We know that you may be concerned about COVID-19 (also known as the coronavirus) and how it may affect our community, including your participation in Wild Whatcom programs. We are so grateful that we get to bring our community together to explore, play, and adventure with one another, but this also means we are monitoring the situation closely and doing everything we can to prevent risk.

Wild Whatcom’s Risk Management Team is keeping up-to-date with the latest information available. If you are also trying to keep up to speed, please look to health officials for the most accurate and up-to-date information: the Whatcom County Health Department and/or the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) both have regularly updated web pages.

Currently, health officials are not recommending closures of schools, child care facilities, or other child care programs. Thus, all of our programs will continue to run as scheduled unless we notify you otherwise. We are doing our best now to stay informed, take preventative measures, and plan for potential closures/cancellations.

Here’s how you can help:

Keep informed with the above-linked resources. Though this situation is dynamic and changing daily, the best thing you can do is to stay informed and be prepared.
Please heighten your hygiene practices during, prior to, and after all Wild Whatcom activities to reduce risk. Wash your hands regularly and use hand sanitizers in between washes. Cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing and remember to cough/sneeze into your elbow and to wash hands afterward! Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Clean and disinfect surfaces that are frequently touched.
Stay home if you or your child is feeling sick. Communicate with your child about how to use these precautionary practices and avoid unnecessary physical contact with others.

Here’s how we will notify you of any cancellations:

Email: email communication will be our first line of communication with you, similar to other program cancellations or rescheduling. Please respond when requested so we know you’ve received our notifications.
Phone: those who do not respond via email will receive phone calls to ensure all participants are aware of cancellations.
Social media: We will post announcements on our social media pages (Facebook and Instagram).
Website: see this Blog page for more information.

It is worth noting that the Washington Department of Health is currently reporting that the risk of exposure is still relatively low. We are just doing our best to be prepared and help health officials and health care providers by taking all precautionary measures possible. We hope you will join us in doing the same. In the meantime, please do not hesitate to reach out to us if you have questions or concerns.