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Health and Safety Policy

The health and safety of our program participants, volunteers, and staff are top priorities for Nearby Nature. Nearby Nature’s staff, volunteers, parents/guardians, and program participants all have important roles to play in keeping each other healthy and safe. The following protocols explain how all can be involved in this plan.

*Please note that health and safety guidance from local, state, and national health authorities may change at any time. Nearby Nature’s Health and Safety Policy will be shared with all staff and program participant families and will be revised as needed by Nearby Nature administrative staff. Current protocols are based on a variety of recommendations from local/state/national health authorities (see the end of this policy for specifics).

Updated 2-18-25

Nearby Nature Communicable Disease Screening and Program Exclusion Policies

1 — Health Screening and Safety Protocols

The following health screening and drop-off/pick-up safety protocols will be used at Nearby Nature’s youth programs:

Drop-off/Pick-Up: Parents/guardians should go directly to their child’s outdoor check-in station at drop-off and pick-up times (or follow alternative protocols for off-site programs as instructed). Locations/directions will be provided in pre-program parent/guardian emails. Parents/guardians will sign in/sign out each child on a written log each day.

Hand Sanitizer: Hand sanitizer will be available at all check-in stations for program participants, staff, and parent/guardians.

Health Self-Screening Questions for Program Participants/Staff/Volunteers: Parents/guardians are encouraged to self-screen their children for illness by asking the following health-related questions before each program drop-off. Staff and volunteers will also self-screen on a daily basis. See Exclusion from Programs for an explanation of what should happen if someone answers yes to any of these questions or has other symptoms of illness.

  1. Have you/your child been in contact with an individual with a communicable disease (including COVID-19 or a presumptive case of COVID-19) within the past 10 days?
  2. Are you/your child experiencing any primary COVID-19 symptoms — a new loss of taste or smell, an unusual cough, shortness of breath/difficulty breathing, or a fever (100.4°F or higher)? “Unusual cough” means something not normal for you.
  3. Do you/your child have any of the following symptoms of illness: fever (100.4°F or higher), cough, sore throat, shortness of breath/difficulty breathing, headache with stiff neck and fever, vomiting, diarrhea, skin rash or sores, eye redness and drainage, or jaundice?

Note: All Nearby Nature staff and volunteers are encouraged to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Program participants who are eligible are encouraged to get vaccinated as well. People who are up to date with vaccinations are less likely to develop severe COVID-19 infection or transmit COVID-19 to others. You can find information about getting vaccines in Lane County (as well as info about testing and other resources) here.

2 — Exclusion from Programs

If any staff, volunteer, or program participant answers yes to Question #1 in the daily self-screening they must watch for COVID-19 symptoms and follow the appropriate protocols below if they become ill.

If any staff, volunteer, or program participant answers yes to Question 2# on the daily health check and is experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms and has not been tested for COVID-19, they should self-exclude from programs. Once they are fever-free for 24 hours and their symptoms are improving without fever-reducing medication, they may return to programs. If someone tests positive for COVID-19, once they are fever-free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medication and their symptoms are improving, they may return to programs. Those who test positive should avoid contact with those who are at high risk for severe consequences if they are infected and are advised to wear a mask when around others in the 10 days after they become sick to minimize the risk of infecting others.

If any staff, volunteer, or program participant answers yes to Question #3 on the daily health check, they should self-exclude from programs. Those experiencing illness may return to programming according to guidelines included in the Symptom Based Exclusion Guidelines used by the Oregon Department of Education for Schools (page 14).

If a sick individual is advised by a medical professional that they can return to a program (e.g. is diagnosed with something that is not communicable) they can return to the program. The individual must be fever-free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medication.

Any staff, volunteer, or program participant who has a cough that is not a new onset cough (e.g. asthma, allergies, etc.) will not be excluded from programs. Staff/volunteers should have on record with Nearby Nature information about existing conditions that cause coughing. Parents/guardians must share information about existing conditions that cause coughing for program participants on their registration forms.

If a child becomes ill while at a program, the child will be separated from the group and a parent/guardian will be contacted for an immediate pick up. While waiting for a sick child pick-up, staff will stay with the child in an area isolated from others. Staff may choose to wear a face covering and will remain as far away as safely possible from the child while remaining in the same room/area Disposable masks are available for use by staff/volunteers/program participants as needed. In order to return to programming, the sick child should follow the guidelines above.

