NWT 2020 summer field season scheduling and coordination plan
As part of the Niwot Ridge Risk Mitigation Plan for COVID-19, we are implementing a scheduling system to help manage the density and distribution of NWT researchers on the ridge this summer. To do this, we are using the teamup online calendaring system.
Each research cohort (defined below) will use a unique link to access the calendar and add/delete their own events without changing the events entered by other cohorts.
The goal of this system is to facilitate the safety of NWT researchers that are conducting fieldwork this summer in a way that is fair and equitable. We recognize that it is difficult (even impossible) to anticipate when your field season will begin and end, how long your fieldwork will take, and which days will be cut short due to bad weather or other uncontrollable events. To mediate these issues, we emphasize the following:
● While we will appreciate timely scheduling, we will not prioritize research on the ridge on a first-come, first-served basis according to the sign-up schedule. We will resolve any congestion issues by working with all teams involved to try to find solutions that work for everyone.
● Please resist the temptation to sign up for more time that you need to bet-hedge against unexpected events (e.g., lightning storms that make you leave the field early) or uncertainty in your own schedule. This will create a lot of extra work for everyone involved as we try to regulate densities on the ridge. Please do your best to be accurate and realistic when entering your schedule, and trust that we will work with you to make adjustments as needed.
● We will be monitoring the total number of people, rather than the number of cohorts, working in a given area on the ridge. If you can keep your cohort small (e.g., 2 people), it is likely that you can work in the same area as multiple other cohorts (depending on their sizes). If you are working alone, you shouldn’t work in an area unless there is at least one other cohort in your area.
This calendar is to coordinate the time and density of NWT researchers on the ridge. Please note that the MRS and Cable Gate parking lots are areas of concern for COVID spread because people tend to congregate in these locations. Please follow best practices for social distancing and hygiene (e.g., wearing masks, washing hands after touching shared surfaces such as gate locks) in these areas and avoid lingering when passing through. If users do not adequately self-regulate in these areas, we may have to begin scheduling departure times at these locations too.
Instructions for using the NWT LTER summer 2020 calendar:
One person per research cohort will be in charge of scheduling for the group. A “cohort” is defined as a small semi-permanent team of 2-4 researchers who consistently work together during the field season (e.g., a graduate student and 1-2 undergraduate assistants). The scheduler should be the cohort lead - e.g., a graduate student or post-doc who is in charge of the project(s) being conducted by the cohort. The scheduler should send an email to lternwt@colorado.edu to request a unique link that they will use to schedule their research on the ridge. If you work with someone in another cohort for a short period of time on a shared project, make sure only one person signs up for your group on the schedule.
The NWT calendar is divided into 13 “zones” (see below) to help spread researchers across the ridge and minimize density in any given area. It is important that you designate the zone(s) where you will be working when you enter your schedule into the calendar.
You only need to schedule work in a zone if you will be there for at least one hour. You do not need to schedule time in a zone that will take less than one hour, e.g. walking through a zone to get to another one, if you are quickly checking on a plot, etc.
To schedule fieldwork on the calendar, double-click on the day that you need to go to Niwot Ridge and enter the following information in the designated fields:
Event title: enter the cohort lead's name and contact information of the cohort lead (e.g., Jane Doe, 530-123-4567, jane.doe@colorado.edu).
Days & times: confirm date and fill in the hours you expect to be in the zone
Calendar: select the Zone where you will be working (e.g., D1). This will color code your entry.
Who: List the full name of everyone on your team that will be working with you that day.
Description: Report (1) a brief description of the data you will be collecting (e.g., soil samples in saddle), (2) any shared plots that you will be working in within the zone (e.g., black sand), (3) the approximate times of the day you expect to be in the zone* (and shared plot, if applicable), and (4) if the exact date of this work is flexible (e.g., can be done anytime in a given week).
5. Enter your schedule into the correct calendar for each zone as far in advance as possible. The NWT schedule review committee will review the calendar biweekly on Wednesdays (see table below) to identify any potential problems with density for the upcoming 2 weeks. If you need to make a change to your schedule during a 2-week period that has already been reviewed, please email lternwt@colorado.edu so we can coordinate your changes with other cohorts.
Definitions of “Zones”:
The NWT calendar is divided into 13 “zones” to help spread researchers across the ridge and manage densities in each area. It is important that you designate the zone(s) where you will be working when you enter your schedule into the calendar. The 13 current zones for NWT are illustrated on the map below:
