Participating by phone: Chris Hoess, Tracy Raymond, David
Ross, Kent Wagner, Henry Whitesel at 8:20pm.
Secretary’s Note: For
a first time reading, I suggest you skip ahead to section C for a record of the
Meeting, then use the Key Dates (A) and Action Items (B) for reference going
forward.
Prior to the meeting, Anna Hull emailed the Board that she
was resigning her Board positions to cope with acute family challenges. Vice Chair Chris Hoess called for this
conference call in lieu of the scheduled September 18 meeting, previously
canceled by email.
A) Key Dates
1. Our next board meeting
TBD
Saturday, October 15, 9am – calendar hold for
possible conference call
2. Hikes, Talks, Work Days and Other Commitments
Thursday,
September 22, Senior Expo tabling -- Tracy
Saturday, October 1, NCP – David
Saturday, October 1, NCP- Country Fair -- Tracy
October 7, Oxford First Friday
October 9, Fall Migrations Hike, NCP
Friday, October 21, Fall Banquet, OPC
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
All
Consult the Annual Banquet invitation list. Add your name to
any contact you feel led to approach. Spread the invitation poster to
appropriate public locales or relay suggestions to Tracy.
Tabled Agenda Items
Continuing the strategic planning exercise – convert
objectives to action items
Post-October 15 commitments
Website
Arrange transfer of BoF Gator to TNC shed
Allocate Anna Hull action items
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:
Post September 16 Goat Hill workday
report (done 9/22)
Will work with Bill to evaluate back-end
functionality of proposed web site hosting services.
Will work to propose specific
Goal 2 action items/time line for review going forward.
Will work with Tracy to propose specific Goal 3 action items/time line for
review going forward
Will share kiosk Eagle Scout project
description with contact from Chester County Scouting Council for feedback on
what would be a feasible
Will work with
Tracy to maintain contact database.
Will continue
gathering information related to a potential bid for international serpentine
conference, including reaching out to Wayne Tyndall and Roger Latham.
Point person
for science and education initiatives.
Anna Hull:
Tasks
need to be allocated to other Board members:
Will work with Chris to propose specific Goal 2 action items/time line for
review in September or October
Will email Marci and
Molly for suggestions about how we might best tap into PPFF and TNC wisdom in
area of sustaining volunteer, supporter and Board communities.
Keep PPFF retreat
Nov. 12, French Creek State Park on our agenda
Will monitor potential PPFF sawyer training
certification requirement.
Will keep NCP shed project on her to do list
Workday leader for Sunday, December
4, Goat Hill
Need to develop a plan
Tracy Raymond
Will email website information to
Chris.
Will check with Carey
Bresler about scheduling a lecture by John Coberly – in lieu of a hike
October 1, NCP – Country Fair tabling
to raise visibility, encouraging visitors to see our worksite (coordinating
with David)
October fall
migration hike shifted to NCP on October 9th
November event on
constructing and interpreting mandala sometime in November (not 12th)
Will write up and
post to Dropbox event reports in reverse order starting with the August 13
event.
Will work with Chris to propose specific Goal 3 action items/time line for
review in September or October
Will circulate her
ideas for how to reorganize the draft objectives for Goals 4 and 5.
Point
person for membership and outreach initiatives.
Acting
Treasurer through end of 2016.
David Ross:
Workday leader for Saturday,
October 1, NCP – David
Will confirm feasible location with Jay
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
Follow up with
Gary Coutu about GIS progress
Point person
for administrative initiatives.
Kent Wagner:
Point person
for recreational uses and trail planning initiatives.
Henry Whitesel:
Workday leader for Sunday,
October 23, New Texas
Point person
for conservation/maintenance planning
C) Agenda Items Considered
Welcome, Meeting Minutes and Agenda
We
received Anna’s resignation with regret and full support for Anna as she
addresses the concerns facing her family.
Approved
the minutes of our August Board meeting.
We
approved the circulated agenda as amended to postpone items that could be
addressed at a future Board meeting.
October Meeting Date
The
timing of our next Board meeting may depend on the schedules of potential
invitees and pressing obligations. In
the meantime, we have agreed to protect 9am on October 15 for a potential
telephone conference call.
Henry
and David have both expressed a willingness to host future Board meetings.
