Meeting+2011+Sep+1

Thursday 8:30-10 1214 Jordan Hall, NCSU Campus
 * Wake County Nature Preserves Meeting**

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 * Attendance Notes**

Lobsinger- I will not be able to attend today's meeting, but Gary Blank should be able to fill everyone in on the Capacity Building committee's current project with the Swift Creek Bluffs Assemblage.

Attending: Pohlman, Hess (notes), Steelman (presiding), Holcombe, Snow, Perlmutter, Sullivan, Hammerbacher, Anna Miller, Ander (Raleigh), Connors, Cook, Leung


 * Introductions as needed**

Anna Milller, new PhD Student with Yu-Fai Leung


 * Annotated Agenda Items**

//Please add items you'd like to see on the agenda by 5PM Tues before the meeting.//

//Please add your pre-meeting discussion of these items under the item right here on the agenda, or on the appropriate linked page.//

**//Promotion Committee//**
Hello Fellow Committee, I believe I reported back on that in the Dec. 2 2010 meeting if you also want to look at the wiki, but I am including my comments below. Basically, where we stood is that we have a domain name, but we don't have someone to set up the website. We would need a template that we could buy or have someone design. I think if we did this we should work with a student as a project. I can find out who the contact in the school would be for this or we could put out a flyer on craigslist or send out in the department, it would be unpaid ofcourse. We could keep it basic like a blog site from word press, but we would need to think of the things we would want on there. I don't think we include meeting minutes and so on, but highlight our "nature preserves" members, print material, and so on. I have some graphic design experience and could throw a header together using our logo, the blog would be free and would tie us over until we get a "fancy" website.
 * Kaytee**-- update on web page: Summary: We have a domain name, but nothing more.

Also, have we thought about social media. I wouldn't have an issue setting up a facebook page if that is something we are interested in. Let me know. I talked to my sister and she said on average for a basic web design most firms charge between $75 - $150/hour for design time. She said it all depends on what you want and how fancy. Here are some links to possible web design companies we could work with or inquire about locally: http://onwired.com/ http://www.atlanticbt.com/ portfolio http://www.dougbrowndesign. com/ I was thinking at this point we could always do a simple flash intro that links to the wiki until we get more funding. Another options is to do it ourselves and here are some sites my sister suggested:

These are open source content management sites. So while they might not have all the bells and whistles they work well starting off, and maybe NCSU would let us use there IP address as a host site. http://wordpress.org/ http://drupal.org/ http://www.joomla.org/

Here are some links to flash templates that we could buy or use as example: http://www.flashmint.com/template-demo-1500.html http://templates.entheosweb.com/template_number/25677.asp http://templates.entheosweb.com/template_number/17496.asp


 * NOTES:**
 * Options are (a) to use an NCSU locker (b) to work with one of the pre-packaged blogs
 * Key questions are "What is the function of this web site?" "What is the content?"
 * Another is "Who's going to do it?"
 * Can we get a student at Design to work with us on this?
 * ACTION: Kaytee and promotion committee will do a first pass example and present at October meeting
 * Content: Basic information

Summary: After reviewing all meeting notes on the wiki, found no indication that decision or consensus about how signs would be displayed on designated property. Funding attempts have failed.
 * Amanda**//--//update on sign details -- see this report [|WNPPSignageNotes.2011.08.29.pdf]


 * NOTES:**
 * Snow - two separate signs - one county sign for the park and a separate sign for the WNP information
 * Could also have an information board about WNPP
 * This is going to be a jurisdiction by jurisdiction issue - they all have different sign regulations - we need to work with each jurisdiction - be flexible
 * Would like a sign off each entrance
 * Kaytee - most people don't notice small signs they drive by
 * Leung - research says of you attach a sign near something useful, people will notice it more
 * Should we put more information about WakeNature on the sign? Suggestion was ULR and QRCode
 * ACTION: Steelman will develop a brief set of guidelines indicating what we'd like to see in terms of signs, but being flexible as to where it is put
 * ACTION: Kaytee will come back with a few examples of what other organizations put on their signs


 * Toddi**//--// funding opportunity DEADLINE NOV. 4

In 2009, Fulbright Canada piloted the Eco-Leadership Program, and it has been a tremendous success. Across Canada and the United States, gardens have been grown, awareness raised, programs developed, and communities engaged. This year we are very excited to be promoting the Fulbright Canada-RBC Eco-Leadership Program for a third year. Once again, we are offering grants of $2000-$4000 to current and past Fulbright Canada grantees to undertake volunteer-led green projects in their communities. (Please see the attached documents for examples from last year’s program, more information on eligibility and how to apply, and the application form)


 * NOTES:**
 * Last year was declined because they didn't want to fund websites, preferring on the ground items
 * ACTION: Steelman will revise - omit website, do signs, consider brochures, possibly a service-learning day. Will bring proposal back for critique in October meeting

//**Inventory Committee**//
A new outline of designated and candidate preserves (including the set of Raleigh Nature Preserves) is posted on the Inventory Committee page. This will be updated as our work progresses.


