Your Flight Visa Information *ESSENTIAL INFORMATION FOR NON-US PARTICIPANTS* Ground Transportation Your Hotel Accommodation Meeting Location Weather and outside dining YOUR FLIGHT The nearest airport is Baltimore Washington International (BWI). Information on BWI , including terminal maps, can be found at http://www.bwiairport.com Ground Transportation between BWI and the hotel will be available (see Ground Transportation Section below). 1) If you DO NOT require IBOY to support your flight, please send us your itenerary by Tuesday, May 22, for us to book your ground transportation and confirm your hotel reservation. 2) If you require support for your flight: YOU MUST PURCHASE YOUR TICKET THROUGH THE APPROVED IBOY TRAVEL AGENCY, AGGIE TRAVEL, IN THE FOLLOWING WAY. IBOY WILL NOT REIMBURSE AIRLINE TICKETS PURCHASED IN OTHER WAYS: If you have not already done so, by Wednesday, May 16, please let us know that you require support for your travel Upon receipt of this information we will send you contact information for Aggie Travel (Jenny and Patty there will have your name and will be expecting your call) By Tuesday, May 22, please book your ticket with the travel agent. You will be responsible for booking your ticket directly with Aggie Travel, although they will bill IBOY directly. When you call Aggie Travel please ask to speak to Jenny (jennieb@travelpoints.com) or Patty (pats@travelpoints.com) who will have your name and will be expecting your call. IMPORTANT - If you do not purchase your ticket by May 22, IBOY cannot guarantee that it will cover the costs of your ticket as prices will be higher after that date. Return to top VISA INFORMATION ** VERY IMPORTANT IF YOU ARE TRAVELLING FROM ABROAD** If you are travelling from outside the US you will need to enter the US on either a W-B (waiver for business) visa or a B-1 visa. The W-B visa is the easiest to obtain, but NOT ALL COUNTRIES ARE ELIGIBLE . A list of eligible countries is below.  Participants who are NOT citizens of a country on this list should obtain a B-1 visa.  Details on how to obtain both of these visas are below. Countries eligible for W-B (Waiver for Business) visa: Andorra Argentina Austria Australia Belgium Brunei Denmark Finland France Germany Iceland Ireland Italy Japan Lichtenstein Luxembourg Monaco The Netherlands New Zealand Norway Portugal San Marino Singapore Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland The United Kingdom Uraguay Obtaining a W-B (waiver for business) visa 1.  If you are eligible for a W-B visa you can obtain this when you fly to the US. 2.  You must specify to the airline ticket agent at check-in and to the US immigration officials at the port of entry to the US that you request a waiver for entry on business.  Your visitors form will then be designated I-94-W-B (waived on entry for business). 3.  Please take the letter of invitation to the workshop (that was mailed to you on July 2 1999) with you in your passport, in case immigration wishes to see proof of your business in the US. Obtaining a B1 (Business) visa 1.  If you are not eligible for a W-B visa you will need to enter the country on a B1 visa 2.  The B1 visa must be obtained BEFORE the flight, from the US Consulate in your country (except Canada - see below). 3.  If you have been to the US before on business it is possible that you have an existing B1 visa in your passport.  If this is the case you may use that and will not need to get a new one. 4.  If you do not have a B1 visa in your passport, you will need to take your passport and the letter of invitation to the workshop (that we mailed to you on July 2 1999) to the US Consulate, in order to get the B1 visa.  Although the procedure should be very simple we suggest that you call your travel agent or the US consulate AS SOON AS POSSIBLE to get the precise instructions for your country and to avoid any last-minute delays. 5.  When you fly to the US you will need to show your B1 visa to your ticket agent and to the US immigration official at the port of entry.  