Conservation Education Program Policies

Program Cancellation Policy:

Notice of the cancellation must be given at least one week prior to the scheduled trip. Without one week of notification, your school will be invoiced for 50 per cent of the total cost of your cancelled trip.

Severe Weather Cancellation Policy:

In the event of severe weather conditions (for example, wind chill, high winds, snow storms, freezing rain, and thunderstorms) and school closures, your field trip will be cancelled and rescheduled to the earliest date possible. 

If severe weather conditions fall on your scheduled day, please contact Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority (ABCA) at 1-888-286-2610 or 519-235-2610 to cancel your trip. Press "0" to record a message in the general mailbox any time before 8:30 a.m. or after 4:30 p.m. 

Ausable Bayfield Conservation education staff will contact you, as soon as possible, to confirm the cancellation and if possibly reschedule the program. Programs may be cancelled at the discretion of the ABCA education staff if severe weather suddenly arises just before or during an outdoor program. Fees for programs which have started and later on cancelled due to severe weather will be modified according to the situation.

Late Arrival Policy:

ABCA education staff reserve the right to cancel a program if groups are more than 15 minutes late.

ABCA Risk Management Policy:

The ABCA recognizes that there is some level of risk inherent to any activity.  The ABCA education staff have examined all conservation education programs with consideration given to the Ontario School Board Insurance Exchange (OSBIE) guidelines.

To make your field trip process, as smooth as possible, ABCA education staff are willing to provide information about programs and the conservation areas  Ask ABCA education staff about programming modifications which DO NOT allow students to enter water but students are still able to collect fossils and see what lives in the river.  

Student Misconduct Policy:

Teachers and group leaders are reminded to remain with the class during the program to ensure and maintain respectful student behavior. Participant discipline is the responsibility of the teacher or group leader in accordance with internal organizational and/or school board policies.