Attending:   Chris Hoess, Anna Hull, David Ross, Tracy Raymond, Henry Whitesel, Bill Whittaker in person; Molly Anderson, Bob Gray, Kent Wagner via phone 2:00pm at Lincoln University.

A) Key Dates

1.      Our next board meeting is scheduled for

Friday, December 11, 5:00-7:00 at Lincoln University, Room 235, 2-4

 Conference Dial-in Number: (716) 748-0224 (potential toll call)

 Host Access Code: 445962*

 Participant Access Code: 445962#

2.  Hikes, Talks and Other Commitments

Friday, November 6, Membership Banquet at Oxford Presbyterian Church, 6:00pm

            Lecture 7:30

Thursday, Nov. 12, TNC Conservancy Conversation, 5:00-7:30 in West Chester

Sunday, Nov. 15, Serps Stewardship Day at Lower Chrome – Molly leads

Sunday, Nov. 22, follow up Stewardship Day at Goat Hill, 1:00  -- Kent leads

B) Action Items Going Forward

Molly Anderson

Sunday, Nov. 15, Serps Stewardship Day at Lower Chrome – Molly leads

Negotiate with Bob Foulk about mowing Lower Chrome grasslands in lieu of leasing fees. Will arrange to show Bob what we have in mind.

Mike Bertram:

Point person for our history initiatives

 

Bob Gray:

            Nov. 6, introduce Chief Coker

Deferred from August: Looking for an opportunity to consult with Ray and Joe about how to approach Webster family for trail easement at Goat Hill.

Point person for strategic planning initiatives.

 

Chris Hoess:

RSVP for Nov. 12 TNC event.

 

Will follow up with Carol Loefler about remaining glade spurge cage assembly.

 

Will email Kelly Sitch to check in on status/timing of tree project at Goat Hill.

 

Will schedule a trip to search for serpentine chickweed at Pilot next spring.

Will lead end of July 2016 walk; Board will incorporate as part of our Spring/Summer 2016 schedule

Anna Hull:

           

Nov. 6 MC

            Primary contact for WCU student GIS project at Goat Hill.

            Will take another look at potential funding over Christmas break.

Point person for science and education initiatives.

 

Tracy Raymond

November 6 dinner:

Give Ila final meal count on November 4.

 

Clarify tax-deductibility of fees paid.

 

Will contact Ruth Ann/Chief Coker:

Confirm honorarium of   $100

Obtain bio for introduction (send to Bob)

Opportunity for Chief to learn more about Barrens.

AV needs.

 

Will circulate draft inscription for Rose Chase award

 

Will provide name tags – separate color  for Board members.

 

            Welcome table for arriving guests.

 

RSVP for Nov. 12 TNC event.

 

Schedule meeting with Mike Bertram to discuss the Web site

 

Will track down additional information about Evergreen Foundation.

Deferred from August:  Will pull together reimbursement request for printing costs

 

Deferred from August:  Will update our volunteer contact spreadsheet (split out workday volunteers from folks receiving general interest emails) and ensure that Stewardship Day leaders get updated email lists

            Point person for membership and outreach initiatives.

David Ross:

 

Send Molly email list for November 15.

 

Will follow up with scouts about trail to site 19.

 

Henry and David review Goat Hill mowing needs with Jim Herr.

 

Henry and/or David will examine security options for the shed.

 

Will follow up with West Chester faculty about the feasibility of creating a GIS server to collect our data and coming up with a consistent coding system for Nottingham County Park.

 

Will remind Board members to review the deferred actions list

Point person for administrative initiatives.

Kent Wagner:

 

Kent will lead follow up visit to Goat hill, Sunday, November 22 at 1:00; with abbreviated invitation list.

 

Point person for recreational uses and trail planning initiatives.

Henry Whitesel:

 

November 6 dinner:

            Help Tracy collect $

            Work with Mike Bertram on Rose Chase presentation

            Pick up globe for Rose Chase award; can inscription be added?

 

Will seek to track down just who (and where) is regularly mowing at upper and lower Chrome

Wilson King

Bobbie Riesler

Who owns the horse track?

Other?

Henry and David review Goat Hill mowing needs with Jim Herr.

            Henry and/or David will examine security options for the shed.

 

Point person for conservation/maintenance planning

 

C) Agenda Items Considered

 

1. Approved Minutes from Board Meeting of 10/06/2015, noting that Tracy participated in the meeting.

2. Approved agenda.

3. October board meeting date, time and location.

December 11, 5pm at Lincoln University, Room 235, 5-7

 

4.Remaining Events for 2015:

            a. Friday, November 6:

  - Annual Meeting and Elections – 5:00 PM

            Postponed to December 11

 - Membership Banquet at Oxford Presbyterian Church, 6:00 PM

RSVP’s:  47ish for the dinner – and 1 for the program

Paid for 50; have the ability to up the meal count to 60 with notice to Ila Barlow by COB Wednesday.

