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Attending: Mike Bertram, Bob Gray, Anna Hull, David Ross, Henry Whitesel and Kent Wagner (speaker phone) A) Key Dates 1. Our next meeting will be Friday, May 30, 3:30-5:30 at Lincoln University
2. Grassland Restoration Days (conditions permitting) • Saturday, May 17: Nottingham County Park (Kent leads)
B) Action Items Going Forward
Mike Bertram: Will add warning flags to site tracker data base for work areas where fame flower has been located in the past. Point person for our history initiatives
Bob Gray: Report on meeting with Joe Frasetta and Henry Bob, David and Anna will index the box on May 19 in preparation for our May 28 meeting Will contact Rocky Gleason and Roger Latham to locate sites long-hairy field chickweed (Cerastium arvense var. villosissimim) has been found in the past. Awaiting date from Ken Woodward on date/time for Jane Dorchester presentation. Awaiting PPFF draft liability indemnification agreement from Marcie Mowery. May 30 workday: Leaders will bring appropriate forms to each workday. Bob will call Billy Birney to indicate a final decision on Lower Chrome cedars will await completion of our strategic plan.
Point person for monitoring our strategic plan. Anna Hull: Locate room for our May 30 Board meeting. Report on a meeting/conference call with Anna and Jen Renhill on volunteer outreach, May 14. Anna will identify a meeting place at Lincoln to index the box archival material on May 19 in preparation for our May 28 meeting Will check to see if workday schedule is posted at Oxford Library Will report on John Dighton’s Mt. Cuba presentation. Point person for science, education and membership/outreach initiatives. David Ross: Follow up with Jay Gregg about Chester Co. planning for Nottingham Pk. Scan copies of the forms we have been using to the Dropbox folder. Bob, David and Anna will index the box on May 19 in preparation for our May 28 meeting Update volunteer contact form Point person for administrative initiatives. Kent Wagner: Prep work for June 6: Be in touch with Henry before he leaves town Leaders will bring appropriate forms to each workday Point person for recreational uses and trail planning initiatives. Henry Whitesel: Prep work for June 6: Henry will stop by church and provide Bob and Kent with contact information. Need to confirm availability of at least one more board member in addition to David and Kent to facilitate Deloitte teams) Round up extra loppers Workday leaders will tour sites before proceeding for evidence of active birds nests and green snakes. Leaders will bring appropriate forms to each workday Report on meeting with Joe Frasetta and Bob Deliver Brush Hog to Anna. Point person for our conservation/maintenance activities C) Agenda Items Considered 1. Approved Minutes from Board Meeting of 04/05/2014. 2. Approved today’s agenda. 3. Reviewed Action Items from 04/05/2014 Board Meeting Mike Bertram: Done How best to avoid damage to rare species during workdays. DCNR’s PA Heritage Areas Program used to screen serpentine areas for green snakes and active birds nests. The plant that is most likely to be endangered, yet most easily identified is fame flower. Mike has maps indicating cleared areas where fame flower has been seen in the past. Mike will add this information to the site tracker data base. Also see (C8) below on looking for long-hairy field chickweed (Cerastium arvense var. villosissimim) Workday leaders will tour sites before proceeding for evidence of active birds nests and green snakes. Point person for our history initiatives Bob Gray: Arrange to meet with Henry to go over how best to update site tracker data base following workdays. Will meet on Tuesday, May 20 Arrange for Ruth and Rose to complete PPFF disclosure forms. Done Notify Jane Dorchester that we wish to proceed with asking her to give a presentation on historic buildings in the area built with serpentine stone as well as a discussion of the historic use of serpentine as a building material. Contact Oxford Historical Association liaison Ken Woodward to propose session for sometime this fall after Mike’s October 21 lecture. Jane has agreed to reduce her usual fee to the OHA offer of $75. Ken will contact Bob in late May or June with a date in the first quarter of next year. Schedule a meeting/conference call with Anna and Jen Renhill on volunteer outreach. Proposed for 10 am on the 14th Continue exploring how best to revise our memo of understanding with PPFF to clarify the circumstances under which we need to obtain a liability insurance rider for an FSLSB-sponsored event. PPFF has decided to draft a policy for all Friends Groups. He will follow up with Marci. Follow up with Maryland Native Plant Society about September hike Done Point person for monitoring our strategic plan. Anna Hull: Ask Oxford Public Library to post our workday schedule. Still waiting for confirmation from library director. Contact (once the semester is over) John Dighton to check on need for a support letter from us for his grant application. Have emailed, no response. Anna plans to attend Dighton’s lecture at Mt. Cuba on the ecology of microenvironments. Arrange for repair of Brush Hog Point person for science, education and membership/outreach initiatives. David Ross: Set up Dropbox folder for Board documents. Done. Mike Waltz lacks access through