Rambles and Field Trips
The Ramble season is over for the summer and will resume in October. Please check back with us in late September for our Fall schedule.
QNHG April 2010 Rambles & Field Trips Schedule
A message from the Rambles & Field Trips Coordinator:
It's difficult to believe that the end of my first season as the Rambles & Field Trips Coordinator is coming to a close.
It's been a busy season; since the middle of October we've hosted trips every weekend except for those over Christmas and New Years. I'd like to thank my co-coordinators Parag Parelkar and Bronwyn and Michael Donaldson as well as all the members of the QNHG Steering Committee. Without any of them the season would not have been anywhere near as fun or interesting. Especially, however, without Parag's support I don't know if I could have done this job. Also, not to forget, I'd like to thank all of our members and guests who have participated in our adventures. The looks of enjoyment on your faces have been priceless.
Although it's been a wonderful season, by no means has it been perfect; no such thing! It has, however, as always, been a learning experience. A few organizational lessons came along with a few scrapes and bruises. Part of what we've become aware of this year is the changing face of our membership. Within the last two seasons we have greatly increased in the diversity of our member's nationalities and experiential backgrounds. While this growing pool of complexity is a strength by any measure, it also brings with it a few new challenges, perhaps the most notable being the need to focus on the basic educational aspects of the QNHG. We need to make sure that all of our members and their guests know the fundamental principles of QNHG, especially how to interact appropriately in the landscapes when we travel off the beaten path, and how to effectively travel in groups. This is not only for the personal safety of participants, but also for the safety of the environment that we so enjoy, respect and wish to explore.
Even before this season is fully over, therefore, we've already begun giving thought to next season. Of course, there will be changes, but changes based on the lessons learned this year. We are not finished with this season quite yet however, in that we have three trips planned this month, as well as a great end of the season gathering in the works. We will also be meeting for out monthly lecture series at the DESS, so get out of doors as often as you can & look for your fellow QNHG members - we'll be around!
~Exciting, fun & safe travels,
John Tribuna
QNHG Rambles & Field Trips Coordinator
John Tribuna
QNHG Rambles & Field Trips Coordinator
A Message from the Rambles & Field Trips Coordinator:
We've had a number of really enjoyable, successful trips to start off our season and I'd like to thank everyone involved. Let's keep it up!
I'd like to ask everyone, however, to keep safety on their minds - when we're driving in our caravans on- or off-road, or when we're walking along any 'safe' stretch of beach or desert, please always keep safety a priority. We do have first aid kits, but we hope to use them only rarely!
One last thought - as an environmentally conscious group, our goal is to have as minimal of an impact on the environment as is humanly possible as we explore on our adventures. From now on, therefore, I'll be carrying a plastic bag with me to pick up some of the trash that I find out on our trips. I plan to be picking up stuff on the way out, not the way in, but I'll leave it up to you to decide how you'd like to do it if you care to join me in this effort!
Safe and fun travels,
John Tribuna
Hello & Welcome to a new season of wandering, exploring and enjoying our favorite little desert peninsula in the Gulf!
For those who haven't met me yet, I'm John Tribuna, the new QNHG Rambles & Field Trips Coordinator. As many of you know, David Mundie, the former R & FT Coordinator, has moved on from our land of beige to new, hopefully greener pastures. He has left me the unenviable task of trying to fill his shoes - a task I plan to rise to by cheating, by getting by with a little help from my friends, by shanghaiing a small group of co-coordinators, and by the grace and help of rest of the QNHG membership!
But, now that the weather is cooling off, however, it's time to start organizing and heading out on trips!
A few house-keeping issues before we get into the nitty gritty of the outings; if you need to get in touch with me, the best way to do so at this time is to send a text to 605.6762. I am in touch with David Mundie sporadically, and soon the Rambles & Field Trips E-mails sent to QNHG will be coming to me, not going to him! I will also be updating the Rambles & Field Trips areas on the QNHG webpages as often as possible.
Like every group, over the years the QNHG has developed its share of traditions and jargon, some of the latter I'd like to clarify here, namely, the distinction between a 'ramble' and a 'field trip'. A 'ramble' is simply a short trip that begins in the morning and ends around noon, or early in the afternoon. A 'field trip', on the other hand, goes on all day and may even extend overnight.
In terms of participation, most trips will be open-ended to as many people as want to participate - but some trips will have a limit due to circumstances. We will attempt to be as fair as humanly possible when signing folks up for the available slots, but your understanding and help will be greatly appreciated! Some trips will have special restrictions, so make sure you read the descriptions carefully.
In case you were wondering, when making decisions on the trips schedule, we organizers follow a basic plan. In our scheduling, as per our tradition, our goal will be to organize a variety of rambles for every weekend of the month - usually on Friday - while reserving the last weekend for a field trip; this structure, however, is not written in stone, so if you have a thought on or suggestion about a new ramble or trip that bucks this trend, please contact us and help us make it a reality!
One reminder - Although you are responsible for arranging your own transportation for trips (and please, try to do so on your own), you can contact the trip organizers for suggestions!
Completed Trips:
Saturday May 23, 2009: End-of-Season Dhow Cruise to Al Saflia Island click here
Saturday April 18, 2009: The Oryx Farm click here
Friday April 10, 2009: Rambling song party click on link for details and some pictures of the event..
QNHG Locations File Available
This is the March 2009 release of the QNHG Locations file. To use the file, right click on the name, save it to a disk and open it in Google Earth or Google Maps.
The overlay has meeting points and destinations for the rambles and field trips of the 2008/9 season, as well as possible future ramble locations. If you have ideas for points that should be added, send the GPS coordinates to the Rambles Coordinator.