Attending: Chris Hoess, Anna Hull, Tracy Raymond, David Ross, Henry Whitesel in person; Molly Anderson, Kent Wagner via phone at 5pm at Lincoln University.

A) Key Dates

1. Our next board meeting is scheduled for

Friday, August 19, 5:00-7:00 at Lincoln University, Room 235 Conference Dial-in number: (716) 748-0224 (potential toll call) Host Access Code: 445962* Participant Access Code: 445962#

2. Hikes, Talks, Work Days and Other Commitments

July 23, Strategic Planning Retreat – Henry’s house, 10-2
July 24 Harley Davidson Renew the Ride event at Goat Hill, 11:15
August 5, Oxford First Friday tabling
August 13 (tentative), Moths and Birds at Dusk -- Tracy & Chris
August 20, Flower Hike (location TBD, limited promotion) -- Chris
September 2, Oxford First Friday tabling
September 10, Hike (TBD) -- Tracy
Friday, September 16, Goat Hill – Chris and Kent
Thursday, September 22, Senior Expo tabling -- Tracy
Saturday, October 1, NCP – David
October 7, Oxford First Friday
October 8, Fall Migrations Hike (TBD)
Sunday, October 23, New Texas – Henry
November 12, PPFF Retreat
Sunday, November 13, Chrome – Molly
Sunday, December 4, Goat Hill -- Anna

B) Action Items Going Forward

Agenda Items Tabled to August
NCP Shed Project
Website
September hike theme

Common Action Items

Continue preparation for July 23 strategic planning gathering. Reflect on mission statement; reflect on goals

Molly Anderson

Workday leader for Sunday, November 13, Chrome
Likely focus on stumps and painting invasives in Upper’s NE clearing

Mike Bertram:

Point person for our history initiatives and web master

Bob Gray:

Post June 25 Lower Chrome workday report

Point person for strategic planning initiatives.

Chris Hoess:

Will rewrite the goals document to reflect the discussion in preparation for the planning retreat.

Will share kiosk Eagle Scout project description with contact from Chester County Scouting Council for feedback on what would be a feasible

Workday leader (with Kent) for Friday, September 16, Goat Hill

Will work with Tracy to maintain contact database.

Anna Hull:

Will ask Chris Hull if he is interested in joining Tracy and Henry for for July 24 Harley Davidson Renew the Ride event at Goat Hill, 11:15

Will circulate a signup list to identify what side dishes others will bring and confirm attendance.

Will respond positively to Rachel Spigler’s request that FSLSB support her grant application with potential for citizen science engagement (i.e., volunteers to count plant populations)

Will send condolence letter to Kruckeberg descendants one she has log for letterhead.

Will monitor potential PPFF sawyer training certification requirement.

Workday leader for Sunday, December 4, Goat Hill

Point person for science and education initiatives.

Tracy Raymond

Will send Anna copy of banner/logo for creation of FSLSB letterhead.

Will deliver flowers to Bill Kent’s wife.

Will confirm date of Annual Banquet

Will complete base for Rose Chase award

Will promote August 13 evening Moth event

Will post Photo Hike activities report to Dropbox

Point person for membership and outreach initiatives.

David Ross:

Follow up with Gary Coutu about GIS progress and report in August

Workday leader for Saturday, October 1, NCP – David In conjunction with West Nottingham Country Fair Day; tabling to raise visibility, encouraging visitors to see our worksite

Follow up with Lower Chrome stream restoration (August)

Point person for administrative initiatives.

Kent Wagner:

Workday leader (with Chris) for Friday, September 16, Goat Hill

Point person for recreational uses and trail planning initiatives.

Henry Whitesel:

Will forward brief description of kiosk Eagle Scout project to Chris

Join Tracy for July 24 Harley Davidson Renew the Ride event at Goat Hill, 11:15

Workday leader for Sunday, October 23, New Texas

Point person for conservation/maintenance planning

C) Agenda Items Considered

Welcome, Meeting Minutes and Agenda

Approved minutes of June Board meeting.

Approved agenda as distributed.

Next Meeting Date

Friday, August 19, 5:00-7:00 at Lincoln University, Room 235

Strategic Planning

• Goals

We appreciated Anna’s organizing the various suggested goals submitted into 5 categories. We discussed the first 3 at some length, touched on the last two.

Chris will rewrite the document to reflect the discussion in preparation for the planning retreat. This will be the basis for our reflections in preparation for the retreat.

The footer to the document contains our current mission statement. A suggested revision appears as the first entry in the document. The concern is that we lack language that comes readily to the tongue when we are asked to explain who we are and what we do. Our hope is that that language will emerge as we reach consensus on goals and objectives.

• Process: food, facilitator etc.

Food: Accepted Henry’s offer to grill burgers. Anna to circulate a signup list to identify what side dishes others will bring.

We lack an outside facilitator for the planning exercise.

We shared a number of ideas for how to frame the retreat, including
o Remembering key individuals who have contributed to the legacy of the organization
o Visualizing where we want to be without regard to constraints (articulating our dreams)

Fall Schedule
• Workday Schedule and Volunteers (Anna)

We noted that Henry will be away 8/28-10/11 to explore a likely relocation (over the next year or so) to Denver.

