Meeting+2015+Jul+9

//**WakeNature Preserves Partnership Meeting**//
Thursday 8:30-10 Department of Environment & Natural Resources, Green Square Building, 217 W Jones Street, Cardinal Conference Room 4001 [ Upstairs from where we met in May & June ]
 * Note that this is the Second Thursday of the month, to avoid the July 4th holiday week **

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 * Attendance Notes**

Connors (presiding), Snow, Hess (notes), Rutledge, Pohlman


 * Annotated Agenda Items**


 * Introductions as needed**

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


 * Memorandum of Understanding**
 * Language crafted (see prior meeting)
 * Review draft of renewal memo (Shouse) [[file:WNPPRenewalTextDraft.2015.06.pdf]]


 * NOTES**
 * Send letter out right after Thanksgiving asking people to begin the renewal process.

//**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.

>
 * WakeWonders [ also Inventory Committee ]**
 * Inventory committee met 23 June - meeting summary (Salter)
 * Candidate sites - "low hanging fruit" for "immediate" designation
 * Timing of roll-out - all at once vs staged
 * Marketing - we need help with this. Can TLC / Wake / Raleigh do some kind of joint marketing effort? NCSU class? Coordinate with opening of Robertson's Mill Pond, assuming that can be approved as a WakeNature Preserve in time [this fall]?
 * From David Shouse: RE: marketing for the Passport, here’s the big picture of doing a city-wide campaign right. Budget of $8-10K, supported by three FT staff, one of which lived the project since late April. $$ included professional design, printing of all materials (already out of 2K passports, ordering 3K more right now). Another point made: the campaign is supported by several PT “ambassadors” that visit sites and tweet for special bling, several opps for prizes sponsored by REI and Dick’s Sporting goods, and most importantly, the buy-in and support of around 100 facility management staff who are stamping passports at the 10 target sites.
 * WakeWonder workspace
 * Concept website: @http://go.ncsu.edu/WakeWonders (Hess)
 * Here is an example document describing the potential Hidden Rocks WakeNatural Wonder at Annie Louise Wilkerson, MD Nature Preserve Park ...


 * NOTES**
 * Trying to come up with process for identifying and clear statement of what we are trying to do
 * Like the idea of QR codes, especially in places that are not staffed
 * Think about inclusiveness for partners in the organization (TLC, Wake, Raleigh, etc)
 * How would we handle a place like Temple Flat Rock, which is not open?
 * one approach would be to do tours as a reward for seeing a certain number of WakeWonders
 * another would be to have limited tours - scheduled outings that are linked to the website
 * incorporate into bus tour as one of the places to visit
 * Possible - Swift Creek Bluffs, Wilkerson, Anderson (meadows; confluence of Neuse and Crabtree, 2 most important waterways in Wake County), Harris (longleaf), Robertson, Hemlock Bluffs, Prairie Ridge
 * Use the criteria to build the common website information for each WakeWonder
 * Roll out
 * With dedication of Robertson? Say this is one of the first WakeWonders ... Shortly after Robertson dedication another event / outing at one of the other wonders
 * Cross-link websites
 * Pick one, have a reporter come out, tell the story of WNPP and WakeWonders - Wilkerson - good parking, new, etc [ check with Melissa & David ]; Swift Creek - park at Crowder and van in [ TLC is in ]
 * We need a WakeWonder sign similar to our WNPP sign
 * Commit to presence at Robertson Millpond opening; 2-3 weeks later do another one at a WakeWonder (guided hike)
 * Have a look at TLC hiking tour as an example of publicity

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

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


 * Fall Workdays**
 * Milkweed at Wilkerson, Horseshoe, N. Wake Landfill
 * Can we do this and the WakeWonders work at the same time?


 * NOTES**
 * Wait until October cool-down and plant root stock. This means we won't have to water them.
 * Turnipseed, Wilkerson, Horseshoe; possibly N Wake Landfill and Anderson Point, NC Museum of Art
 * TLC targeted for 2016 - Horton Grove, Temple Flat Rock, Walnut Hill
 * FWS is behind this because they're trying to conserve Monarch butterflies, for which it is a host plant
 * Probably a day for each site
 * Easy work for volunteers - very simple training - 25 plants per acre in teams of 3-4 people planting
 * Hess/Pacifici Conservation Bio class can do Turnipseed - Wed 21 Oct preferred; Mon 19 Oct also possible

//**Other Business**//

 * Chimney Swift Symposium (Connors)**
 * Friday 21 August 6:00P-10P at NC Museum of Natural Sciences
 * Saturday 22 August 4P-9P Chimney Swift Tower Gala Celebration at Prairie Ridge - family friendly


 * NOTES**
 * NC Museum of Natural Sciences, Wake Audubon, Toyota are co-sponsoring
 * No websites available yet - coming in about 2 weeks