Meeting+2015+Sep+3

//**WakeNature Preserves Partnership Meeting**//
Thursday 8:30-10 Historic Yates Mill County Park, Lake Wheeler Road (visit park website for directions)

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 * Attendance Notes**

Present: Connors (presiding), Hess (notes), Shouse, Pohlman, Fowler, Lobsinger, Trickel, Hammerbacher, Perlmutter, Blank

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


 * Nothing to report or discuss.**

//**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**
 * Request for criteria review sent on 2015.08.28 with request for input by 2015.09.04 to: Jeff Beane, Brian Bockhahn, Will Cook, Ed Corey, Misty Franklin-Buchanan, LeighAnn Hammerbacher, Gary Perlmutter, Gretchen Sedaris, Alan Weakley, Tom Wentworth. Harry LeGrand not asked because he's reviewing the Robertson Mill Pond application.
 * Wake County Public Affairs suggested that a WakeNature representative would not speak at the Robertson Mill Pond Preserve opening, but that Chris Snow would talk about WakeNature and present the preserve sign to Deborah Fowler. We are pushing back because we think that WakeNature should show a separate identity and present the designation, plus kick off the WakeWonders campaign. Asking for 1-2 minutes.
 * Hess has been updating website go.ncsu.edu/WakeWonders - still needs to link to main WakeNature site (Hess has edit access in case we can't get K. Smith to work on the link) - waiting until we're closer to being ready to go.
 * Snow contacted Harris Park, and they are on board
 * Snow has tried to contact Hemlock Bluffs - update?


 * What items and information do we want to bring to the Robertson opening?**
 * Schedule of events for WakeWonders
 * Map of WakeWonders
 * Post-card size item or 1-pager


 * Other WakeWonder events**
 * How should we do advanced pub for WakeWonder for Robertson - kickoff, first WakeWonder site
 * Need a blurb to kickoff WakeWonders to send out to people
 * New Year's Hike at Wilkerson


 * Publicity - getting "credits" for visiting WakeWonders**
 * something simple like take a photo and tweet or like it (caution on foul images)


 * We have lots of things going on - how do we get them collected so they look like a WHOLE?**


 * NOTES**
 * Robertson Mill Pond Preserve opening firm for 24 Oct 10AM. Chris Snow will emcee and speak. Commissioners West and Hutchinson will speak. Ed Morris (Capital Area Preservation Group) will also speak. Canoe tours will be offered by Frog Hollow Outfitters - free, 20-30min tours. Interpretation of grist mill offered.
 * John Connors will work with Sig Hutchinson and the public relations crew to get some talking points and interaction with WakeNature people at the event.
 * WakeWonder events
 * 24 October Robertson
 * 7 or 14 Nov Temple Flat Rock
 * 1 Jan - Wilkerson WakeWonder Walk
 * February - Prairie Ridge (tent) - also possible to do bird banding for mammal trapping. Connors will talk with Kris Goforth at Prairie Ridge
 * April - Swift Creek Bluffs
 * 21 May - Long leaf festival at Harris Lake
 * Pull Hemlock Bluffs from the list based on continued resistance to the idea from Cary - concern that we will generate more traffic when they are already overwhelmed.
 * Consider Umstead instead, with State Parks having 100th anniversary next year. Need to find a key feature to highlight. Hammerbacher will reach out. Link of natural and human history could be interesting.
 * Do not have time to set up a Passport program or similar this year. Trickel will follow up with Annette Moore to see if she can do anything in her Parks Rec & Tourism junior class; or perhaps a graduate student intern. This is a possible grant for next year.


 * Comments are coming back on the WakeWonder criteria - they are general positive with small suggestions for improvement.

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


 * Robertson Mill Pond Preserve Application**
 * Pohlman graciously agreed to chair the ah hoc review committee and move to get it done in time for the opening in October (Thanks, Scott!!)
 * Review being done by Jeff Hall, Harry LeGrand, and NC State Parks (ideally two different reviewers within State Parks)


 * NOTES**
 * Robertson review is moving forward on schedule

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


 * Milkweed Projects**
 * Need to confirm Wed 21 Oct for Hess' class at Turnipseed [ confirmed ]
 * Wilkerson, Horseshoe; possibly N Wake Landfill and Anderson Point, NC Museum of Art - need follow-up
 * thinking Wilkerson during the week as a WakeNature workday
 * TLC targeted for 2016 - Horton Grove, Temple Flat Rock, Walnut Hill
 * Michaux's sumac**
 * Need to check condition of potted stems at Raulston Arboretum
 * Need to determine desired locations for planting x number of stems
 * Need to prepare locations for planting
 * Looking for interested student to advance project
 * Plenty more stems and roots to extract

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 * NOTES **
 * 21 October confirmed
 * Some discussion of putting some out at Barwell Road Raleigh Utilities site
 * Possible at Turnipseed also. Horseshoe could be a good location.
 * Walnut Hill. Wilkerson utility easement.
 * 10 Oct Horseshoe.
 * TFR as something we do as part of the event in November.d
 * Wilkerson will be planted in October - send announcement to CNR for volunteers once date is solid