Can I bring children on field days?
Yes! Just give us a heads up when you sign up for the field day, so we can take your kiddos into consideration when planning the day. Young children must always be attended by a parent or legal guardian or in the care of another adult designated by the child’s parent or legal guardian.
Minors 16 years and older are allowed on field days without a guardian, but their legal guardian must sign their waiver before the survey day. Please let us know if you or someone you are signing up for a survey is under 18.
Do my children/friends/family need separate registration forms and/or waivers if we are attending an event together?
Yes! Each individual attending a field day, campout, Bark Out, or other Bark event is required to have their own registration form and waiver filled out before the field day.
Can I bring service animals or pets on field days or campouts?
Service animals and well-behaved pets are ONLY allowed on Groundtruthing field days, Road Inventory field days and Bark Outs (NOT wetland or beaver days). Service animals and pets of any kind are not allowed to join for wetland or beaver field days due to the delicate nature of the survey areas. Misbehaving or disruptive pets and their owners will be asked to leave. Bark does not condone pets being left in vehicles during field surveys when weather is likely to be above 50 degrees.
Does Bark currently require masks while on field days?
As of April 2023, Bark is no longer requiring masks for in-office events, carpooling or field days. We do expect our staff, board and volunteers to respect the boundaries and needs of the most cautious person in the group (i.e. if someone in your group isn’t comfortable working without a mask, everyone else in the group must wear a mask). We also require Covid-19 waivers before each event; anyone who has been exposed to Covid-19 and/or shows symptoms will be expected to stay home.
What’s the difference between wetland mapping surveys and beaver habitat surveys?
While the two are inextricably linked, our wetland mapping surveys and beaver habitat surveys aim to collect different data and accomplish different goals. Through our wetland mapping survey days, we aim to collect data to field verify aerial imagery maps provided to us from our project partner. We collect data about topography, soil type, hydrology and vegetation. Through our beaver habitat surveys, we aim to help identify potential beaver reintroduction sites. We collect data about current or historic beaver activity and use, vegetation (both for food and for dam building) and hydrology. To know more, or to complete a training before joining a field day, please check out our Training Resources page where you’ll find Wetland Mapping 101 and Beaver Habitat 101 training videos.
What if I don’t have all the gear that I need to go out on a field day?
Bark has some clothing and gear that volunteers can borrow. Check the packing list page to see a list of items we have available to loan out. If you know you need to borrow something specific, email Meg to make sure that it is available for you on your field day.
How far will we be walking?
Please see our terrain and site conditions page and contact Meg for specifics on the survey that you’ll be attending. We rarely walk more than 4 miles while conducting a survey, but please keep in mind that we are primarily walking off-trail through branches, deep mud and standing water, or over downed logs. Traveling through this terrain usually requires a lot more energy than walking the same distance on a road or trail.
We are readily able to accommodate requests to be in groups planning to move slowly, survey small areas, or stay off of steep terrain. In specific situations, we may be able to provide more information about site conditions especially in areas what we are visiting again. Please email us at least a week ahead of time to ask.
How else can I get involved?
If you have mobility issues, or for any reason cannot attend scheduled field volunteer days, we have a solution! We recognize that everyone has their own strengths, and we value your time, so let us use your volunteer power to the best of our ability! Linked below is a spreadsheet with a range of volunteer support needed: from proofreading our website to leading your own Bark event and everything in between.
View our Volunteer Independent Direction spreadsheet and contact Haley (haley@bark-out.org) with your choice of activity.