Meeting+2012+Oct+4

//**Wake County Nature Preserves Meeting**//
Directions and Map || Link to google map
 * TRIANGLE LAND CONSERVANCY **
 * 1101 Haynes Street, Suite 205, Raleigh NC 27604 919.833.3662 **

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 * Attendance Notes**

Hess (presiding and notes), C. Smith, Lobsinger, Blank, Hammerbacher, Connors, Chris Butts


 * Introductions as needed**

Introduced Chris Butts, who is a student in C Smith's class working on the WakeNature interactive mapper as a class project.

//**Promotion Committee**//
GOALS: Create more public awareness and appreciation of our highest quality natural areas in Wake County. In 2012 we will: 1) develop a website (completed); 2) maintain/update the website (on-going); 3) promote WakeNature through one or more Stewardship Awards (in process); 4) Promote WakeNature by holding a training session for resource managers (being planned); 5) Create promotional materials to get the message of WakeNature out to a broader audience; 6) Work on fundraising provided key fundable priorities are identified


 * Signs**
 * Raleigh status (Ander)
 * Wake Audubon status (Hess)
 * **Decisions on content**


 * NOTES**
 * Ander passed around some preliminary drafts of the signs
 * Connors noted that language is somewhat technical for a public audience. Contrasted to some of the earlier language Audubon drafted that was more interpretive.
 * We need to get information to sign place late this month (October) to meet our funding deadlines.
 * **Decisions**
 * Connors will work with Salter and Audubon next week (of 8 Oct) to agree on approach to signs and finalize language and layout
 * Ander and Salter will make sure Park Board doesn't have an issue with logos and funding language appearing on the signs: TLC, WNPP, WakeAudubon, and NC Forest Service.
 * Consensus in the room was we are insisting on recognition on the signs - "no logos, no signs"

//**Inventory Committee**//
GOALS: 1) to compile a list of potential WakeNature preserve sites that contain examples of excellent ecological resources that either are being managed for their sustainability or are in need of management, 2) select two potential sites to focus on resource inventory building and management plan development for WakeNature Preserve designation. Focus sites for 2012 include TLC's Swift Creek Bluffs (nearly complete) and City of Raleigh's Lake Johnson Park. With Swift Creek Bluffs nearly complete, a third site for focus is an assemblage of properties in the Marks Creek watershed near Turnipseed: Beech, Williamson and West tracts.


 * WakeNature Mapper**
 * Status and some things to look at (Chris Butts)
 * Categories and places
 * The subcommittee have batted categories and places around. Pohlman was the last to touch it, so that version is linked here for some review and discussion.
 * [[file:WakeNatureMapCategories&Places.2012.09.27.pdf]]
 * **Decisions on direction**


 * NOTES**
 * Butts showed a draft version of what the mapper site would look like, with a search capability and some mocked-up date
 * The mapper can pull photos from Flickr and park information from various databases, some of which we'll have to populate
 * There was discussion of the need/desire to make the information seasonal - eg, best place to go to see wildflowers in spring.
 * This could be done by creating a hierarchy that starts with season, or using season at the bottom level of a series of cascading menus (eg, vegetation -> wildlflowers -> spring/summer/fall
 * Information could also be placed on the "more info" pages describing with each site
 * Looking at the categories, we should add ...
 * Vernal Pools to the Wetlands and Streams section
 * Fungi to the Interesting Vegetation section
 * Change animal categories to mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, insects
 * **Action required / decisions**
 * For now, seasonal information will be put on the informational pages for each site
 * Need complete list of categories by 12 October (Hess, Pohlman & committee)
 * Need a complete list of places and the categories they fit by end of October (Hess, Pohlman & committee + Connors)
 * Need to build information pages for each place by late November (before Thanksgiving?) (Holcombe-Smith to build pages?? with content provide by all)
 * make sure that these include the seasonal information


 * Swift Creek Assemblage Management Plan**
 * Site visit scheduled for Friday 26 October from 11A-2P
 * Document review is under way
 * Wake County's ownership is joint with Raleigh and Cary. Snow is working to get their OK to the plan. We cannot formally approve the plan or designate this assemblage as a WakeNature Preserve until we have that OK.
 * Similarly, Hammerbacher is working to get and OK from NC Dept of Transportation.


