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Attending: Bob Gray, Anna Hull, David Ross, Henry Whitesell, Molly Anderson (via phone)
Upcoming Dates
Sun 3 Nov Work Day -- Chrome Barrens
Fri 8 Nov Work Day -- New Texas Barrens
Wed 13 Nov TNC Picnic and Tour – Chrome Barrens (10am – 2pm_
Fri 15 Nov Work Day -- New Texas Barrens
Sun 24 Nov Work Day -- Goat Hill Barrens
Sun 24 Nov Board Meeting – Henry’s House (4pm – 6pm)
Fri 6 Dec Work Day -- Nottingham County Park
Sun 15 Dec Work Day -- Chrome Barrens
Action Items
Molly Anderson will
Contact Rachel Rails to make sure map(s) of serpenitine sites with designation codes is completed by November 13.
Will ask Rachel to prepare map showing location of FSLSB work sites by watershed.
Provide us with sections of existing TNC strategic planning documents related to the Barrens.
David Ross will
Contact Mike Bertram to make sure he and Rachel Rails are coordinating on serpentine site designation codes.
Create a spreadsheet from Henry’s activity email list
Check on FSLSB contact information on partner web sites.
Henry Whitesell will
Provide David with his volunteer email list and the records from botanical hikes and Chrome trail dedication.
Check to see if he has the PPFF annual report template (or examples of past annual reports).
Meeting Business
AmeriCorps DeBrief:
The AmeriCorps volunteer comments had generally favorable reactions to the experience. They liked us; liked the heat and green briar, not so much. The GPS and bridge were especially positive experiences.
For Henry and the other local leaders, very heavy managerial and support demands. The project strained the resources of our small organization.
But, we and the AmeriCorps team accomplished a lot. Trail opening was a positive event. Good publicity for the Serpentine barrens
Lessons learned:
• Recognize the planning and person power needed to make it a success.
• Do it earlier (April/May) – less heat, greenbriar more vulnerable.
• Have a higher percentage of special projects that offer the AmeriCorps team more learning opportunities. Spread the restoration and maintenance work work out; more time to recover.
Additional Coordination with TNC
Rachel Rails is compiling data for the cleared areas; in contact with Mike Bertram about system of designation codes. She is targetting November 13 for completion.
November 13 – TNC appreciation picnic and tour for TNC staff of Chrome Barrens.
TNC hopes to make Earth Day 2014 (April as Earth Month) into a major outreach focus.
We should schedule First Friday in April as our own jumping off point for the initiative.
Strategic Planning
Bob Gray proposed that we undertake developing a master plan as a guide for what we want to focus on for the next few years, with the newly compiled GIS data giving us a much better handle on what we are dealing with.
Identify initiatives and objectives in the various areas of our mission:
Science – botanical/ecology/geology
Future preservation (notably at New Texas)
History
Restoration
Maintenance
Recreation
The plan then becomes a guide for our restoration and maintenance work days and allows us to set priorities for other projects.
It would be a resource we could use in for AmeriCorps and grant applications and attracting strategic partners (e.g. Herrs).
It will be helpful to mesh our plan with similar planning documents (where they exist) from our landowner partners.
We should obtain copies of relevant plans for our sites
Goat Hill (forestry, TNC)
Chrome (TNC)
Nottingham Park (County)
Molly will check on where our sites fit into most recent TNC strategic plans.
Need to explore ways for making our planning documents available to the board and other appropriate volunteers. TNC has such a platform; perhaps PPFF does as well.
Working with local colleges/universities as well as our partners would help spread the costs. Much of the background for the plan could be done as student projects.
Our sites transcend political boundaries. Useful (in finding partners) to think in terms of wathershed. Molly will ask Rachel Rails to produce a map showing our sites relative to watersheds.
Reach out for partnership opportunities to
Octoraro Watershed Association
Sierra Club (Lancaster County branch)
Lancaster County Conservancy
Natural Lands Trust (custodians for other Serpentine sites)
Brandywine Conservancy
Governance Issues:
We approved the descriptions for FSLSB Board officers (attached) and agreed to fill those positions in November for terms beginning January 2014. Nominations:
Chair – Bob Gray
Vice Chair – Anna Hull
Secretary – David Ross
We approved the current draft of FSLSB Board responsibilities (attached).
Henry’s primary responsibilities are now limited to being Restoration Activity Leader (at least through May 1, 2014) and Maintenance Activity Leader (until we can find a volunteer).
Anna continues as interim Public Outreach Coordinator.
Mike Bertram continues as interim New Texas site monitor.
Cultivating volunteers and expanding the circle of individuals taking responsibility for tasks remain high on our agenda.
David will move the volunteer email lists into a spreadsheet and merge with records from First Friday, Chrome dedication and our botanical hikes
Pressing Tasks:
We will consider in November how to complete the annual PPFF report. Henry and David will coordinate on making the desired template available.
Need to consider how best to maintain lines of communication with our landowner/partners
How shall we divide up responsibility for responding to contact requests from the public?
Henry’s email and phone numbers appear on Web site home page. Does web contact form go to Mike Bertram?
PPFF is looking for candidates for its young leader award – an active, engaged volunteer under age 25.
Other Projects:
Consider placing signs at each serpentine grassland with the GPS designation code.
We agreed not to push for February 2014 landowner meeting. Preliminary steps in creating a strategic plan would involved meetings with individual landowners and other stakeholders. Should do landower meetings every couple of years. February 2013 meeting was very useful. Probably makes more sense to focus more on a 2-hour meeting.
Plan to schedule hikes for late April/May when wildflowers are blooming and September in fall, when warm grasses are at their peak.
Vernon Ringler suggested we devise a hike in partnership with the Oxford Area Historical Association – targetting former mine sites and other signs of human engagement with the Barrens.
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