Meeting+2010+July+15

Thursday 2010 July 15 8:30-10 1214 Jordan Hall, NCSU Campus
 * **Wake County Nature Preserves Meeting**


 * Attendance Notes**

Blank & Hess will be away.


 * Introductions as needed**


 * 1) Incorporation/Naming Issues**
 * Registering our name** - there had been discussion in the past about registering our name with the Secretary of State so that we protect WakeNature as our identity. It's probably time to do this. We need to protect WakeNature Preserves Partnership and, if we go for it, our tag-line, Promising Nature a Future. Amanda Willis is looking into it and should have a report for us. Main thing is we want to know what our options are and the +/- of each option.


 * NOTES** from 6/17 meeting
 * Main reasons to incorporate a nonprofit are to get tax exempt status and avoid personal liability
 * We can't use the word "partnership" in our name, because that's a specific type of legal entity
 * Costs: incorporation $60 (one time); can reserve name for a year for about $20; also need a corporate seal (there's a corporation kit you can buy)
 * Annual reporting requirement
 * Ran out of time - discussion and decision postponed to next meeting


 * Other name issue** - In the definition and criteria, we have Wake Natural Wonder. I propose we change that to WakeNatural Wonder, with WakeWonder for short. Please note there are other proposed changes to the criteria that are coming out of working through the application process - we are not yet ready for action on these. (Hess)

From Leigh Ann: I won’t be able to make it as it is the same day as our Chatham County Partnership meeting and we are in the midst of this plan development. Although I had a few thoughts on the incorporation idea. My thought is that since just about everybody participating in the partnership is part of another organization/ entity- there is no need to incorporate as a non-profit. The Chatham County Partnership has been together for about 4 years now and has had no problems with naming branding etc. I think we might want to look at a charter, ground rules, and official signing ceremony- perhaps even an MOU- but I personally think the partnership is not in a position to need to go down the non-profit path yet. Even if you do incorporate to protect the name- it can always be just slightly adjusted for example Audubon v.s Audubon Environmental (the golf course certifier). I just don’t see the threat at this point of someone else using the name. We would probably be best just reserving the domain name we want and paying for that. I also feel like Wake County/ NC Sate or other Organization liability insurance would be a lot more substantial and better to use in any kind of emergency. I’m not a lawyer so I don’t know the details, but my guess is that as long as we are participating on behalf of our organizations this liability would fall to them not to the partnership or individuals. Just a few thoughts. Thanks for your continued effort with this initiative Leigh Ann

From Hess: I agree that we should not incorporate now (if ever), for many of the reasons Leigh Ann mentions above plus we really don't have the time to deal with the annual paperwork. The idea of reserving domain name is good. wakenature .org, .com, .net are all available and could initially be pointed at this wiki site. This is done through a domain name registrar, such as www.register.com - their cost is $35 for 1 year; $70 for 2; $79 for 3; $88 for 5. I would check with our infotech guys to see which registrar offers the best deals and if there are discounts for education institutions.

NOTES FROM 7/16 MEETING GENERAL SENSE THAT WE DO NOT NEED TO DEAL WITH INCORPORATION NOW. GENERAL AGREEMENT THAT AN MOU IS A GOOD IDEA. WE CAN DEAL WITH LIABILITY WITH "RIGHT OF ENTRY" FORMS FOR RESEARCH/WORK FROM PROS ON PROPERTY. GENERAL AGREEMENT THAT WE SHOULD RESERVE DOMAIN NAMES, INCLUDING WAKENATUREPRESERVES AS WELL AS WAKENATURE. CAN WE USE THE EDU DOMAIN? IF WE ARE GOING TO PARTNER WITH OTHERS (TLC, AUDUBON, ETC...) WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THEY WANT TO BE INVOLVED FOR THE DURATION OF THE EVENT. WE MAY WANT TO INVESTIGATE INTEREST IN SIGNING THE MOU.




 * 2) Need presenters and abstract for the NCSU Outreach Scholarship Conference (from Hess)**

We have two slots to fill for Tues 5 Oct at the Raleigh Convention Center. Slot 1: The Plenary Session runs from 9-10:30A and will include us as part of a panel session, during which our video will be shown. We will have 5 (and only 5) people on the panel. We are not expected to prepare any kind of presentation for this, but to engage with a structured (by someone else) discussion with the audience.