Events and Stewardship Days
·
Banquet
invitations and planning (Tracy)
Friday, October 21 at Oxford
Presbyterian Church
We reviewed the invitation
list Tracy has circulated and, pointedly, the allocation of outreach
responsibilities to individual Board members. We are encouraged to update the list as we reach individuals or identify
additional individuals; and add to the attendance count as we get positive
responses.
The economics of the Banquet
depends on us reaching 60 paying attenders. Donations welcome.
Tracy has circulated an
attractive invitation we can use in our outreach efforts.
Tracy is preparing a slide
show for the dinner portion.
All other aspects of the
dinner are under control.
·
Plant sale
Since our last meeting,
Harold Sweetman has offered us the opportunity to make a rich assortment of
native plants available for purchase and pickup at the Nottingham Community
Fair or Oxford First Friday.
We approved the plan and
authorized Tracy to use our email list to spread word of the opportunity –
perhaps editing the message to emphasize this as an opportunity to acquire
native plants, since the banquet invitation already included a request for
donations.
Board members are encouraged
to spread the word as well.
·
NCP Fair and
Stewardship Day, October 1
Jennifer Pavao will assist
Tracy at our table, releasing Bill to participate in our work day.
David is coordinating workday
plans with Jay Gregg and will take responsibility for having supplies from Goat
Hill shed available and topped off.
We agreed that we need to
develop an SOP for handling ensuring that fuels are topped off before work
days.
·
October 9, Fall
Migration Hike
Under control. 8-10 at NCP
·
September 16,
Goat Hill Stewardship Day
We had a bumper crop of
volunteers including the Pavao family and 6 TNC volunteers from NA Brewing.
Chris will complete the
workday report. Here’s a first draft:
We cleared most of the north end of grassland #86 of
greenbrier and opened much of grasslands #87 & 93, which was originally
opened in 2008 and has probably not been maintained since. We also cleared all
the redcedar and some of the greenbrier from a grassland along the Rose Trail
(towards the west end of #21). The new equipment was very helpful, although we
were somewhat concerned about the volunteer group's use of power tools. There
is still some cut greenbrier in the grassland, which Tracy and Bill might rake
out if they have time. If we get a Gator in the future, we could fit it with an
impact rake to speed up cut brush removal (which would reduce the amount of
nutrients added to the grassland).
A larger number of
volunteers, even varying in skill and actual time on task, can accomplish a
lot.
We did discuss the need to
ensure that prospective volunteers are fully informed about what to expect from
conditions in the field and what we expect from them.
Kent reminded us that the TNC
Goat Hill shed is now ready to receive the Gator BoF has offered to store
there.
Education and Outreach
·
Senior Expo,
September 22, 10:00-1:00
Tracy and Bill are will host
our table.
·
Oxford First
Friday, October 7
Tracy
would welcome volunteers to join her for all or part of the shift – 5-8.
Filling Chair role
Anna
Hull’s resignation communication:
Recent and ongoing family emergency events have made
me realize that my time and energy need to be focused on my family. Therefore,
I have decided to withdraw my involvement in all organizations that are not
directly related to my children's activities.
This is a difficulty decision for me and is in no
way a reflection of my dedication to supporting the sustainability of the local
serpentine barrens, but rather a reflection of my commitment to my children and
my need to prioritize spending time with my children above volunteer
organizations. I know that the barrens will survive without me, but my children
may not.
I will continue to help out as much as I can, but I
can no longer serve on the board. I am not going anywhere so I hope that you
will continue to include me in communication about events and activities. I am
working on pulling together a group of students that want to attend the Annual
Banquet in October.
The
Board has asked Chris as vice chair to act in Anna’s place until the end of the
current calendar year, allowing us to use the process outlined in the PPFF
bylaws to fill vacant officer positions. Chris indicated he would think this over, in light of his other
responsibilities, but would continue to chair in the interim.
During
this period, Chris will take on Anna’s responsibilities for coordinating with
outside researchers (science contact person). Tracy agreed to serve as acting
treasurer.
John
Coberly has been invited to join the Board. Several other names have been discussed as potential additions to the Board.
We will explore opportunities to include them in future meetings.
Other Business, Adjournment
No other business came before the Board
We adjourned the
conference call at 9:14