 * NOTES**
 * It's all being pursued

//**Capacity Committee**//

 * Invasive Plant Workshop** 25 Sept
 * 40 people registered (including some of us)
 * Hess failed to get everyone to sign in (sorry) but 25 people signed for continuing education credits; several did not
 * When asked what we might do next, the responses were ...
 * We need people with knowledge to help inventory invasive species and instruct volunteers
 * Lack of written management plans with priorities - need some templates - have been winging it so far. Note that help with management plans was the 2nd-most-popular item when we solicited input for workshop topics.
 * Networking opportunities - we don't get together enough to share information
 * An inventory of the tools and resources available at various agencies that could be shared
 * **Discussion item - what do we want to do next?**Remember, our mission is to build capacity, not to do the work ourselves.
 * What would a workshop on developing management plans look like?
 * What would we want participants to bring with them?
 * Who would we get to provide content?
 * Who has experience, expertise?


 * NOTES**
 * Generally liked the idea of holding a management plan workshop, probably in March 2013
 * Could have speaker for each part of a typical management plan (wildlife, plants, stewardship, developing objectives, public input process, etc)
 * Would be nice to have a set of examples of how different agencies do this
 * We could help them start outlining the components they'd need in a management plan; perhaps draft some objectives
 * Also like the idea of facilitating networking and information-sharing among the agencies
 * Needs to be associated with some kind of continuing education opportunity, so that people can get permission to attend
 * In the end, we liked the notion of 2x/year workshops, each focused on some aspect of continuing education AND providing some structured networking opportunities (eg, ask people to bring lists of tools they'd be willing to share to the management plan workshop)
 * **Action required**
 * Explore what the agencies might like to see in a management plan workshop (Blank)
 * Make decision during our December priority-setting meeting


 * Tree and woody species inventory of Lake Johnson for future Lake Johnson Management Plan - Lobsinger**
 * I have been communicating between Melissa Salter and Dr. Braham, NCSU Professor of Forestry, to organize a dendro inventory of Lake Johnson
 * This inventory will take place sometime this fall with the help of Ross Sullivan and the NCSU Dendrology Club, along with previous inventories that Dr. Braham himself has already documented
 * GPS data will be taken by volunteers as well so that Raleigh may map individual ecological habitats and species of interest
 * Data from this inventory will be used in the future management plan for Lake Johnson by Raleigh Parks staff
 * I am taking this opportunity to offer WakeNature's Inventory Committee a chance to get involved, as this is primarily an inventory project initiated by WakeNature
 * I would like to continue helping Melissa and Raleigh Parks organize inventory days for birds, mammals, spring ephemerals, etc for Lake Johnson so that Raleigh Parks can record as much data about the park as possible for the management plan
 * From George: Is there a potential project for my Spring 2013 measurements course here??

//**Other Business**//

 * Wake County Open Space and Parks Advisory Committee "7 Wonders of Wake" idea **
 * Hess reported on this at last month's meeting - Wake County Parks, Recreation, & Open Space's Advisory Committee has been considering a marketing and awareness campaign around the "7 Wonders of Wake" theme
 * At there 24 Sept meeting, a brief report was issued to the Committee to make them aware of the naming conflict with WakeWonders. The whole idea of the 7 Wonders seems to have lost some momentum, and there is lack of clarity as to whether the purpose is to raise awareness of Wake County parks or to support a bond issue in the spring. I (Hess) don't see this going anywhere quickly, but will remain vigilant and protect of our name. I will also try to get out in front with ideas after I discover the campaign goal.


 * Raleigh "at large," steering committee, other voting issues**
 * Raleigh still working on this
 * Hess recommends tabling until November. We'd make the final "at large" decision in November, seek nominations for steering committee, and then vote in December for steering committee and in January for chair.


 * Other Business**
 * Larry Petrovik has retired from Wake Soil & Water; a replacement has been hired and Hess is following up to see if he will participate in WakeNature. No word so far.
 * Next month's meeting location unknown as TLC are moving. Salter is trying to get the Walnut Creek Wetland Center in Raleigh. Please stay tuned.