Slot 2: An Invited Concurrent Session called "WakeNature Preserves Partnership - Continuing the Dialog" from 10:45-11:30A. We can do whatever we'd like during this session - we can prepare a PowerPoint, continue as a panel, create some kind of interactive presentation. We can have as many people as we wish involved in this session. Hess has a drafted an abstract for the concurrent session ( [|WakeNatureOSCAbstractV1.doc]). Please email any suggested changes to Hess by Fri 16 July so that he can submit. I also need a list of presenters (see discussion above) to submit with this.

We need to decide who will be on the Plenary panel and who will participate in the concurrent session. We need an abstract for the concurrent session.
 * //Actions required://**

HOW WE GOT TOGETHER, RATIONALE HOW WE WILL SUSTAIN IT TALK ABOUT JOYS/SORROWS OF SERVICE LEARNING COULD WE ALSO DO A POSTER? 20 MINUTES FOR PRESENTATION + 25 MINUTES FOR DISCUSSION GEORGE PRESENT BOOK CHAPTER WITH FOCUS ON NARRATIVE + SERVICE LEARNING TODDI WILL MASSAGE ABSTRACT AND GET TO GEORGE

I suggest that we go for representation in both sessions. The above 5 for the plenary (where we are limited to 5); those plus anyone else interested for the second session.
 * //Recommendation://**
 * Hess or Steelman (NCSU presence - one could do plenary, other lead concurrent with both at concurrent)
 * Snow (main community partner)
 * Holcombe (graduate student working on project)
 * Ramsey (citizen involvement)
 * Connors (other agency, main biological consultant)

3 **) Update on N&O Field Trip/Reporting about WakeNature** -- Jamie

From Jamie: Nothing new to report here other than reporter declined our invitation to come to lupine seed planting but wants to write a story when we're ready.

6 VOLUNTEERS, CHOPSTICKS WORKED FINE, SEEDS WERE SCARIFIED AND SOME SOAKED, SOME WERE BROADCAST, A YEAR FROM NOW WE WILL MONITOR FOR SUCCESS.
 * 4) Update on Lupine Planting** -- Louise

Need recommendation from Chris about (1) Plant inventory, (2) Invasive species removal (3) PULSE survey
 * 5) Volunteer Activity for Thurs Aug 12 or Fri Aug 13 morning only for new graduate student?** -- Report from Chris

From Hess - Keep in mind that we won't know skills of students until very close to the date.

From Gary P - the plant photosurvey with Discover Life is postponed until fall, as one of the photographers is an incoming student at UNC Chapel Hill. I've also mentioned a Pulse survey to Bob Peet at UNC, who expressed an interest, but lacks the time. We may be able to do a Pulse at Turnipseed as training of the CVS protocol to those interested. We also have a tool to generate at plant list of a given county on the UNC Herbarium website: http://www.herbarium.unc.edu/seflora/firstviewer.htm. At the bottom select the state and county of interest and the sources you wish to include. From this Wake County has nearly listed 2000 species of vascular plants. A good baseline to use as a reference for a potential Turnipseed veg survey.

SHOULD WE MOVE THIS TO SEPT WHEN IT IS COOLER AND STUDENTS ARE REALLY HERE AND FACULTY ARE NOT TRYING TO GET CLASSES READY. NEED TO TOUCH BASE WITH SARAH SLOVER RE: TIMING. WOULD BE NICE TO GET JOHN STUCKEY, TOM WENTWORTH THERE TO INVENTORY SOME SITES. MEGAN WILL FOLLOW UP WITH SARAH. NHP COULD WORK WITH WAKENATURE TO SET UP PLOTS.


 * From Meghan: Sarah Slover has agreed that moving the activity to Friday, September 10 is an all around good idea.**

WE WILL FIND OUT FROM AUDUBON NEXT MONTH ABOUT OUR GRANT. ROB ROBERTSON AT DFR MAY HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO HELP WITH LONG LEAF PLANTING IF WE GET AUDUBON GRANT.

PROPOSE FRIDAY SEPT 10 AS THE WORKDAY. MEGAN WILL FOLLOW UP WITH SARAH SLOVER, JOHN CONNERS WILL FOLLOW UP WITH JOHN STUCKEY AND TOM WENTWORTH. SCOTT WILL CHECK WITH NHP STAFF.