We are all encouraged to make one last outreach effort.

Tracy and Henry will staff the welcome table, collecting the money.

Checks made out to PPFF with FSLSB on memo line might be $5

Tracy to clarify with PPFF tax deductibility of fees paid.

Tracy will contact Ruth Ann/Chief Coker:

Confirm honorarium of   $100

Obtain bio for introduction

Opportunity for Chief to learn more about Barrens.

AV needs

Tracy will provide name tags – separate color for Board members.

-Lecture 7:30 PM

            Henry and Chris will work with Ila to ensure adequate projection is available.

            Anna will be the MC, invitation to gather a cookie and beverage as we get started

Welcome

Introduce Chris

Introduce Mike/Henry for the award to Rose

Bob introduces Chief Coker

            Rose Chase presentation

Henry will pick up carving

Tracy to circulate draft inscription

b. Nature Conservancy Reception, November 12 in West Chester

Chris, Tracy and possibly Bob will RSVP and attend

c. Sunday, Nov. 15  Stewardship Day at Lower Chrome – Molly leads

Molly will pick up the equipment. Work on the area we did with the Deloitte

David will send the current email list.

5. TNC meeting with Chrome landowners on Sunday afternoon, Nov.  15, Elk Township

We agreed a meeting at this time was not needed.

Molly will proceed to negotiate with Bob Foulk about mowing Lower Chrome grasslands in lieue of leasing fees. Will arrange to show Bob what we have in mind.

Henry will seek to track down just who (and where) is regularly mowing at upper and lower Chrome

Wilson King

Bobbie Riesler

Who owns the horse track?

Then we need to approach people individually to discuss how we might continue to meet their needs/interests while promoting better buffering of the waterways.

6.  Oxford Area Foundation grant submission update.

OAF declined to to fund out project – not within the foundation’s giving focus at this time.

Thanks to Anna for spearheading our application.  Anna will seek additional guidance: Is it worth applying to OAF next year

Tracy will track down additional information about Evergreen Foundation.

Dockstadter Foundation still looks like a good match (possibly applying through TNC), but want to make sure PPFF is comfortable

Anna will take another look at potential funding over Christmas break.

7. Review October events, workdays

Friday, Oct. 9, Serps Stewardship Day at Goat Hill  -- Kent

Carol (and crew) ran out of wire for the glade spurge project.  Chris is in touch with Carol about scheduling a follow up work day.

We agreed to schedule up a follow up Stewardship Day for Sunday, November 22 at 1pm to finish removing the cut trees from site 17 (and continue tree wrenching on site 89).

Anna email Carol to update her on our plans.

8. Storage of BOF equipment in TNC barn. 

We were not prepared to receive the ATV BoF brought with them for storage.  Kent wasn’t briefed to expect the delivery. The liability, insurance issues had been resolved; but some of us had concerns about security and the condition of the shed floor.

Henry and/or David will examine security options for the shed. Molly has offered to bring combo locks on November 15.

We agreed that we shouldn’t allow the details of the BoF ATV to cause us to lose sight of a bigger picture conversation about our equipment/storage needs and options.

9.  Other business

a) Filling volunteer positions

Tracy has drafted ads for outreach volunteers and maintenance coordinator

Hopes to meet with Mike before Christmas to discuss Web site updates (including volunteer needs)

b) Jim Herr mowing at Goat Hill

Henry and/or David will review mowing options with Jim Herr.  Attractive targets are 89/100 and the boundaries of the scraped areas on TNC land going in from Red Pump.  Desire to schedule mowing for early spring. Some preparatory work needed to protect Jim’s equipment from stumps and stones.

c) WCU students at Goat Hill

Anna hosted students at Goat Hill on Thursday. Tentative plan is to focus on how the boundaries have changed for areas 86 and 8 since the 1930s.

David will follow up with West Chester faculty about the feasibility of creating a GIS server to collect our data and coming up with a consistent coding system for Nottingham County Park.

d) Goat Hill TNC property

Doug and Sasha Walsh have sold the farm at 597 Lees Bridge Road to (Kendra) Brooks VonNieda and Mark VonNieda, who would like to continue leasing from TNC the field just behind Henry’s house for hay and pasture. Molly plans to meet with Brooks after the workday on the 15^th at 2:00 p.m. to discuss the terms of that lease.    

e) From out deferred action list

Chris has taken on scheduling a trip to search for serpentine chickweed at Pilot next spring.

Chris will email Kelly Sitch to check in on status/timing of tree project at Goat Hill.

10. Adjourned at 4:24 with thanks to Anna for hosting.