is work internet accounts. Add master stakeholder file to Board documents folder. Done Follow up with Jay Gregg about Chester Co. planning for Nottingham Pk. Nagging Jay. Point person for administrative initiatives. Kent Wagner: Decide whether to propose a trail creation project at Lower Chrome for the season ahead. Point person for recreational uses and trail planning initiatives. Henry Whitesel: Work with Bob on strategies for entering workday updates into the site tracker database. Will meet on Tuesday, May 20 Explore Jay’s willingness to provide space for shared FSLSB equipment or trailer. Jay was enthusiastic about the idea. See (C6) below. Point person for our conservation/maintenance activities 5. Monthly reports from board member “Leads” as applicable: Good day with Philly insurance – emails on the details Deloitte (June 6) Need loppers— 10 and 4 loppers Henry will provide the church contact information to Bob Goat Hill – move to maintaining areas next to powerline New Texas – work on far eastern quarter Fame Flower Bob to do May 30, Kent is doing May 17 in Nottingham Staff at the Scout camp might be interested in supporting Burn activity b. Science (AH) Nothing to report beyond reaching out to John Dighton and contributions to strategic plan. Mike added some historic maps to the website Learned that there had been substantial red-clay potting activity in the area in the late 19th century; suspects one area where they dug clay may have been part of Upper Chrome. Thinking of offering November 1 or 8 for a mining hike in Nottingham Park. Coordinating with Vernon Ringler. d. Education (AH) Talking with library about resources e. Recreation / trails (KW) Nothing to report f. Membership / outreach (AH) Oxford First Friday is the wrong venue for connecting with folks interested in hiking and restoring barrens terrain. We’d likely have better success being present at gatherings of organizations that have similar missions. For example, the White Clay Creek Fest (early May) attracts lots of organizations with concerns similar to ours. David mentioned Octoraro Watershed Association annual meeting in April as another forum we might try.
g. Administration (DR) We need to clarify just what volunteer indemnification forms need to be collected at each workday and make sure our forms gather complete contact information. David will scan copies of the forms we have been using to the Dropbox folder. Leaders will bring appropriate forms to each workday.
h. Strategic Plan (BG) See (C12) below
6. TNC request for “shared” equipment acquisition cost and maintenance expense, and need for permanent storage location (possibly NCP). (HW) Henry to provide Jay with a rough estimate of space needs Bob to contact Marci to see what role PPFF should play in crafting an agreement with the Park, TNC and other stakeholders Bob and Henry to discuss with during meeting with Joe Frasetta . 7.Equipment - Brush hog repair. Brush hog needs a replacement belt. Henry will deliver to Anna with the hope that Chris can do the job for us. 8. Rare barrens species protection - Internal map of probable / known locations, expedition to locate “Very Hairy” Chickweed at Goat Hill. Bob will contact Rocky Gleason and Roger Latham to locate sites long-hairy field chickweed (Cerastium arvense var. villosissimim) has been found in the past. Mike will update site tracker to identify sites where fame flower has been located in the past. 9. Review status of Site Tracker Spreadsheet and updating process (BG, HW). Bob and Henry meeting May 20 10. PPFF – Marketing assistance regarding event promotion, social media, outreach, etc. Meeting/conference call with Anna and Jen Renhill on volunteer outreach, May 14. 11. Botanic Walks - Sunday’s walk and plans for summer and fall walks. Anna will schedule for early October 12. Master Plan status: discuss 4/8 conference call with TNC (PA, MD), Harris Steinberg (U. Penn Praxis) meeting on 4/ 18, proposed TNC meeting 5/28, etc. PA and MD TNC groups interested in jointly partnering with us on our Strategic Plan – Penn Landscape Architect Department exploring options Other possibilities There’s a newly formed foundation whose mission is conservation and restoration of ecosystems -- familiar with the barrens, might be interested – has the resources to do ecological restoration projects
Henry received a box of plans and photographs from Rocky Gleason from the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy. Includes photos from Penn Pilot and 1993 Nottingham Park planning document. Bob, David and Anna will index the box on May 19 in preparation for our May 28 meeting 13. Admin – Status of contact lists in electronic form: Board, stakeholders, volunteers; David will update volunteer database from workday reports. David will track down names Henry shared with Bob. 14. Discussion of Billy Birney harvesting cedars and hardwoods at Lower Chrome. Mike noted that Birney’s offer would be helpful if we decide to expand the grassland at lower chrome (3, 4, 5) – by first removing cedars. If we go this route, perhaps we might explore finding a forester who would pay us for the trees. Bob will call Billy Birney to indicate a final decision will await completion of our strategic plan. 15. Other business None 16. Adjourned, with thanks to Henry for hosting at 5:35.
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