and just as much fun for your staff as for the participants taking the tour. Bus tours can highlight conservation work so that people can see what your district has done with conservation practices. This is a good way to promote your    district to local elected officials and the general public. Bus tours can also be arranged for out-of-state travel. These types of tours allow the participants to see other conservation practices and sites in other states. Through these types of tours your district will gain ideas for future programs and conservation practices that can be applied on the land in your county. Besides the general list of things to do, here are a few other things to consider for this specific tour.

• Decide if this bus tour will be a one-day event or multiple days
• Secure vans or large passenger bus for travel (deposits from participants will most likely be needed)
• If planning a multiple day bus tour, hotel rooms will need to be booked
• On multiple day tours, meals will have to be planned (e.g., where to stop, pay as a group, separate eating area for the group)
• Health forms and liability waivers must be signed by all participants
• If possible on a local tour, drive the route at least two weeks in advance
• At least two weeks in advance of the tour, send reminder letters to participants
• Collect all tour money before the day of the tour (deposits and actual costs)
• Allow adequate travel time between tour stops on one or multiple day tours
• Make contacts for tour stops and line up resource people as needed
• Plan for restroom stops
• Have a resource person on the bus using a microphone to speak

An alternative to the bus tour is the self-guided driving tour. Each driver receives a map/directions for each stop. Typically people can visit as many stops as they want and in any order. As with the bus tours, resource people are available at each location to talk about the special “feature” at the stop, demonstrate how something works, and involve people in an activity. In addition to the general guidelines and some of the tips for the driving tours, you want to consider the following when planning a self-guided driving tour.

• In your advertisements, indicate where people can pick up a map of the tour (e.g., at first stop, from the district office or website, in the local paper)
• Indicate date(s) and starting and stopping times
• Give a brief description of each stop and what will be available to see and do
• Indicate if food or restrooms are available at any of the stops
• Be sure that your map and directions are very clear
• Provide easy to see directional signs near each stop
• Drive the tour the week before to be sure that the route still works well (e.g., no detours, no new construction) 

scenic and fun for everyone involved. Canoe tours can happen on any water body that is deep enough for a canoe (e.g., lakes, river, streams, creeks) in your county or surrounding area. You can take a canoe tour to discover natural beauty and/or identify conservation issues (e.g., erosion, pollution). This is also a great time to spotlight what your conservation district has done by installing conservation plans on fields and waterways. In addition to the general guidelines, follow the suggestions below for a successful canoe tour.

• Contact a local canoe livery manager to arrange a tour
• Determine what the cost will be for each participant for the tour
• Determine the length of the tour in river miles
• If possible, take the canoe trip the week before your trip to double check your stops and determine if there are problem spots (e.g., fallen trees, low water areas)
• Have participants sign liability forms before the trip
• At the beginning of the tour (before you get in the canoes), go over water safety rules and regulations
• Make sure everyone wears a safety vest on the tour
• Ask for permission to be on privately owned land (if stopping along route)
• Prepare directional signs for meeting place and tour kick-off
• Arrange for travel back to kick-off area for participants (livery usually does this)
• Provide sunscreen and insect repellant
• Be sure to carefully select access points if people need to disembark (e.g., place to pull over canoes, stream bank not to steep); have someone provide assistance  

is the walking variety. Walking tours can be guided or self-guided. As with all other types of tours, they take careful pre-planning so make sure you also consider the general tour guidelines.

• Include in your promotional material how people should dress
• Provide sunscreen and bug repellant
• Decide if you will have one resource person leading the entire group from stop-to-stop or resource people stationed along the trail
• Determine what to do in case of inclement weather
• Post signs to indicate stops, if appropriate
• Make sure participants are aware of the distance they will be walking and the level of difficulty
• Mark danger areas on the trail clearly
• Provide detailed maps