Where are we? What's going on? What are next steps?
 * 6) Update on Application Protocol**

Hess is revising the management plan based on the revised management plan template created during subcommittee meeting. Should be ready toward end of July. (Sorry, I'm behind)


 * 7) Update on Raleigh Nature Park Task Force** (Toddi)

Dear Wake Nature Preserve Partners:
 * 8) NC Wildlife Resources Commission hours reporting** reminder (Jamie). Let's start the fiscal year off right by making sure we all record our hours for the WRC. Please see this (old) note from Jacquelyn; she has asked that we send our forms to Jeff Marcus at jeff.marcus@ncwildlife.org or to the new person who will hopefully be assigned to work with us after she leaves.

The Urban Wildlife Project I coordinate for the NC Wildlife Resources Commission is funded by a federal grant program called SWG (State Wildlife Grants). We receive SWG funds to assist us in implementing the Wildlife Action Plan (WAP), and the Wake Nature Preserve partnership's efforts are helping meet urban wildlife goals outlined in the WAP. Because the partnership is helping us address these goals, we can report hours and miles you all contribute to the partnership as an "in-kind" match.

To meet SWG funding requirements, we have to report "in-kind" contributions to the feds in June. It would be a huge help if you could fill out the attached form, and resend to me by June 1. Listed below are dates of this past year's meetings. On the form, you can list all hours/miles driven for meetings you attended on one line. You can also list hours/miles for any other activities in subsequent lines.

Here is the form for submitting in kind hours: [|InKindReportingForm.doc]


 * Note from Hess: Note that there is a "** **Report Your Service** **" link in the navigation menu on the left of the wiki page. It contains the forms and several approaches to reporting service.**




 * 9) Logo - Shawn Gillen has provided an updated version of a DRAFT logo for WNP and is soliciting comments.**

CONCERNS ABOUT DURABLITY OF SIGN-- ROUTED PVC WILL BE USED BY PROS AND WILL PROBABLY NOT BE A PROBLEM WITH WEAR/TEAR/ALGAE. DOES NOT HOLD UP TO FIRE. WHAT WILL HAPPEN WITH GRAFFITI? WILL IT BE SCALABLE?

Comment received on this item: I skim the Wake Nature wiki notes from time to time and have followed the logo and sign progress -the logo looks fine, but I think the routed PVC sign is a bad idea. //"CONCERNS ABOUT DURABLITY OF SIGN-- ROUTED PVC WILL BE USED BY PROS AND WILL PROBABLY NOT BE A PROBLEM WITH WEAR/TEAR/ALGAE. DOES NOT HOLD UP TO FIRE. WHAT WILL HAPPEN WITH GRAFFITI? WILL IT BE SCALABLE?"// PVC is a hazard to society. I think an environmental group should not use PVC... bad form. The PVC sign story starts by poisoning the people at the factory and everyone who handles it...sign maker all the way to the customer, plus leaching into the environment for eons longer. The fumes and dust released from routing are carcinogenic... whoever is in the sign shop breathes it. It also gets brittle with age as the chemicals are baked out. [] I bug my vendors about phasing out PVC and going healthy -but good alternatives exist but are not mainstream yet. Routed, recycled-content HDPE (high-density polyethylene - aka plastic decking) is one direction for good routed exterior signs - but about the only sign shops using it regularly are in California. I also don't think that artwork would hold up well in any routed plastic. Too intricate for a router. I suggest they go with an exterior grade print on a .60 + thick aluminum blank. The American Sign Shop/Signs by Tomorrow at the Glenwood/Morgan/Hillsborough Street intersection can do a nice highway grade vinyl print (likely not a PVC based material) on a aluminum blank (.60" or thicker is better for vandal proofing) at about any size, shape, with screw holes, etc... tough, much cheaper (thus replaceable)... recyclable, versatile - and way less nasty than routed PVC. The shop is a locally owned franchise. Shawn is my contact there... he is the source for most of my road signs at work. I also use fiberglass embedded graphics for waysides, but they are much more expensive and need expensive framing... Another tip - "vandal proof" just doesn't exist. maybe "more or less so"... but if someone wants to trash or graffiti a sign, they will - regardless of type. that's my professional advice on signs - based on about about 20 years experience making them ||  ||   ||
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