TWO ITEMS: 1) PARKING 2) SAFETY *PARKING* There are 77 maximum parking spots available. If every attending vehicle had two people in it we would need 80 spots.
There will ALSO be general public visiting Fontenelle Forest so we need to leave room for them as well. As you can see parking is at a premium due to the fantastic attendance so please help out where you can. We do not wish anyone to be unduly inconvenienced so park where it is best for you. Friday night may not be an problem but SATURDAY and SUNDAY will present issues so… Who absolutely SHOULD park in the MAIN Parking lot (1111 Bellevue Blvd N, Bellevue, NE 68005) Persons who are experiencing difficulty walking extra distances. Persons who need to unload materials for the meeting (like Silent Auction people, VP with materials, Membership Sales persons, Presentors etc.) It would be very very helpful if all others would please use the overflow Parking at 2281 Camp Brewster Rd, Bellevue, NE 68005 *Many of our Field Trips will stage out of the Overflow Parking area.* GOOD NEWS: The overflow parking less than a half mile away. SEE LINK below for an easy Map of the route. https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=41.179669,+-95.918156&daddr=2281+Camp+Brewster+Rd,+Bellevue,+NE+68005&hl=en&sll=41.179465,-95.918564&sspn=0.00223,0.003307&geocode=FRVadAIdtGdI-g%3BFTVbdAIdXlFI-imhGfXi7YiThzHMXxby9amv2w&t=h&mra=ls&z=18 It is only 4/10th of a mile walk. Another option would for people to park in the overflow and then car pool to the Fontenelle Forest Center for meals, meetings, and presentations. We will discuss where the field trips will stage out of both Friday night and during BREAKFAST on Saturday and Sunday. ***If you are not eating breakfast at the Center please make sure you are there early enough to get info on the trips and the staging area. Field Trips are scheduled to leave by 7:00AM so please do not be late to your staging area. It is quite likely that if you are late you will be left behind and will need to find a way to reconnect with the field trip leader. *SAFETY* ###There will be a *trip leader PHONE NUMBER* for EVERY field trip. *WRITE this number down* so you can make contact if ANY issues comes up (get lost or a special bird etc). There will be a lot of people going on field trips. In addition, we are in a large metropolitan area. Caravanning to and from field trips can present several challenges. Challenge #1 Being able to stay in contact with your group as you hit stop lights or other vehicles cut between and the rest of the caravan. Lead vehicles try to time the lights so all can get through or pull over and wait if at all possible. Challenge #2 Staying safe when you see birds while driving. Keep a reasonable distance between you and the vehicle you are following. If you feel the need to look at a bird during the travel time please pull off the side of the road in case the vehicle behind you is also looking at a bird and does not see that you have stopped. Helpful caravanning tips: KNOW which vehicle you are suppose to be following. KNOW how many vehicles are suppose to be IN FRONT of you. KNOW how many vehicles are suppose to be BEHIND you. Notify your trip leader IMMEDIATELY as soon as you realize that someone may have lost contact with the caravan. *STAY WITH YOUR GROUP OR*--If you decide your vehicle wishes to leave the group for any reason *PLEASE P'LEASE let the field trip leader KNOW* that you are leaving so they do not spend time or effort looking for a "lost vehicle" that is not really lost. Enough parenting for tonight. See you this weekend. Travel safe. -- *Paul O. Roisen* *Woodbury County, IA* --- This mailing list is sponsored by the Iowa Ornithologists' Union. Membership available on-line at http://www.iowabirds.org/iou/PayDues.aspx. ----- You are currently subscribed to ia-bird as: [email protected]. Unsubscribe at http://iowabirds.org/Reporting/Listserv.aspx.
