Field Season Planning During COVID
HOW WE CAN HELP
We have resumed data collection in areas where COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted. Our volunteers can be rapidly deployed to work where and when you need them to fill data gaps.
We recruit skilled, carefully screened volunteers from the outdoor community who can collect data anywhere, at any scale. You can then train and manage them to complete your data collection or engage us to manage the entire data collection process.
HOW IT WORKS
University and NGO Researchers:
To serve the science community during the pandemic, we are offering to plan and build a volunteer recruitment effort for your research at no upfront cost. If extended COVID-19 restrictions make it untenable to begin recruiting, you owe us nothing. If you proceed with our volunteers, your planning/build costs will be included in a discounted cost plan customized to your project’s needs. This cost depends on factors such as how many volunteers you need, where and for how long they will work, and how specialized they need to be. Working within your constraints, we will provide a complete budget before design and build begins. Contact us today for a customized quote.
Government Agencies:
For our partners in government, we are offering a flat rate to design, build, and execute a preset number of projects. Likewise, we will provide cost relief for any delayed or cancelled work.
Our mission is to equip the scientific community with data that address environmental and human health issues. If we can help your field work happen, please let us know. We are committed to volunteer and public health safety and continue to monitoring disease trends in areas where our volunteers collect data.
We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with a GuideStar Platinum certification.
OUR PROCESS
Stage 1: Planning
We begin with meetings in which you work with our project creation team to determine your specific field support needs for data collection, including:
- Number of volunteers needed
- Length of volunteer commitment
- Outdoor skills such as whitewater kayaking, rock climbing, mountaineering, backcountry skiing, backpacking, camping, etc.
- Previous data collection experience, or knowledge of science or conservation
- Safety skills such as wilderness first aid
- Pre-grouping into partner teams, if social distancing guidance continues
At the completion of this stage, you will get a report detailing our findings, along with a proposed scope of work and budget.
Stage 2: Build
Once the scope of work is agreed upon, Adventure Scientists then builds a website for each project, including:
- Summary information and a requirement checklist for volunteers
- A volunteer application, with screening questions
- Tracking through our Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system
For a sample website from a recent project, please click here.
Stage 3: Recruiting and Screening
Adventure Scientists recruits volunteers from our existing network of outdoor enthusiasts worldwide, using targeted recruiting, ambassador influencers, social media, local outreach and other strategies. Our staff, having become well-versed in your project, reviews each applicant against a rubric customized to your needs.
We follow up with clarifying conversations when necessary to ensure each volunteer we recruit meets your requirements to carry out the data collection.
Photo: Myke Hermsmeyer / @mykehphoto
Stage 4: Delivery
We prepare volunteers to show up ready to work, wherever you need them to be, with any outdoor gear required, at the date and time you are ready to train them. During the COVID-19 emergency, we will work with you to make informed decisions following official guidance from medical experts about when and in what capacity our volunteers can be deployed.
Before you are ready to begin data collection, we will send you a list of names, contact information, details such as outdoor skill level or first aid certification, and signed waivers or other paperwork you require from them before work can commence.
Additional services
In addition to recruiting and screening volunteers, we specialize in building full projects from start to finish. This includes developing comprehensive trainings (password: adventure), protocols, and data collection apps. We also provide full team support to ensure each volunteer is successful.
Are you ready to consider contingency planning for your field season?
CASE STUDIES AND REFERENCES
We’re proud of the unique data collection service we provide to scientists. We can provide references from government scientists, university researchers, and international nonprofit organizations who have partnered with Adventure Scientists to advance their field research.