At North Branch Nature Center, we believe that being outdoors in nature provides significant social, emotional, physical, and intellectual benefits. Our educational and community programming build health, happiness, and resilience. We provide a safe and nurturing environment where participants can connect with each other and the natural world. Our goal is to keep each other safe and healthy.

Our Covid-19 protocols adhere to the most up-to-date guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Our protocols may change as guidelines evolve. NBNC evaluates and updates our policies and protocols regularly, potentially including during the course of the school year. Program-specific handbooks (for Forest Preschool, Homeschool, and Afterschool, for example) will be kept up to date and will refer participants and families to this website for the latest protocols and guidelines.

As of November 1, 2024, NBNC’s Covid-19 protocols are as follows:

Healthy Nature Center

• Do not come to an in-person NBNC program or event if you are sick or exhibiting symptoms. This is our best preventive measure to keep ourselves and our community healthy and reduce the spread of Covid-19 and all other infectious diseases. This includes Forest Preschool, Afterschool, Homeschool, and all other youth, adult, and family programming. NBNC asks program participants to put their own health and the health of others at the top of their list of considerations and asks that participants not attend in-person NBNC programming if they are sick or exhibiting any symptoms. NBNC asks the same of staff members. 
• Before coming to an NBNC program, ensure that you do not have any of the following symptoms: Fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or excessive runny nose, nausea or vomiting, or diarrhea.

Masking, Testing, and Quarantining

• Masks are optional indoors and outdoors.
• If you would like your Forest Preschool student to wear a mask at school, and/or when it is required per our protocols, please send your child to NBNC each day with 5-6 extra masks. Any mask should fit snugly against the face and be comfortable to wear for long periods of time. Masks that are wet/frozen or unable to stay on a child’s face will be changed out for a new, clean mask.  
• If you are symptomatic and/or suspected Covid-19-positive, please do not attend an in-person NBNC program or event.
• Consult the CDC for guidance on masking, quarantining, and testing:
• Check the State of Vermont’s webpage for what to do if you test positive for Covid-19.
• We ask that NBNC participants let us know if they test positive for Covid-19 immediately after or during an ongoing NBNC program.

Returning to Programming

• After a Covid-19 illness, participants and staff may return to NBNC programming if:
  • Their symptoms are improving.
  • They have been fever-free for 24 hours, with no fever-reducing medication during those 24 hours.
• After returning to programming, participants and staff must mask indoors for a minimum of five days after symptoms start improving.

Additional Protocols

• For all multi-night overnight programs, all participants and instructors will be required to affirm negative test results from a self-administered Covid-19 rapid antigen test taken prior to arrival on the first day of the program. Testing is not required for single-night overnights.
• Participants on NBNC’s Adventures Afar and multi-night overnight trips must be comfortable with the possibility that someone on the trip may come down with Covid-19 during the trip, even if they test negative on the first day as required. NBNC will attempt to limit exposure and isolate any such participant, which could include that participant incurring additional expenses such as hotel rooms, meals, or transportation, and missing out on group activities. However, isolation may not be possible at all times on all trips, so all Adventures Afar and overnight trip participants should be aware that circumstances may require that the participant with Covid-19 continue to travel with the group.
• NBNC encourages all Adventures Afar and multi-night overnight participants to be honest and transparent about their symptoms, for the sake of their health and the health of those they are traveling with.
• NBNC encourages all Adventures Afar participants to secure individual travel insurance.
• All NBNC staff are encouraged to receive COVID-19 vaccination and to keep their boosters up to date.
• NBNC will not solicit the vaccine status of participants in any program areas outside of Forest Preschool, for which up-to-date vaccination records are required by state law.
• NBNC may choose to close programs, events, or general operations due to rising participant, staff, and/or community Covid-19 cases. Participants and families will be contacted as soon as possible.