Please make sure that you also take the letter of invitation to the workshop with you in your passport,  in case US immigration ask for proof of your business in the US. (PLEASE NOTE: Although it is most likely that you will require a B1 visa, it is possible that the US consulate in your country will tell you to get a B2 visa instead). Information for Canadian Citizens Participants traveling from Canada should get their I-94 cards marked "B-1" by a US immigration official at the US-port of entry (for some Canadian Airports, US immigration is at the Canadian Airport, before you board the plane). The I-94 card is the green or white card that you are given when you check in at the airport. Return to top GROUND TRANSPORTATION FROM BWI AIRPORT TO THE HOTEL Ground Transportation from BWI Airport, Ronald Reagan National Airport and Dulles International Airport to the Sheraton College Park Hotel, Maryland, will be provided by The Airport Shuttle. IBOY will pay the costs for this transport directly. If you book your flight through Aggie Travel, they will send us your flight itinerary. If you are paying for and booking your own flight, please send us your flight itinerary by May 22. Once we have your flight itinerary we will: reserve you a seat on The Airport Shuttle from the BWI Airport, Ronald Reagan National Airport or Dulles International Airport to the Sheraton College Park Hotel send you your confirmation number for shuttle service upon your arrival at the BWI Airport, Reagan National Airport or Dulles International Airport (see directions for catching the bus at the airport, below) we will also book you a seat on the bus from the hotel to the airport at the end of the meeting. Again, we will send you the confirmation/reservation numbers for your departure and the departure pick-up time at the Sheraton College Park Hotel where you will be expected on-time for transportation to the BWI, National or Dulles airports. We will provide you with instructions for this at the meeting. How to get the shuttle at the BWI Airport The Airport Shuttle will track the time of your flight. This way if your flight arrives late, they will know and will still be there for you. From your arrival gate walk downstairs to your baggage claim area. Walk out of the doorway directly in front of your baggage claim area. Cross a single lane of traffic to an island sidewalk. Look for a dark blue van with the exact wording "The Airport Shuttle" in yellow, printed on the side of the van. The Shuttle will be doing slow drive-bys starting approximately 20-25 minutes after your actual gate arrival time (allowing you time to collect your baggage) Tell the Shuttle driver your name, show him an I.D., and tell him that you want to go to the Sheraton College Park Hotel as part of the IBOY group. He/she will have your name on a list. Please note: The Airport Shuttle vans operate 4 a.m. - midnight everyday. If your plane arrives at the gate at 11:59 p.m. you can look for the Shuttle up to 12:30 a.m. For planes that land after 12, we recommend a BWI Taxi. IBOY will only reimburse taxi-fares for flights that arrive after midnight. How to get the shuttle at the Ronald Reagan National Airport The Airport Shuttle will track the travel time of your flight. Please take note of the actual time your plane reaches the arrival gate. From your arrival gate, walk directly to your baggage claim area; walk directly out of the doorway in front of your baggage claim area. Cross a single lane of traffic to an island sidewalk. Look for a dark blue van with the exact wording "The Airport Shuttle" in yellow, printed on the side of the van. The Shuttle will be doing slow drive-bys. The shuttle will begin drive-bys approximately 20-25 minutes after your actual gate time, allowing you to collect your baggage. The driver will have your name and itinerary information on a list. Be prepared to show the Shuttle driver your confirmation number and a form of identification. Tell the driver that you are part of the IBOY group and that you need to go to the Sheraton College Park Hotel. Please note: The Airport Shuttle vans operate 4 a.m. - midnight everyday. If your plane arrives at the gate at 11:59 p.m. you can look for the Shuttle up to 12:30 a.m. For planes that land after 12, we recommend The Washington Flyer taxi service. IBOY will only reimburse taxi-fares for flights that arrive after midnight. How to get the shuttle at the Dulles International Airport The Airport Shuttle will track the travel time of your flight. Please take note of the actual time your plane reaches the arrival gate. From your arrival gate, walk directly to your baggage claim area; walk directly out of the doorway in front of your baggage claim area. Cross a single lane of traffic to an island sidewalk and walk to the area marked "2A" along this sidewalk. Look for a dark blue van with the exact wording "The Airport Shuttle" in yellow, printed on the side of the van. The Shuttle will be doing slow drive-bys. If you are on an international