Anna updated the Activities spreadsheet in Dropbox to reflect both our planned workdays and outreach activities.

Friday, September 16, Goat Hill – Chris and Kent

Saturday, October 1, NCP – David
In conjunction with West Nottingham Country Fair Day; tabling to raise visibility, encouraging visitors to see our worksite

Sunday, October 23, New Texas – Henry

Sunday, November 13, Chrome – Molly
Likely focus on stumps and painting invasives in Upper’s NE clearing

Sunday, December 4, Goat Hill -- Anna

• Website

Mike Bertram is looking forward to turning responsibility for Website over to someone else who is more directly involved in the planning of our outreach activities

Tracy indicated that the bulk of the work here is in the initial setup of a newly organized site. Others expressed concern that we not over tax our “Outreach Committee,” which now largely consists of Tracy.

Tabled to August.

• Chainsaw training

PPFF anticipates a requirement going forward that any sawyers on workdays will have to have completed training (details forthcoming)

Events and Stewardship Days – past and future

• Mowing update

We regret that the mowing anticipated for sites at Upper and Lower Chrome did not take place this spring. Steps are in place to ensure that this happens in spring 2017.

Substantial progress toward our Lower Chrome mowing target was accomplished by the two Billy Goats during June 25 work day.

• Stewardship Days Update (Chrome - Bob)

Need Bob to file work day report. Anna has scanned waivers to Dropbox.

• Photography Hike update

Two well-matched hike leaders. Well received by participants with good response to posted photographs on Facebook.

We are reminded of the need to urge participants in our events to prepare for the conditions they are likely to encounter in the Barrens.

Tracy to provide a written Activities Day report for reference and our annual PPFF report.

• Evening/Night event, GH - August 13th

Tracy finalizing details and plans to have flyer ready to go by midweek

• Flower hike, GH/NCP – July (Chris leads date TBD – 8/20?)

Chris plans to go ahead with Fame Flower hike, Saturday August 30 at Goat Hill, 2-3:30 promoted to interested individuals, i.e., not using our usual outreach mechanisms

• Harley Davidson TNC event

Renew the Ride has been rescheduled to July 24 at Goat Hill at 11:15

Henry, Tracy (and possibly Chris Hull) will represent FSLSB.

The event was the occasion for Tracy sending out our first media alert after clearing this with TNC and local Hannum’s Harley Davidson

• Annual Banquet update – date, speakers, food, award (Tracy)

Topic: invasive plants and native alternatives

DCNR Botanist Kelly Sitch has agreed to speak to the former and is will to tackle the latter if we don’t line up another speaker.

Tracy will confirm this week whether we will go with October 21 or 28 (both work for Kelly)

We’ll charge $20 with $15/person going to Oxford Presbyterian Church, for which we get ham, mac and cheese, vegetable, salad, cake and cookies; plus sexton clean up and table cloths

We’ve identified our next two award recipients.

The wooden burl that forms the core of the award will once again be donated this year, but Tracy raised concerns about future costs.

• Rose Chase award

Randy Teel will do the plaque for free. Have authorized Tracy to acquire the base for up to $50

• Flowers for Bill Kent’s wife

Tracy will complete this week.

• Other Outreach Events

Theme for September hike – tabled to August

Anna will forward invitation for September 22 Senior Expo to Tracy, who will respond.

October hike theme will be Fall Migration

Tracy reminds us that she generally has short windows to pull together details for our outreach events. She needs responses to her requests for information/suggestions to come more rapidly.

• PPFF retreat Nov. 12, French Creek State Park (Anna)

Anna asked us to mark our calendars; good to have several of us attend

Education and Outreach

• Rachel Spigler request

Anna will respond positively to Rachel’s request that FSLSB support her grant application with potential for citizen science engagement (i.e., volunteers to count plant populations)

• Letter to Kruckeberg descendants (letterhead) (Chris, Anna)

Tracy will forward logo to Anna to crate letterhead; Anna will send off condolences letter.

• West Chester (David)

Tabled to August

• Eagle Scout partners

We reminded Henry and Chris of the next steps in moving this forward.

Past Action Items (not covered elsewhere) • Database update (Chris, Tracy)

Tabled

• NCP shed (Anna) Tabled

Other Business

Chris shared information about Pennsylvania Prescribed Fire Council -- potential resources for prescribed burns; most of the Friends group for Soldiers Delight has fire training. Henry reminded us that TNC has an active training program for volunteers.

Chrome trails maps have been printed and paid for; Tracy to drop off receipt with Elk Township for their records

We agreed to hold off on printing additional Rose Trail maps to see if we can hold off until 2017, when BoF funds should cover the next printing.

We agreed that any one of us is free to take advantage of opportunities to schedule a workday as weather and other conditions permit. The key proviso is that at least three participants are needed to move forward with the day.

Adjournment

Adjourned at 6:57 with thanks to Anna for snacks, location and accurately paced out agenda.