Primary Purpose
Description
Field trips are opportunities for small to medium sized groups of people to visit a project site. They allow stakeholders to become more familiar with on-the-ground conditions. Field trips also provide valuable opportunities for formal and informal discussions. They give stakeholders and agency personnel a chance to exchange information and voice concerns.
A group may take a field trip to the site of a different project or to visit the facilities of different stakeholders involved in the process to learn more about one another and learn from previous projects.
Outcomes
Field trips help all participants gain a better understanding of on-the-ground conditions at a project site. They can also help improve dialogue and relationships through both formal and informal discussions while driving to and walking around a field site.
Time considerations
Planning a field trip may not require much time if working with a small group or at an easily accessible site. Conducting field trips with large groups and/or at sites that are more difficult to access will require more planning and preparation.
The time required to conduct a field trip will vary depending on how far the group will need to travel, how difficult the access is, and what activities the group will engage in once at the site. For example, a field trip with a small group of five to seven people to a nearby site to simply walk around and see the physical space may only take two to four hours. Alternatively, field trips may require a full day to accommodate large groups, travel to more remote or difficult to access sites, and/or more involved activities such as participating in specific forms of recreation like hiking. Occasionally, more than one field trip may be required. For longer field trips, staff will need to account for dining and bathroom facilities.
Staffing
One person can plan and conduct a field trip if the group is small. For larger groups, it may be prudent to include more staff. Consider including staff that have expertise in different aspects of the project (e.g. include an ecologist and recreation specialist if the project involves construction of new trail systems).
Materials
- Transportation to and from the site
- Guides and/or any needed equipment to tour the site (e.g. hard hats, waders, etc.)
- Restroom options for longer field trips
- Meal options for longer field trips
- Maps, diagrams, and photos to help facilitate information exchange at the site.