Wild Earth Year-Round and Summer Camp

Health & Safety Protocols & Policies

(last updated – 9/13/2023) 

Air Quality Guidelines

When Wild Earth is conducting programs that are exclusively outdoors, and the air quality index for the program site is 151 or above, as determined by Airnow.gov, Wild Earth will cancel the program day. If conditions are between 101-151 we will run the program, but limit strenuous activities, avoid all fire related activities and provide masks to those in need. If air quality worsens throughout the day, we may arrange early pick up. We will contact families via text and email by 7:00 am of the program day with information about cancellations.

We understand that levels can and will fluctuate over the span of a day. We will do our best to make decisions with safety as our primary consideration. In situations when the morning AQI is below 151, but likely to worsen throughout the day, we may preemptively cancel camp. We may also decide to run a program and the conditions worsen, but we are unable to conduct a camp wide early dismissal. Each family and individual will need to make the best decision to protect their health and well being.

Home Health Safety and Precautions

Daily Home Health Screening – Before each program you must conduct your own daily health screening and temperature check to ensure participant is in good health for the program.  Please assess if participant has the following symptoms:

• Sore throat, cough, chills or sweats
• Shortness of breath
• Loss of smell
• Take the participant’s temperature. If it is 100 degrees or over, participant may not attend the program.  Please be fever-free for at least 48 hours before attending a Wild Earth program.
• Rash or skin discoloration (make a physical inspection. This is also good to do for tick-borne diseases.)
• Stomach or digestive pain. 

Participant should not attend programs if there is any possibility that they may be ill in any manner. This is in the interest of your safety and other participants and staff.

Reporting Sickness or COVID Exposure – We will follow NY State and Ulster County health department protocols and policies regarding all health and safety matters, and specifically when communicating any positive COVID-19 diagnoses that have been reported to us. Please follow the steps outlined when reporting sickness or COVID-19 exposure: 

• Call or text the Program Coordinator (contact info can be found in your welcome letter) if the participant will not be attending the program for any reason. If you have trouble reaching the Program Coordinator, please email our Program Director at jessie@wildearth.org or call our office at 845-256-9830.
• Contact us if a family member or someone else that the participant has been in close and sustained contact (defined as within 6 feet for more than 15 minutes without a mask) tests positive for COVID. If a known exposure has occurred within 5 days of a program, a test is required to be taken within 3-5 days of that exposure, and a participant or staff can attend the program if they receive a negative test result. If a participant has a known exposure with no symptoms, WE requires that participant to wear a mask at the program until testing negative in 3-5 days.
• Negative test results can be reported back to your Program Coordinator directly or to the Wild Earth Office at hello@wildearth.org.
• If a participant tests positive or does not take a test, that participant will be required to follow a 5-day quarantine before returning back to Wild Earth programs. We also align with the CDC recommendation that People with COVID-19 should isolate for 5 days and if they are asymptomatic or their symptoms are resolving (without fever for 48 hours), follow that by 5 days of wearing a mask when around others to minimize the risk of infecting people they encounter.
• If a participant is experiencing two or more COVID symptoms they cannot return to the program unless they follow a 5-day quarantine or receive a negative test result.
• If a participant is not feeling well, please keep them home, regardless of positive or negative COVID test result or exposure.

If we are required to close a program or an individual/group is unable to attend program(s), refunds or credits will not be available. Wild Earth has committed to compensate staff members for each program. We are all in this together, and so we ask you to partner with us in assuming the health as well as the financial risks.

Program Safety and Precautions

Daily Health Screening

• Every day at drop off, a Wild Earth staff member will ask you:
  • Have you performed the required daily health screening and is the participant’s temperature normal (< 100 degrees)? We will have a thermometer onsite to verify temperature.
  • In the last few days, has the participant been exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID?
  • How’s your participant feeling today? Do they have any symptoms we should know about?
• Our staff will sign participants in and out to minimize handling any communal items.

Masks

• CDC and state guidelines have approved no masks outdoors, regardless of vaccination status. We will follow these guidelines.
• Staff & participants may optionally continue to bring masks to the program because there will be activities that will require us to be in closer proximity. During these activities masks will be optional.
• Wild Earth will provide disposable KN95 or N95 masks to any participants who request a mask. (Please see CDC guidelines for types of acceptable masks.)

Handwashing & Hygiene 

• Wild Earth will prioritize personal hygiene by following CDC guidelines regarding hand washing, cleaning and disinfecting protocols.
• We have hand-washing stations or hand sanitizer (where hand washing stations are not practical) available for participants and staff.
• Water spigots will be sanitized at all water refill stations.

Cancellations Due to Weather – Wild Earth may cancel programs due to inclement weather, such as rain, snow, high wind, severe temperatures, etc. in circumstances that will force both campers and staff to be in close proximity that do not meet the CDC guidelines.