Field Seminars

Preventing the spread of COVID-19 to keep participants, instructors, and Mono Lake Committee staff safe is our highest priority.

We are implementing protocols, developed in accordance with local, state, and federal guidelines, including guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 to seminar participants, instructors, and staff. It will be the responsibility of all participants to cooperate with these protocols and guidelines.

Participants are requested to reduce potential exposure before traveling to the Mono Basin for a Field Seminar. We will be sending out a health screening form by email prior to the seminar; participants must complete it truthfully and return it promptly.

If at any point during the 14 days prior to the start of your seminar you have 1) come into contact with anyone known to be infected with coronavirus, 2) traveled internationally, or 3) experienced symptoms of COVID-19 such as fever or chills, cough, difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, loss of taste or smell, nausea or vomiting, or diarrhea, you must cancel your registration for the seminar. If you need to cancel, you will receive a full refund.

At the start of each seminar participants will need to complete another health screening and sign the Mono Lake Committee’s COVID-19 acknowledgement and liability release waiver.

All participants, including those who have been vaccinated, are expected to bring their own face masks or cloth face coverings and wear them for the duration of the seminar (with the exception of lunch and snack breaks, and to stay hydrated). All participants must bring their own hand sanitizer (at least 60% alcohol). All participants are expected to maintain social distance of six feet between themselves and other participants, instructors, and staff for the duration of the seminar.

Seminars will take place entirely outside. Participants will caravan to each field location rather than carpool. Participants, instructors, and staff must not share binoculars, spotting scopes, field guides, cameras, snacks, and other supplies with each other.

If you begin to feel ill at any time during the seminar, you must immediately notify the staff member accompanying the group and leave the group.

Because statewide and region-wide conditions will continue to change, we may have to cancel seminars, possibly last-minute. Full refunds will be issued in that case.