As with so many other aspects of life over the last two years, the coronavirus pandemic has had a profound impact on the travel industry. We have been working hard to reschedule programs that had to be postponed, so that our clients can, when conditions permit, still explore the destinations they wished to visit, and travel with the photographers from whom they wished to learn.

We continue to monitor how the COVID-19 situation evolves, and we will adapt our schedule as necessary. Particularly as vaccines have become more widely available and administered, the particular logistics and details of a given workshop or expedition may enable us to apply safety protocols and operate the program in a manner that is reasonable and that significantly mitigates risks. In other cases, it may not be reasonable to operate the program in question, or it may simply be logistically impossible due to travel restrictions or unavailability of necessary lodging, transportation, or other services. We will be in contact with participants as soon as it is clear that a given workshop or expedition will be affected. To the extent that we can, we will try to reschedule affected programs to a later date so that you can still experience the destinations you wanted to visit and travel with the instructors from whom you wanted to learn.

There are obviously still complications, uncertainties, and concerns related to travel and gatherings. Following guidance by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other reputable public health officials, we are implementing supplemental health, safety and hygiene protocols for all programs to help minimize risk for our clients, instructors, and those around us. Every destination is different. We will be carefully evaluating each workshop or expedition individually to determine whether or not they should (and can) proceed with special safety protocols in place, what protocols are appropriate for that destination, and what protocols have been implemented by ground transportation, lodging, catering, guides and other service providers. We will provide more detailed information about COVID-19 protocols specific to each program to registered participants in advance, but until conditions improve, participants and staff can generally expect the following:

  • All participants are required to be fully vaccinated (received all recommended doses of a vaccine and at least two weeks have passed since the final dose), unless there is a documented medical reason (such as due to allergies or other legitimate medical contraindication).
  • …get tested within three days of the program start date. A negative result using an antigen self-test acceptable, so long as it is documented with a photo supplied to Visionary Wild.
  • …respond to a brief health questionnaire within 48 hours prior to the workshop.
  • …self-monitor their health, and notify Visionary Wild staff if they experience COVID-19 symptoms, a body temperature above 100.4ºF, or if they learn that they or a member of their household has been exposed to a confirmed COVID-19 case up to 14 days prior to the workshop. Under these circumstances, the person in question will remove themselves from the workshop group. Workshop fees will not be refundable if a participant has to exit the workshop for any reason.

We ask that all participants follow the CDC guidelines on protecting yourself and others as well as any state or local guidance in advance of the workshop. If a participant or members of his or her household are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms or have been exposed to someone who has experienced symptoms of or been diagnosed with COVID-19, she or he will be asked not to attend the workshop.

The following protocols are worth considering, but they are now at the discretion of the individual:

  • …wear masks when mixing with others in an indoor setting, or when within six feet of others outdoors.
  • …maintain a six foot distance from other people throughout the workshop.
  • …measure body temperature daily.
  • …wash hands regularly with soap and warm water, bring hand sanitizer and have it available at all times. 
  • …at workshops in the United States, participants may wish to self-drive to field locations during the workshop, rather than carpooling.