As of June 15, 2021

Dear RBA members:

It is good news that rates of COVID-19 in Monroe County and the surrounding area have come down substantially and restrictions have been eased! As a result, the Board of Directors and the Field Trip Committee, have updated RBA COVID-19 guidelines, specifically in the Social Distancing and Safety Best Practices section that concerns mask wearing and sharing spotting scopes. (See below.)

Although the NYS guidelines have eased, a decision to cancel a field trip or to curtail attendance is not made lightly.  For the time being, the RBA will continue to assess safety on a trip-by-trip basis out of an abundance of caution for our trip leaders and participants.

Please check the individual RBA field trips for the most up to date information. Through the end of August, all trips will still require pre-registration through Eventbrite; –registration through Facebook is not sufficient.  A link to the registration page is included in the description of each field trip; registration opens at 7:30 PM seven days prior to a trip and closes at 1:00 PM the day before the trip.  You can set a reminder using Eventbrite. For reference, here is the complete list of our COVID-19 field trip guidelines:

COVID-19 Policies and Procedures

Due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, the Rochester Birding Association has instituted the following procedures for all field trips. By registering for a field trip, you acknowledge that you have read and will abide by these policies.

Registration Policies:

  • Advance registration is required in order to attend the trip. NYS guidelines for the allowable number of attendees at an outdoor gathering have eased considerably, but out of an abundance of caution, we will continue capacity limits that will be determined on a trip-by-trip basis.
  • Individuals who did not pre-register will not be allowed to attend the field trip.
  • Should you decide not to attend the trip, we encourage you to cancel your reservation to make room for others. Canceling is easily done through the Eventbrite website; see your confirmation email for details.

Health Screening Considerations:

  • Full contact information is required at registration, in case contact tracing is requested.
  • No one who has a temperature of 100.4F or greater (without having taken any fever-reducing medications) should attend.
  • No one who has any COVID-19 symptoms (fever, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, chills, muscle pain, sore throat, or loss of taste or smell) should attend.
  • No one who has tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 14 days or who has been instructed to self-isolate or quarantine should attend.
  • No one who has been in close (within 6 feet) or proximate (same closed environment, but greater than 6 feet) contact with anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19 or who has had symptoms of COVID-19 within the past 14 days, should attend.
  • No one who has traveled or who lives with someone who has traveled to a country or state on the New York coronavirus travel advisory list in the last 14 days should attend.
  • Participants who test positive for the coronavirus within 14 days after attending a field trip are encouraged to contact the RBA.

Social Distancing and Safety Best Practices  (*new policy)

  • * Mask wearing is required for only participants who are not fully vaccinated, it is optional for those fully vaccinated.
  • We will continue to encourage social distancing whether or not a mask is worn.
  • * As long as participants continue to socially-distance, we will allow scope sharing
  • Participants are encouraged to keep hand sanitizer with them in case of accidental
    contact.

Waive and Release from Liability: By registering for a field trip you acknowledge that you assume all risks and hazards incidental to the activities of the event, including potential exposure to the novel coronavirus. You further release, absolve, hold harmless, defend and indemnify the Rochester Birding Association, Inc. and all individually named organizers, leaders, and participants of the event. In case of injury, you hereby waive all claims against all organizers, leaders, and participants.

Photo/Video Waiver: If you do not consent to have your image used by the RBA in the manner next described, write “no photo” after your name on the registration form. Otherwise, by registering for a field trip you hereby grant permission to the Rochester Birding Association to take and publish photos or videos of you in connection with the event, with or without your name and for any lawful purpose including for example such purposes as publicity, illustration, advertising, and web content.