Field Trip Planner: A Guide for Geology Groups of All Types
by Alan Goldstein Interpretive Naturalist Falls of the Ohio State Park
Geology field trips are planned to give a group of people the opportunity to explore, learn and sometimes collect. Trips may be organized by groups such as scouts, geology clubs, university geology departments, or professional conferences. A field trip may vary from one fully-loaded car or van, to a fifty car caravan, or a line of 15-passenger vans. As a maximum, it might be large enough for one or more full-size tour buses. A successful and safe field trip requires three steps: planning, preparation and more planning! Without careful planning, problems will arise. There will always be unforeseen situations, but if you plan thoroughly, most potential problems can either be avoided, or will cause a minor disruption rather than a major inconvenience (or worse).
The most basic aspect of field trip planning is determining where to go within a given time frame. This means calculating drive times between points, and realistic layovers at each planned stop. It is better to allow for more time at a stop than not enough. Rushed people are never happy and everyone ‘moves’ at different rates.
How far will you travel? It is best to travel a field trip route in advance and use a watch to time the distance between points. Roads may be winding, heavily travelled, have seasonal farm equipment, be prone to automobile accidents, etc. Such obstacles will invariably increase the travel time. Do not measure time driving above the posted speed limits, because not everyone has a lead foot!
Tips for drivers Before you begin, ask every driver if they have enough gas to make it until the end of the day (or at a minimum, without stopping before the first destination). Every driver must have directions to each field trip stop. If they get stuck behind a slow-moving vehicle, get a flat tire, or have to deal with an ill passenger, there must be a way for them to reconnect with the group. It is a good idea to have a knowledgeable driver in the first and last vehicles in a convoy. If someone has a breakdown or other problems, they will not be left behind without knowledge of what happened.
Communication during the trip The cell phone numbers of all trip organizers should be distributed to at least one person in each convoy vehicle. That is no guarantee you will be able to reach them, because of a poor phone signal, but it increases the possibility. Some people have higher quality cell phones, or are on plans with better coverage in a given area. Alternatively, hand held radios or CB radios can be used.
Inclement Weather Do you have a plan if the weather turns ugly? Whether you are in route to a site or on location, organizers should have a plan if a severe thunderstorm, downpour, or other disruption occurs. In many cases, it is best to remain in your vehicle until the weather passes. Beware of small streams that will rise and block a ford or flood lowland areas where you may be or pass through. Stay away from trees, mine head frames or tall metal equipment when lightning is in the area.
How many people? Larger numbers of participants necessitate fewer stops. The time to get everyone out of their vehicles and oriented can run up significantly from time spent visiting a museum or collecting. When you are ready to depart from a location, how will you know that everyone is present? Someone could get lost, fall and be unable to contact anyone, or be in a museum restroom when the group is ready to depart. Each car should have a designated person to account for everyone in that vehicle, or if traveling in a bus, a person should be designated to count attendees before departing. Using a ‘buddy system’ where each person has a buddy seated next to them in a car, van or bus, is an effective way to keep track of people.
A registration sheet should be used to keep track of people indicating that they will attend. If payment in advance is required (to cover food, admissions, bus rental, etc.), this is pretty straight forward. A final sign-in sheet is recommended to confirm the actual number before you depart.
Will participants be allowed to meet the group at a specific locality or depart early after visiting a particularly interesting site?
How many vehicles? Fewer are better. An exact count of vehicles should be made before the trip begins. The trip organizer should base the number of vehicles for the excursion on the minimum safe parking available at the stops. Having 20 vehicles, when a mine site only can handle 10, is asking for trouble. Will everyone stay the entire day, or does a participant in one vehicle have to return early? This information is important to make sure the leader(s) know if someone is heading back before the rest of the group.
Carpool, rent vans or buses? Tour buses are expensive, and school buses can be uncomfortable for a trip that requires extensive time on the road, especially back country or mine roads. Unless you are traveling a great distance with 40+ participants, buses may not be practical. Nine or 15 passenger vans are a good alternative, because drivers do not need to have a CDL. They also can get onto mine roads and have the maneuverability that a large bus lacks. Driving the route in advance will help determine you the type of vehicles that would be ideal. Keep in mind that mine roads may be hazardous to cars with low-slung chassis or a dry road during the advance trip may turn into a quagmire after a rain shower. Will you cross a river on a small ferry? A cardinal rule with a line of cars: the longer the convoy, the harder it will be to keep everyone together.
Medical information Any participant with a medical condition that could become exacerbated on a trip should write down their medical history (including allergies to medicines) and put it in a sealed envelope with their name on it. The trip leader should hold on to it so that if a medical issue arises, the envelope can be opened and appropriate action can be taken. If nothing happens during the field trip, the sealed envelope is returned to the person.
A basic first aid kit should be kept in at least one easily accessible vehicle. People with specific medical needs must carry their own supplies.
Know the location of hospitals and medical clinics if traveling to an unfamiliar area. Talk to the contacts at your stops for suggestions when you are making arrangements.
Food & Beverages Field trip leaders should make arrangements to bring coolers with bottled water and / or soft drinks. The cost should be included in the registration fee. Day-long trips must include a lunch stop or box lunches. Fruit and cookies or chips should be boxed as well. For an organized trip that does not allow the flexibility of individuals to stop at store to buy food or beverage, providing these refreshments to keep participants alert is a must. If food and drink is not going to be provided, mention it in the registration information and the field trip packet so everyone who wants to pack a cooler and/or snacks can do so. Allowance in vehicles for individuals with snacks must also be made.
