Calvert Nature Society is taking all necessary measures to protect public health and welfare. Please continue to follow basic preventive actions that protect your health and decrease the chances that you will spread infection of any kind to our more vulnerable friends, neighbors and loved ones.
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POLICY
Effective on September 1, 2022, for programs sponsored by Calvert Nature Society all participants will agree to policies relating to COVID-19 exposure and symptoms in order to participate in the programs. The Society highly recommends participants wear a mask or face covering during programs held indoors or when held outdoors where physical distancing of at least 3 feet cannot be maintained. Program participants must provide their own masks. If this policy results in a program cancelation or prevents participant(s) attendance, refunds will be issued. For multi-day programs, a pro-rated refund will be issued. READ THE FULL POLICY
PARTICIPANT WAIVER
The safety, health, and well-being of all participants in our programs is paramount and if the participant(s) or anyone in the immediate household is ill they should stay home. Prior to participation in any Society sponsored program, each individual, if under 18 a parent or guardian, is required to read and agree to the participant waiver. The waiver agreement needs to be completed for each in-person program during the registration process.
- The individual, parent or guardian understands that a program may need to be canceled on short notice due to government order, participant or staff illness, or other emergency.
- A parent or guardian will be able to return to the program within one hour of being notified by phone if the child must be picked up.
- If this policy prevents participation on the first day of a multi-day or recurring programs, participation in future days is at the discretion of the program leader.
If any of the following apply, individuals and families will be asked not to attend in-person programs, and will receive a refund or any program fees paid:
• Participants and staff will not attend any programs if they have any symptoms of an infectious illness such as fever, new onset cough, shortness of breath, loss of taste or smell, sore throat, muscle pain/body aches, headache, gastrointestinal symptoms or nasal congestion
o COVID-19 testing is recommended. If test is negative, participant(s) may return when symptoms have improved and no fever for at least 24 hours without medication. Participants who can mask are asked to do so if it is within 5 days after symptoms have improved and no fever for at least 24 hours without medication.
• If the participant(s), or anyone in the immediate household, tests positive for COVID-19, regardless of symptoms:
o The participant(s) may not attend any programs within the 5 days from the onset of symptoms or from the date of any positive test results.
o After Day 5, the participant(s) may attend a programs if symptoms have improved and has not had fever for at least 24 hours without medication.
o If able to wear a mask, the participant(s) must wear a mask to attend any programs during Days 6-10.
o If unable to wear a mask, the participant may attend any programs if they have a negative test at Day 5 or later; otherwise participant(s) cannot attend any programs until after Day 10.
• If the participant(s) has had close contact with someone known or suspected to have COVID-19 but is not symptomatic, the participant(s) may attend programs, but those who can mask are asked to do so for 10 days from the last date of exposure.
Basic Precautions
The Calvert Nature Society has developed policies and procedures for public program operations based on state and CDC guidelines. The Society has evaluated activities and programs to determine if they can be run safely while providing quality environmental and nature programs and volunteer opportunities. Most programs are held outdoors, and modified with activities and group size restrictions that can be done following distancing guidelines. Screening, handwashing and respiratory etiquette, staying home when sick, and getting tested are all part of maintaining a safe program.
To ensure the safety of program participants, the Society will plan programs whereby we will:
- Work with small groups. Either individuals or family units will be working with as little mixing as possible with other participants.
- Have staggered start times when feasible. Family groups may be rotating through stations to aid in physical distancing.
- Provide more informal programs and activities. This will avoid situations where all registrants are gathered together. Each family group can do activities after a minimum amount of instruction from the naturalist or interaction with other participants.
- Shorten programs or modify activities that are not possible to do while complying with masking and physical distancing.
- Rely on parents to monitor their children and ensure they follow safety and physical distancing.
- Ask families to either bring supplies from home or pay a materials fee. This will reduce the need for sharing equipment.