Last minute spots for PDA Acadia Trip tomorrow -- First come, first serve!

[Meghan Huber]

*On behalf of the MIT-PDA Community Building Committee... Please respond to
thiele at mit.edu <thiele at mit.edu> with any inquiries about this event.*


Dear postdocs,



Due to several drop outs this morning, we still have open spots for the
Acadia trip this weekend. If you are interested, read the text below and
contact me (Stefan) asap (thiele at mit.edu or (617) 253-1857). This goes on
first come- first serve base.



Please read this email carefully. Read it in full and make sure you check
all the links.



A personal thing in the beginning: Don’t bring any plastic cutlery, plates
etc. This is a National Park and we want to preserve the environment by
being as sustainable as possible. You can bring a normal plate and cutlery
from home!



Point 1) Basic information



Time: Start 2 PM on June 16th from MIT and back around 5 PM on June 18th



*Meeting: Friday 16th, 1:30 PM *

*Location: Between Bldg. 48 (Parsons) and 46 (McGovern) at the loading ramp
(Parsons) in the “tunnel” for the train tracks. *



We will drive up to Acadia, camp at * Blackwood Camp Ground*, and have a
good time. You are basically free to do whatever you want. There is no plan
for activities in the park. You can find information about possible
activities here: https://www.nps.gov/acad/index.htm (Plan your visit)

If you want to do something specific, why not take an initiative and offer
it to people. You have the emails now, send it out (separate email please).



Point 2) Transportation



We have 5 cars for 7 people each. Since I will have the shopping in my car,
I need more space. The sign up sheet is here:


https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1p04DbAWk6fpHKOUAk8pObsrd2Y6ciwnbAfeX8Ui2Kfw/edit#gid=0



Point 3) What to bring?



Your gear is your responsibility! The PDA will not be able to help you if
you forget something. And please be reasonable with your packing since we
will have limited space in the cars. You are only out there for 2 nights.



Also, remember, there will be no electric hook up, so you can leave your
computers at home.



Here some essentials:

-          Tent

-          Mat

-          Sleeping bag

-          Pot for cooking

-          Cutlery (no plastic, it melts when you use it for cooking)

-          Plate and cup

-          Good shoes for hiking

-          Sun screen

-          Mosquito repellent

-          Hat

-          Water bottle

-          Jacket

-          Flashlight

-          Small 1st aid kit (if available)

-          Personal medication and personal items

-          *If you have, your National Park Card*



This list is not complete, think about what you need.



Point 4) Gear Rental/ Camping



Make sure you get all your rental gear from MITOC during one of the office
hours (*6 PM on Thursday*). Be familiar with their rules and procedures (
http://mitoc.mit.edu/#rental). You don’t need to place a deposit, just
mention that it is for the PDA trip and it will be OK. You will still have
to give them your name and sign in for your items. If you fail to get your
equipment, this means you might not be able to go or have 2 pretty awful
nights up in Maine.



The PDA only covers for basic equipment, such as tents, sleeping backs,
mats, and stoves. Everything else is your own responsibility and will not
be covered.



And, important, find tent partners. MITOC rents 2 and 4 person tents, but
we will probably run into space problems if everybody get their own tent.
So please find buddys and team up.
Same is true for cooking. You can cook alone, but it is more fun in groups
of 3-4. So we don't have to rent multiple stoves just for one night of
cooking. The tent and stove list is under the car list in the google sheet.



Point 5) Food



The PDA will provide basic food for breakfast (Saturday/Sunday) and dinner
(Saturday), assuming that we will be out in the park for lunch. This means,
eat something on the way on Friday (and Sunday), and bring some snacks for
the trail. The food will be vegetarian, because it is easier and matches
most dietary restrictions (vegetarian, Halal, mostly kosher, etc.). If you
have a special restriction, please let me know.



Point 6) Acadia National Park



Please be familiar with the park rules and safety measures:



http://www.us-parks.com/acadia-national-park/park-regulations.html



https://www.recreation.gov/marketing.do?goto=/acm/generalRules.htm



https://www.nps.gov/acad/planyourvisit/safety.htm





Cheers

Stefan



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Stefan Thiele
Postdoctoral Fellow
Polz Lab
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
15 Vassar Street, Bldg. 48-106
02139 Cambridge, Massachusetts USA

Phone (617) 253-1857
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