Meeting+2016+Feb+4

//**WakeNature Preserves Partnership Meeting**//
Thursday 8:30-10 Location: Lake Crabtree County Park, 1400 Aviation Parkway, Morrisville - Meeting is in the Park Office. After turning into park, the park office is the second driveway on the left. You will turn right here to park across from the office, because parking is limited directly in front of office.

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 * Attendance Notes**

Attending: Shouse (presiding), Jeffries, Hammerbacher, Lobsinger, Fowler, Trickel, Obermiller (TLC), Massa, Blank, Hess (notes), Connors


 * Annotated Agenda Items**

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

>> __ Commencement/Expiration Date: __ The instrument is executed on the date of the inaugural signing of the MOU (May 5, 2010) and is effective through 5 years at which time it will expire unless extended. >> __ Commencement/Expiration Date: __ The instrument is executed on the date of signing and is effective for 5 years at which time it will expire or renew as specified on the signature page. >>
 * Discuss inviting potential partners strategically for each of our upcoming meetings. For example, in March we are at Hemlock Bluffs in Cary so we are close to Apex, Morrisville, Holly Springs, Fuquay-Varina, Cary,
 * Review MoU checkbox language for opt-out opt-in [Hess]
 * __ Current Language: __
 * __ Proposed Language: __
 * Signature Page Options: Please select one ...
 * Five years from the date of signing, this agreement will expire unless extended in writing by both parties.
 * Five years from the date of signing, this agreement will renew automatically unless terminated in writing by either party.

>> >>
 * NOTES**
 * MOU language
 * Hess reviewed; motion made to accept new language
 * For: Wake, NCSU, WRC, TLC, Raleigh, Audubon - carries - we will use this new language (6/10) [ None against at meeting ]
 * Inviting potential partners
 * Trickel will reach out to Bass Lake (Holly Springs); Shouse will do Apex; Fowler will check for Morrisville and Fuquay-Varina; Friends of Hemlock Bluffs

//**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.


 * Kaytee Smith will still be chairwoman of the Promotion Committee
 * Review and refine spring calendar
 * Prairie Ridge event 20 Feb - Twilight on the Prairie
 * WakeWonder event at Hemlock 19 March - piggyback with adult botany class
 * TLC Swift Creek April
 * other
 * How to advertise these events
 * Need an actual committee - right now Kaytee is a one-woman show
 * WakeWonder public outreach
 * Should we have an Instagram account?


 * NOTES**
 * Smith will remain chairwoman; Jeffries and Hess on committee


 * Calendar of WakeWonder events
 * Each event has to include some information about WakeNature and why the site is a WakeWonder
 * Prairie Ridge 20 Feb - Twilight on the Prairie 16:30-18:30.
 * Connors and Goforth are doing the program.
 * Joint WakeNature - NC Museum program. Connors will work with Smith on advertising.
 * Hemlock 19 March - 2-4P Adult botany class being advertised through carry.
 * We can piggyback by having an event afterwards, or we can perhaps advertise to our people to come during his event. Connors will ask Braswell if he wants to do this. Mark Johns wants limit to 15-20. Kaytee has process for accepting registration - is that OK with Mark?
 * Maybe we should simply invite the Friends group. Fowler will follow up.
 * TLC Swift Creek April 2 2-4P Mike Shafale - spring ephemerals, working in floodplains, etc - 15-20 registration limit
 * Longleaf 21 May. 11A-3P. Gary Perlmutter will do lichen hikes along peninsula trail
 * Blank will man WakeNature table.
 * County does wagon rides every 30 min into the longleaf area with interpretation.
 * Might also be some hikes scheduled into longleaf, with registration.
 * Brian Avery (Angier) will do a naval store exhibit - including re-enactment. Google "tar pitch and turpentine" for Youtube videos.
 * Wake County will handle registration.

>
 * Lobsinger - what else is there in Cary (beside Hemlock) that we are interested in from a nature perspective?
 * Greenway system, White Oak out to Jordan, Swift Creek Greenway to Wheeler
 * Native plant society doing a lot of work in Cary

//**Inventory Committee**// (John Connors, chairman) GOAL: ** Places on the ground ** - designate publicly accessible WakeNature Preserves.
 * TLC on Walnut Hill bioblitz (May-ish) and potential WakeNature preserve status


 * NOTES**


 * TLC is supportive of Walnut Hill bioblitz so long as WNPP will help with organization
 * They are in process of developing management plan
 * Open fields (130ac) in Conservation Reserve Program - where are the native plants?
 * NHP sites
 * Ephemeral pools with sphagnum moss and possible 4toed salamanders
 * Want resource professionals and education & outreach people around
 * Connors - alternative - over the next 2 months, we'd like to have various focused inventories but spread out rather than all on the same day
 * Hammerbacher - does want some public engagement
 * Hess -what about not calling it a bioblitz and just ask the people we need to come out on that day to collect data
 * 2nd-3rd week of May
 * Connors and Hammerbacher will talk about this

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


 * Training sessions - which ONE do we want to do
 * Hemlock Bluffs might be a good one - visitor management - fall
 * Robertson - beaver management - maybe March; Massa will follow up in WRC [ too soon? ]
 * Prairie Ridge or Harris - prescribed burns - maybe Harris can do a small demo - need to do during week - Fowler will follow up with Harris; Connors with Prairie Ridge - maybe May [ conflict with bioblitz ]
 * Swift Creek possibly for invasive plants [ fall could work ]
 * other options?


 * NOTES**
 * Postponing discussion of workshops to next meeting
 * Training session needs to be in fall because we are already overcommitted for spring

//**Other Business**//

 * NOTES**
 * Turnipseed Wed 24 Feb workday to remove privet - time TBD (Fowler)
 * Massa asked about beaver management workshop - WNPP would favor a fall time