Meeting+2014+Jan+9

//**WakeNature Preserves Partnership Meeting**//
Thursday 8:30-10 Location to be announced Department of Environment & Natural Resources 217 W. Jones Street Green Square Conference Room 4001 (aka Cardinal Room)

See October Meeting agenda for location details.

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 * Attendance Notes**
 * Blank has a class conflict during the spring semester and cannot attend until the May meeting.
 * Present: Snow (presiding), Pohlman, Hess (notes), Jeff Marcus (WRC for Brooke Massa), K. Smith, B. Kirkman


 * Introductions as needed**

// **Steering** // ** Committee ** (Scott Pohlman, chairman) GOAL: ** Increase momentum ** by growing active signatory membership.


 * Announcements**
 * John Connors is now on the Steering Committee. The vote was 7 FOR and 3 organizations did not vote.
 * Chris Snow is now Chairman and continuing for his second term on the Steering Committee.
 * Scott Pohlman is continuing for his second term on the Steering Committee.
 * There will be TWO vacant seats at the end of 2014.


 * Scott Pohlman will contact the NC Native Plant Society to see if they are interested in becoming a partner and to discuss what we might contribute to one another. The Native Plant Society is a non-profit organization, not a State affiliate.


 * Agenda**
 * Should we approach Apex & Cary as our first jurisdictions to reach out to - including Park Director and Park Manager
 * Apex is currently developing a Nature Park - can we work with them on management plan? (John Brown and ?)
 * Cary has Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve - this could help get us better known if we are linked with them (Doug McCrainey & Laura White)


 * NOTES**
 * Benson Kirkman announced the Parks for Life Symposium on 21 Feb, all day ( [] )
 * Should we approach the Friends of Hemlock Bluffs ? This is a different kind of group, but it could add to the diversity of WakeNature.
 * Kirkman - need more recognition
 * Discussion of how to respond to the "What's in it for me?" question from potential members
 * stewardship assistance
 * recognition
 * NC Museum of Natural Sciences status with respect to WakeNature
 * K Smith has been letting people in the museum know what WakeNature is doing
 * Museum wants to stay involved but there is a bit of staff turnover at the moment among the naturalists - waiting until stabilization in that area to appoint another naturalist as WakeNature representative

//**Promotion Committee**// (Kaytee Smith, chairwoman) GOAL: ** Tell the story ** of the highest quality natural areas in Wake County and the stewardship they have and need.


 * Agenda**
 * WakeNature outing at Robertsons Mill Pond in April?
 * We need to send out final brochure for edits so that I can get those printed for disbursement.
 * Since we couldn't hunt down our gmail password I just made a new gmail account, wakenaturepartnership@gmail.com that we can use for correspondence.
 * []
 * [] - I like this one because it integrates the animal silhouette like we use in our logo.
 * []
 * []
 * We now have a Twitter account! []


 * NOTES**
 * K Smith will shortly distribute a brochure for final edits and then have some glossy copies printed
 * We now have a twitter feed - tweet to @WakeNature @https://twitter.com/wakenature and a YouTube Channel - see above
 * We have a youtube channel! []
 * K Smith talked about doing some blogging to help get us noticed - is working with Connors on this - idea of WakeNatureNotes of some such
 * K Smith exploring google hangout as a way to bring people to workshops and meetings remotely
 * B Kirkman - Is now Chairman of Raleigh's Community Action Committees. They have a 1.5-hour televised (on Raleigh TV network) meeting each month. WakeNature could be invited to present at one of these meetings.
 * Twice-a-year WakeNature outings idea
 * Robertsons Mill Pond in April / May - do some basic inventory work - get some publicity
 * Would an all-day event be a good way to do this so we can get larger numbers of people out there? Open house style.
 * Separate scientific outing?

//**Inventory Committee**// (Scott Pohlman, chairman) GOAL: ** Places on the ground ** - designate publicly accessible WakeNature Preserves.


 * Agenda**
 * Should we do basic inventory of Robertsons Mill Pond and the Proctor Tract (Little River)? These are Wake County places that they are planning to open to the public as WakeNature Preserves - it would be good to have some detailed information as they are opened. This could be connected to the "Brain Dump" / "Gray Matters" meeting - at which we could ask people if they'd like to be involved and we bring them out there on a day to do some basic inventory work. This also connects with the WakeNature outing if we invite the right people?


 * NOTES**
 * Need to visit Apex Nature Park to see if it's WakeNature-worthy ( http://www.southwestwakenews.com/2014/01/06/3510706/construction-of-apex-nature-park.html ). We had a site visit there in 2008 (see report).
 * Pohlman will focus more on these activities now that he is no longer WakeNature Chairman

//**Capacity Committee**// (Gary Blank, chairman) GOAL: ** Bring resource managers together ** to carry out appropriate stewardship of the highest quality natural areas in Wake County.


 * Initiate planning for "Brain Dump" - this is a big deal and we really need to do it up and do it right!! "Gray Matters" - refers to brain and the graying of the participants??


 * NOTES**
 * K Smith booked Monday 19 May for the Gray Matters conference
 * Connors is driving this - not here today - Snow will talk to him next week when Connors returns

//**Other Business**//

 * NOTES**
 * Hess will clean up email list
 * Jeff Marcus - Aldo Leopold event at Yates Mill on Saturday 1 March 9A-4P. Greenfire film on 28 Feb - see @https://www.facebook.com/events/322363751238034/?ref=22 for film.
 * Leigh Ann Hammerbacher announced that she is leaving Triangle Land Conservancy and will be working on Upper Neuse River Clean Water Initiative with the City of Raleigh's Public Utilities Department effective 27 January. She will be their Water Conservation Specialist. TLC is working on a strategic plan and will complete it before rehiring. We need to keep in touch with TLC to get them to appoint a new WakeNature representative - Snow will make first contact.
 * Neal Wisenbaker from Raleigh Parks has been in contact with Pohlman about getting properties burned - this is a result of the WakeNature Open Lands workshop.