Meeting+2014+Dec+4

//**WakeNature Preserves Partnership Meeting**//
Thursday 8:30-10 Walnut Creek Wetland Center 950 Peterson St, Raleigh, NC 27610

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 * Attendance Notes**

Present: Snow (presiding), Pohlman, Connors, Salter, Shouse, Rutledge, Hess (notes)


 * 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.//


 * Introductions as needed**

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


 * Nominations and voting for steering committee
 * John Connors is going to his second term
 * Chris Snow and Scott Pohlman are rolling off, so we need two nominees
 * The steering committee and Hess met on 2 Dec to review progress for the year and develop proposed goals for 2015

Goals copied from Dec 2013 annual review


 * Goals for 2014**
 * Visit personally with 5 parks directors (prioritize by areas we'd most like to work on - see Inventory Committee), and include interested park managers from those municipalities. Park managers see things on the ground and can make the case for WakeNature. Doing this requires evaluating potential WakeNature sites and shaping the conversation around those places; this probably requires talking with the park managers before setting up meetings. - Not completed
 * Evaluate partner activity and figure out how we can increase engagement among partners. - Not completed


 * Proposed Goals for 2015**
 * Grant(s) to improve website and social presence; marketing ourselves (eg list at @http://web.eenorthcarolina.org/core/item/topic.aspx?tid=85010)


 * NOTES**
 * Open for nominations
 * Hess nominated Shouse
 * Pohlman nominated Hess
 * Nominations closed
 * Vote of those present
 * Wake County, Wake Audubon, NHP, TLC, Raleigh Parks, NCState voted in favor of the nominees
 * This is a majority, but Hess will reach out to other members for their votes [ Request sent to Wake Soil & Water, UNC Herbarium, Wildlife Resources, and NC Museum of Sciences on 7 Dec.]
 * E-mail votes: WRC, NC Museum of Sciences in favor of all (8 Dec)
 * Snow reviewed steering committee goals and progress from last year
 * Shouse noted that what was successful in Raleigh was that there was an internal person (Salter) who had a relationship with the organization and was an advocate for WakeNature - this model could work for getting other municipalities engaged. Approach from the perspective of "How can we help bring more recognition to your natural parks?" We have a personal connection already at Bass Lake (Holly Springs).
 * Salter noted that we should have a look at the areas (esp wetlands) on the east side of the Neuse River, esp those along the greenway connections
 * White Deer Park in Garner might also be worth a revisit
 * Rutledge noted that if we found a grant, TLC would devote part of a staff member to promoting WNP (paid from the grant)
 * Maybe electronic passports and something like RGreenway for the locations. iBeacon to connect with mobiles - senses that you are there and sends you information.

//**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.


 * Goals for 2014 **
 * Increase our social presence:
 * more content on website - we've done more of this
 * more on social media - we've done more of this
 * should we create a YouTube channel for our interviews and other features? - not done
 * develop content for mapper? - not done
 * Is there a way to be present at the museum and the Nature Research Center? - not done
 * Should we start doing WakeNature outings? - not done
 * Continue seeking grants and funding - not done


 * Proposed** **Goals for 2015**
 * WakeNatural Wonder Bus tour - one, in one part of the County, likely in the Fall


 * NOTES**
 * See notes under other committees - pieces are integrated

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


 * Goals for 2014**
 * One new WakeWonder - not done
 * One new WakeNature Preserve - Swift Creek Bluffs - but no publicity
 * List of our top priority WakeNature Preserves and WakeWonder candidates on our website, including brief description of why special each is special. This will also help drive which park directors we visit (see Steering Committee) - partial list created


 * Proposed Goals for 2015**
 * WakeNatural Wonders marketing campaign - highlight the best places in Wake County, regardless of whether they are official WakeNature Preserves or Wonders. WakeWonder outings a few times a year to visit a set of sites. Visit passports for kids (like "junior naturalist" program Wake County runs). Need criteria - accessible to lay people, diverse features, geographic diversity, multiple landowners/agencies, etc.


 * NOTES**
 * Pohlman presented the overarching idea for marketing the Wonders of Wake idea - we take the role of highlighting the best natural areas in Wake County, regardless of whether they are official WNPs or WakeWonders. Criteria include "amazing" natural areas, public access, site sensitivity, diversity, interagency representation.
 * Connors talked about the bus tour of WakeWonders ideas; passport; prizes (maybe guided tours of places normally closed); Snow talked about Wake County's Junior Naturalist Program
 * Salter suggested that the bus tour might better be targeted for 2016, with 2015 used to bring partners in and get everything lined up
 * Shouse comments about Walkable Watersheds program in Raleigh
 * Hess - 2 levels here - list for County; bus tour of places. List does not require "permission" from anyone - we create it. Bus tour requires coordination with owning municipalities.
 * Shouse - maybe work on one quadrant of the County at a time
 * Connors - Chamber of Commerce, Homebuilders, etc as sponsors
 * Do we need to coordinate with managing agencies to put their parks on our list before doing so? The issue of concern is that the resource might not be able to handle more visitors.
 * Shouse: Horseshoe Farms will be opening in late spring / early summer. There's interest in some forest regeneration in a place where the entrance road was put in; fall project.

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


 * Goals for 2014**
 * Start developing needs and assets inventory, possibly through the visits with parks directors (see Steering Committee) - not done
 * "Naturalist Brain Dump" workshop for May - done, but not entirely successful
 * Fall workshop - topic TBD (coming out of the May event, we should have clearer picture of what might be next) - not done - postponed BioBlitz to spring
 * Participate in Service Raleigh - co-sponsored at Anderson Point
 * workdays? - None


 * Proposed Goals for 2015**
 * One workshop a year (BioBlitz 10-11 April 2015)
 * One public workday a year that we coordinate, possibly affiliated with Service Raleigh (28 March 2015) - Turnipseed
 * One "private" workday a year for more sensitive work, prob in Fall ("The Rocks" - flatrocks on Riley Hill Road) - possibilities are Barwell Road, moving of Blanks' sumac to Turnipseed, Mitchells Mill, Temple Flatrock, The Rocks. Mitchell Mill seems like the choice (Fall).