 * Bat Survey at Turnipseed Preserve** - On 26 Aug 2011 Gary P. gave a tour of Turnipseed to local bat biologist Mary Kay Clark of the [|NC Bat Working Group] (NCBWG). Mary Kay is interested in conducting a netting / acoustic survey with a team of fellow bat experts and volunteers this September to document the preserve's bat diversity. As Mary Kay won't be able to make this meeting I will give a presentation on this survey proposal and lead a discussion. Mary Kay is also interested in joining WakeNature on behalf of NCBWG.

Here's Mary Kay's proposal (via e-mail to Gary P. on 31 Aug): //"In brief we could try some bat survey at TP in sept. It would reqire 4 -6 teams of 2 bat experts (8 to 12 people). We would use mist nets and acoustic monitoring. Set up before dusk and net for 4 hours. Set nets in several locations around the preserve-at least 4 locations that you and I visited Friday including forested trail, end of trail at pond edge, and Gin Branch borrow pond."//
 * Would Mary Kay be willing to conduct a bat survey on the Swift Creek Bluffs Assemblage as well, Gary? -Meghan

Wading bird rookeries aerial survey Model Wildlife Habitat Protection Ordinance
 * Kacy Cook, NC WRC**


 * NOTES**:
 * Perlmutter updated the wiki page for the Inventory Committee
 * Ander: Anderson Point in Raleigh has Protected Natural Areas in it and Raleigh is trying to build a natural resources team to do a site visit, delineate boundaries of PNAs, and create a management plan for them. Looking for people from WNPP to participate.
 * ACTION: Ander will get a list of expertise needed for the project and pass it to Inventory Committee; Inventory Committee will find people for the team
 * Perlmutter talked about bat survey - equipment intensive (mist nets, acoustic sampling, vehicles, etc). Powerline corridor, borrow pond, Pleasants Property. Needs to be done in September. Strong opportunity for student involvement - need 4 to help with setup, but they can't handle bats w/o proper inoculations. Start 6PM end 3AM one evening.
 * ACTION: Perlmutter will contact Clark about a date and we'll get students lined up; need to get County research permit completed
 * Cook: some of wading bird rookeries (including Herons and Great Egrets) are using parks in Wake County, esp in southeast part of County
 * Holcombe: County Nature Resource Database is up and running (Hess will link it to our wiki)
 * Cook: WRC is drafting Wildlife Habitat Development ordinance with Duke University. Goal is to give communities ordinance language that they can adapt to their circumstances and include in their development regulations. Looking for community interested in drafting an ordinance - Duke attorney will work with community pro-bono. Cook will provide a fact sheet that we can post on the wiki to help spread the information; Hess will present to Knightdale.

**//Capacity Building//**
FOR784 visited the Swift Creek Bluffs Assmblage Friday, a week after an initial discussion with TLC, Wake County, and WakeNature representatives about the need to develop a management plan. Reconnaissance suggested the need to get more specific information about plans for Greenway access, better information about the boundary conditions of the NCDOT Tract, and clarity on the ADA requirements for Futrell if trails are developed there. SCBA wiki has been created and data from TLC have been received.

Turnipseed Master Plan - Areas of Interest, Areas to stay out of...
 * Chris Snow, Wake County Parks, Recreation & Open Space**




 * NOTES**:
 * Susan Hatchell Landscape Arch is doing master plan for Turnipseed so that it can be opened to the public
 * DOT will be replacing bridge on Turnipseed (2014), cutting off our existing access; County is working with DOT to mitigate; County trying to get DOT to mitigate with a parking lot on Turnipseed __before__ the bridge is cut off
 * Connors and Hammerbacher are on the committee working on this, representing WNP
 * At the part of the process where they are deciding which places to bring people to and keep people away from (ie, trail-wise)