodology, and bird species standard two-letter codes.
  • Overall, you will gain a good understanding of monitoring protocols and get an insight into the data collected during these two important projects.
What’s required?
  • Familiarity with MS Excel is crucial.
  • Own laptop/computer or use of a computer essential.
  • A basic understanding of the birds found in Ireland is beneficial but not necessary.

BirdWatch Ireland strives to be as inclusive as possible. If you have any additional needs and are unsure whether this role would be suitable for you, please do get in touch with the role coordinator (see ‘How to get involved’).

Time and commitment

Minimum time commitment: At least one week.

Hours required: A few hours per week, or more depending on availability.

Language skills

Intermediate English or above.

Age restrictions

Over 18’s.

Selection details for this role

Screening of suitable application forms.

Volunteers will be provided with the following supports
  • An introduction to the work, and demonstration will be provided.
  • Support from the project manager, national coordinators or other project team members.
  • Volunteers are acknowledged in project reporting. Volunteers will receive a free copy of the next status report published as an Irish Wildlife Manual (due 2025).
Getting there

Can be done from home. The option to carry out the role from our headquarters in Kilcoole (Co. Wicklow) can also be discussed.

How to get involved