Road logs
A field trip can only succeed if everyone gets to the same stops at the same time! You cannot count on everyone staying together in a convoy. There are too many ways it can be strung out and separated – traffic lights, railroad tracks, ferries, wayward livestock, inconsiderate or slow drivers, etc., can increase the distance from the first car from the last one. Utilizing a trip odometer with each leg of the journey logged to the tenth of a mile is ideal. Combine it with visual cues – highway sign numbers, buildings, water towers, cemeteries, and other permanent features. With the popular of GPS units and programs that provide maps from point to point, it is easy to throw caution to the wind and depend on technology. However, virtual maps are fraught with errors. If you plan to use a mapping program, run the field trip in advance with the technology! It is most embarrassing (and unprofessional) to lead a convoy of vehicles into a person’s driveway instead of a mine!
Does any stop require group insurance, MSHA training, specialize attire?
Active mines have requirements for visitor safety. This may include attire such as a hard hat, steel-toed shoes (or boots), a brightly-colored safety vest, eye protection, etc. Determine these requirements from the beginning. Mandatory safety gear must be listed and those who register must be made aware of their need and use. If one person is inappropriately attired, they risk alienating the site manager when they bypass the safety rules. Some mines require an employee to remain with the group during your visit. If possible, determine who that will be in advance. A field trip organizer should stay in proximity or contact (exchanging cell phone numbers) with that person during the duration of the visit. The rules exist for visitor safety. Anyone who does not have the mandatory safety gear should not participate in the trip, or wait out the visit elsewhere, if only one stop out of several require it. The registration form should indicate any mandatory safety gear Hard hat, eye protection, and gloves are required, if the site is not going to provide it. essential in a mine. Collecting etiquette is important for both safety and to avoid conflicts between participants. If this is the first field trip attendees have made where collecting is allowed, go over the dos and don’ts. For example, when collecting on rock piles, be sure no one is directly below you so that if a rock rolls down, it won’t hit anyone. There are other rules of both courtesy and safety. Most involve matters of common sense, something that is not as common as one would expect. Sometimes collecting enthusiasm overwhelms common sense!
Stops
As previously mentioned, the larger the group, the fewer stops one can make on a day. When it comes to collecting sites, it is easier to plan them to be too short than too long! This is especially true if someone will make a presentation on-site, or if you must deal with paperwork. It is best to allow at least one hour at any locality if collecting is allowed. It gives people a chance to look around. Upon arrival, the leader should announce the current time and time of departure. If there are site-specific rules (see below), make sure that everyone is aware of them immediately upon arrival. Instill the importance of following them and feel free to call down anyone who is violating any rule. When a field trip participant ignores an important rule, at a minimum, they are jeopardizing future visits to the site for everyone! Typical surface mine site rules This mine truck will flatten any vehicle in its path. Ore piles are often off-limits to participants. As mentioned previously, rules of safety include the proper attire, but there is much more.
What happens if one or more participants disregard the field trip rules at a stop?
Will the person(s) be escorted off the property? Will they be asked to depart from the field trip to prevent potential problems at other stops? Will a trip leader be assigned to guide them around / “babysit” them? A decision has to be made before the field trip begins. All participants should be informed about the importance of following safety rules.
Guidebooks
Although they are a lot of work to assemble, a guidebook is a tangible and informative souvenir of a field trip. The person putting the guidebook together can learn a lot about the geology of the places the group will be visiting. Guidebooks often include a detailed road log, history of the area, geological overview of the region and details about each stop. The cost of printing can be included in the registration. Additional copies can be given to site owners, keynote speakers, and extras can be given away or sold. Guidebooks can be utilized as a reference following, or can be read by passengers during, the trip. It does not to be a tome, it can be as simple as a few pages, stapled, inserted in a folder, etc. The quality is up to the editor and the budget!
Follow Up
At least one field trip organizer should follow up with ‘thank you’ notes to the contacts all sites where stops are made (not necessary for museums, unless special arrangements such as a behind the scenes tour or a special program was done). The courtesy will be appreciated and keeps the ‘wheels greased’ for future visits. Copies of the guidebook should be given to these contacts, during the trip if possible.
Summary Field trips provide a valuable education service. For success, participants must remain as safe as practical under the circumstances. That means following rules / guidelines established for participant safety. It reduces the liability of the hosts and sites visited. Mines are inherently more dangerous than a park or museum, but offer unique opportunities to see in situ geology or collecting. Organizing trips are not as simply as piling a bunch of people into a car and heading out to the great outdoors. They require a fair amount of planning, ultimately depending on the complexity of the excursion. A good trip is well worth the effort and participants will have an educational and memorable time.
Created March 18, 2011, Updated September 2 |
Quarries / mines and other privately-owned geological sites often require a liability release form, MSHA training form and/or a group insurance policy. The requirements will vary. It is the job of the field trip organizer to determine what is needed. If there are forms to be signed, pick them up in advance and have participants sign each one before arriving. Standing around distributing and collecting documents is an extremely inefficient use of time. 
