As we all receive more information about how COVID-19 is spreading, we will keep you updated about our decisions regarding cancellations/postponements and adjust our timelines accordingly.
Wild Earth is hopeful that several of the upcoming spring programs and summer camps will take place as scheduled, but we recognize that the safety of participants, staff, and the general public must be ensured before we can run a program.
We implore and encourage you to please remain registered for these programs as doing so meaningfully supports Wild Earth in keeping our leaders employed and our organization healthy during this uncertain time.
We understand that each family has unique financial needs and concerns, so we are committed to working with you and your particular situation.
As such, we have attempted to answer the following questions about your upcoming program registration(s), so you can make the decision that best fits your situation:
As of March 18th, Wild Earth Programs are cancelled at least through April 1st, 2020. As long as Ulster County and New York State have mandated schools to be closed and there is local, state, and federal guidance to avoid social gatherings of a certain size, Wild Earth will not run in-person programs.
If a full program is canceled, you will be offered your choice of either a full program credit (no processing fee) or a cash refund ($25 processing fee). All of the funds you have paid or will pay toward a program or camp you have not yet attended will be returned to you in full as a credit for future programs or as a refund.
For programs that have already begun (Artemis, Atlatl, Ropes, Apprenticeship) or if one (of multiple) program dates is canceled, our regular cancelation policy applies (see below). Under the regular cancelation policy, Wild Earth will not provide refunds for programs that are canceled due to unsafe conditions. This policy allows Wild Earth to ensure that our instructing and office staff are compensated and sustained through one-time cancelations.
However, if two or more (of multiple) program dates are cancelled, then you will receive a program credit for each of the program dates after, and including, the second program date that is cancelled due to COVID-19. For example, if three program dates were cancelled due to COVID-19, then you would receive credit for two program dates.
Program credits are good for 1-year from the date Wild Earth resumes regular programming. Any member of your household can use your program credit towards any Wild Earth program. Credits are not transferable beyond your household.
If you must cancel your program registration and the program for which you are registered is still scheduled, your cancelation will be subject to our regular published cancelation policy. (Please refer back to question 2 to review our cancelation policy.)
If your personal finances are particularly challenged at this time and you need to change a summer camp payment plan in which you are currently enrolled, please email hello@wildearth.org and let us know.
We are willing to halt or alter payment plans temporarily during this crisis while allowing you to retain your registration and space in these programs. If you would like to request this option, please email hello@wildearth.org and let us know.
We will attempt to contact participants at least one week before a program is cancelled whenever possible, but given the changing conditions of the pandemic, we may not be able to do so for every program.
Over the next few weeks, Wild Earth will seek guidance from local, county, state and federal sources to make balanced and sensible decisions regarding our staff, programs and community.
We will maintain blog posts at wildearth.org/blog with reliable external resources and new information regarding Wild Earth’s programs. Please also look to our Facebook page and Instagram stories (@wildearthny) for updates.
In all, we ask you to stay with Wild Earth at this time, so we can remain vital and serve you and your family for many years to come.
Thank you for working with us.
Omari Washington, Executive DirectorOmari Washington identified his purpose in 2004, during a backpacking & paddling trip above the Arctic Circle in Alaska. Despite emerging evidence, at that time few people were willing to believe climatologists’ warnings that humans were negatively impacting our planet. Hiking across the melting permafrost, Omari witnessed the significant changes already taking place. Moreover, he knew that many marginalized communities would be disproportionately affected by our inaction. After returning from that trip, Omari attended Green Mountain College in Vermont and received a B.A. in Environmental Studies. Since then, he has led hikes in urban parks, managed diverse teams of environmental educators, built school gardens, developed curricula, and helped plant 1,000,000 trees in New York City. The focus of all of this work has been to engage and empower youth in developing deep connections to nature, centered around their own unique experiences. Omari is grateful to be welcomed into the Wild Earth community, where young leaders are growing wild! More about Omari's work.
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