Note that refunds for program time missed are not available for children who  experience illnesses that prevent them from attending programs.

3 — Record Keeping

Daily Program Log: Nearby Nature will keep a written daily log for each program that includes the information below.

  • Child’s name
  • Drop-off/pick-up time
  • Adult’s signature at drop-off/pick-up
  • Adult emergency contact information
  • Registration/employment data that includes contact information for all group program participants, staff, volunteers, and visitors

4 — Notification of Confirmed Cases of Communicable Diseases

If any program participant, volunteer, staff member, or visitor is diagnosed with a communicable disease, that person/family should immediately alert Nearby Nature administrative staff, refrain from returning to programs/work, and follow appropriate illness protocols.

In the event of a confirmed case of a communicable disease at Nearby Nature, all program participants, staff, and volunteers in the group – and anyone else who came in contact with the group – will be alerted regarding the exposure. All individuals who have had contact with a confirmed case of a communicable disease should watch for symptoms and follow the protocols above if they develop symptoms.

Nearby Nature will not disclose the identity of the diagnosed person due to confidentiality requirements in Federal HIPAA law.

5 — Protocol for Cessation of Program Activities

If a staff/volunteer/program participant illness or local/state/national health directives necessitate the closure of any or all Nearby Nature programs, all impacted program participants will be sent home and program activities will be discontinued until it is safe to reopen.

6 — Nearby Nature Designated Communicable Disease Point of Contact: Beth Stein, Executive Director, info@nearbynature.org, 541-687-9699

Nearby Nature Illness Prevention and Sanitation Protocols

1 — Illness Prevention Protocols

Program Groups Composition:

Program groups at Nearby Nature (with the exception of large groups from schools or at public events) are generally small (10-12 children). Small groups help limit exposure to illnesses. Small groups, however, do share large outdoor site spaces and occasionally participate in group program activities.

Hand-Washing and Hand Sanitizer:

Program participants are encouraged to wash hands (for 20 seconds or more) frequently – especially before eating, after toileting, and after wiping a nose/coughing/sneezing.

Alcohol-based hand-sanitizer (60%+) may be substituted for soap and water washing if program participants do not have easy access to a sink (for example, when they are hiking or bike riding). Children will be supervised when using hand sanitizer.

Health and Safety Reminders:

Staff/volunteers will provide program participants with positive and age-appropriate verbal reminders about how they should wash their hands frequently, cough into their elbow or a tissue, and not share food.

Food Service:

Program participants and staff/volunteers will wash hands prior to eating. In circumstances where use of soap and water washing is not possible (for example when program participants are hiking or bike riding), using alcohol-based hand sanitizer (60%+) is acceptable.

Program participants will be instructed not to share food with other program participants.

Nearby Nature does not provide program participants with lunch food but may provide small pre-packaged snacks (for students who don’t have snacks) or allow students to harvest and eat vegetables and fruits from the Learnscape. Attention will be paid to any allergies/food sensitivities shared by parents/guardians.

Nearby Nature may occasionally prepare special meals/foods using our solar oven, food dryer, canning equipment, or our bike smoothie maker. Attention will be paid to any allergies/food sensitivities shared by parents/guardians.

Program participants should always bring individual water bottles to their programs. Refill sinks are available onsite.

Face Coverings:

Children at Nearby Nature programs are welcome to wear face coverings. If a parent/guardian would like their child to wear a face covering, they should send one (plus extras in a backpack) with their child to programs. Program participants will be responsible for keeping track of and caring appropriately for their own face coverings.

Instructors and other program participants will kindly support any child who chooses to wear a face covering. 

Note that face coverings will not be worn by anyone while eating, drinking, or when engaged in high energy or water activities where wearing a face covering might be unsafe.

Facilities:

All program sites will have access to bathrooms, handwashing stations/sinks, tissues, paper towels, and garbage cans.

Use of indoor spaces (such as the Yurt in the Learnscape) will be limited and will be used mainly during inclement weather or after dark during winter programs, and only with small groups.

2 — Sanitation Protocols

Frequently touched surfaces (door handles, sink handles, tables, etc.) and bathrooms will be disinfected frequently.

Disposable gloves (or in some cases resusables when not around a sick person or bodily fluids) will be worn when cleaning and disinfecting surfaces.

Sanitizing supplies, disinfectants, and hand sanitizer will be used safely, applied correctly, and stored out of reach of children.

Key Agencies and Documents Used to Develop February 2025 Health and Safety Policy