The Maryland Native Plant Society

The Maryland Native Plant Society

Field Trip COVID-19 POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

Policy Effective February 17, 2022

Maryland Native Plant Society is taking all necessary measures to protect public health and welfare. It is important to follow public health recommendations, advisories and protective actions to slow the spread of COVID-19 and limit the number of people infected. The risk of getting coronavirus is still low. 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.

The Society has developed policies and procedures for public program operations based on state and CDC guidelines. However, COVID-19 is an extremely contagious virus that spreads easily through person-to-person contact. Federal and state authorities recommend social distancing as a means to prevent the spread of the virus. COVID-19 can lead to severe illness, personal injury, permanent disability, and death. Participating in programs could increase the risk of contracting COVID-19. The Society in no way warrants that COVID-19 infection will not occur through participation in Society programs or accessing park facilities.

Please consider the safety, health, and well-being of all participants in our programs and stay home if the participant is ill. Full refunds will be given for cancellations due to health concerns.

Each field trip will have a required checkbox for registrants to acknowledge the following policies during registration. 

  1. MNPS COVID-19 policies will follow current CDC guidelines to the best of our abilities. The CDC information will be updated on the MNPS website periodically, accompanied by the date of the most recent revision. Additionally, MNPS will provide links to appropriate CDC webpages.
  2. All leaders and participants will perform a health self-check on the day of the field trip (see below for details). Participants will stay home if they do not pass, and attempt to notify the leader. If the leader does not pass, the trip will be canceled.
  3. MNPS recommends that all leaders and participants observe social distancing of at least 3 feet during outdoor field trips.
  4. MNPS recommends that each participant and trip leader bring a well-fitting face covering on all field trips, preferably an N95 or KN95 mask. The face covering must be worn properly including covering the nose and chin if not able to maintain. Unmasked individuals must maintain social distancing.
  5. MNPS strongly recommends that leaders and participants be fully vaccinated and boosted unless an individual has a medical contraindication to vaccination.
  6. Field trip leaders may choose to have more stringent policies, but not limited to, requiring proof of vaccination, a negative rapid test or a temperature check. If a trip leader has more stringent policies, they will be shown online as part of the trip description and during participant sign-up.
  7. Field trip leaders may choose to set a maximum group size. 

The waiver requires that all participants agree to follow the following procedures established by the Society.

Participant and Leader Health Self-Check on Field Trip Day

A participant should stay home and try to notify the trip leader if any of the check-offs below applies. Leaders should cancel the field trip if any of the check-offs below applies.

  • Signs or symptoms of any infectious illness
  • Temperature 100.4° or higher
  • Fever-reducing medications taken within the past 24 hours (e.g., acetaminophen, ibuprofen, naproxen)
  • Possible symptoms of COVID-19 (e.g., loss of taste or smell, fever, shortness of breath, or persistent dry cough) in the 72 hours prior to the start of the field trip
  • Waiting for the results of a COVID-19 test—the participant/leader, an individual inside the participant/leader household, or in contact with the participant/leader outside the household (to the best of the participant’s/leader’s knowledge)
  • Diagnosed with COVID-19—the participant/leader, an individual inside the participant/leader household, or in contact with the participant/leader outside the household (to the best of the participant’s/leader’s knowledge)

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