flight, the Shuttle will begin drive-bys 60 minutes after your plane reaches the arrival gate. If you are on a domestic flight, the Shuttle will begin drive-bys 30 minutes after your plane reaches a gate at Dulles. Tell the Shuttle driver that you are part of the IBOY group and wish to go to the Sheraton College Park Hotel. Be prepared to show confirmation number and an ID. The driver will have your name and flight information on a list. Please note: The Airport Shuttle vans operate 4 a.m. - midnight everyday. If your plane arrives at the gate at 11:59 p.m. you can look for the Shuttle up to 12:30 a.m. For planes that land after 12, we recommend The Washington Flyer taxi service. IBOY will only reimburse taxi-fares for flights that arrive after midnight. If you need more information, the web page for the Airport Shuttle is: http://www.theairportshuttle.com Within the USA you can call them toll-free: 1-800-776-0323 *IMPORTANT: IBOY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO REIMBURSE GROUND TRANSPORTATION TO AND FROM YOUR HOME AND YOUR HOME AIRPORT * Return to top YOUR HOTEL ACCOMODATION We will be staying at the Sheraton College Park Hotel, Maryland. IBOY has reserved a block of rooms at special rates for the nights of June 14, 15, 16 and 17. 1) If you do NOT require IBOY to support the costs of your hotel, you will be eligible for special IBOY rates that include breakfast. Please contact me and I can reserve a room for you at these rates. We will be happy to pay for your dinners at the hotel restaurant (June 14-15 - see agenda) in which case you should charge them to Gina's room. Gina will provide the details at the meeting. Should you need it, contact information for the Hotel is: The Sheraton College Park Hotel 4098 Powder Mill Road Beltsville, MD 20705 Telephone: (+1) 301 937 4422 Fax: (+1) 301 931 1067 2) If you require IBOY to support the costs of your hotel accommodation: if you have not already done so, by Wednesday, May 16 let me know that you require support for your hotel we will book your room and will send you a confirmation number we will cover the cost of room, breakfasts and dinners at the hotel. We will not cover incidental charges such as telephone, internet access, any guest services such as faxing, photocopying etc.   Further information on the hotel can be found at: http://www.bookhotelworld.com/bhw/int_hotels/template/sheraton/maryland_sheratoncollege.htm Return to top MEETING LOCATION The meeting will be at: The National Wildlife Visitors Center Patuxent Research Refuge 10901 Scarlet Tanager Loop Laurel, MD 20708-4027 Information on the National Wildlife Visitors Center (NWVC) can be found here http://patuxent.fws.gov/vcdefault.html For participants staying at the Sheraton College Park Hotel, there will be transportation provided between the hotel and NWVC If you are driving to the NWVC, click here for a map The red star on the map marks the location of the NWVC, click the "Zoom in" or "Zoom out" buttons to get the map at different scales. Meeting Facilities: The IBOY meeting will be in the Rachel Carson Conference Room. Audio Visual Equipment available includes: Overhead projector (blank transparencies and overhead pens will be available for the working group sessions) 35mm slide projector. Round, 80 capacity slide carousels (4) Digital projector (Mac and pc compatible) Flip-charts and markers Microphone THERE WILL BE POWER SOCKETS FOR YOU TO PLUG IN YOUR LAPTOP COMPUTERS. PLEASE BRING YOUR LAPTOPS (AND AN ADAPTER FOR AMERICAN SOCKETS, IF NEEDED). There will be a Conference Office (un-staffed) equipped with: telephone if you need to make/receive emergency calls. (+1 301 497 5763) You will need a personal long-distance/international phone card to make calls. fax machine if you need to receive/send emergency faxes (+ 1 301 497 5765) photocopier and printer, for printing and copying materials resulting from the IBOY workshops Return to top WEATHER AND OUTSIDE DINING    Enter a City or US Zip:   Typical June weather in Maryland is an average high of 83ºF / 28ºC, and an average low of 62ºF / 17ºC. Typically, it rains 9 days out of the month. On Saturday, June 16th we will be dining outside between 7-10 p.m. at the farmhouse of Dr. Sam Droege, leader of the IBOY Core Network Project, Frogwatch. Sam may also take us on a short nature tour. Please bring appropriate clothing (e.g. sweater or jacket, preferably light raincoat, comfortable shoes for walking) and if you don't like getting bitten by insects, bring bug spray! Return to top