Minutes April 8, 2010 draft
Salisbury Conservation Commission
Draft minutes of Monthly Meeting
April 8, 2010
Members present: Jim Andrews, Heidi Willis, Chris Fastie, Preston Turner, Barrie Bailey, Sue Staats
Members absent: Ron Hardt, Crispin Butler
1) Public comment: None
2) Minutes: Corrections were noted and minutes were approved as amended.
3) Treasurer’s report: No activity. Town Account: $301.35; SCC account: $175.00. The SCC has received a letter indicating that the SCC will be the recipient of an AVCC grant.
4) Old Business:
a. Town Forest walk planned for May 8, 2010. Chris will send the information
for this event to Mary Burchard for inclusion in the Salisbury column in the
Addison Independent. Chris will create a flyer that can be posted at the usual
sites in Salisbury and neighboring towns; a flyer will be posted at the Spring
Dinner (aka Fling) on May 1st. Jim will e-mail this walk information to VT
Family Forests and Audubon.
• Jim will post at the landfill and Kampersville and in Middlebury
• Heidi will post at the Post Office, town school, and in East Middlebury
b. Critter cam update – the problem with the camera has not been solved. Chris
will work with Preston on it.
c. Town Forest planning update from the Planning Commission meeting – Chris
put an update on the Town website. The SCC is tasked to collect information
for a wildlife summary for the management plan. Sources of information:
• Field trip data
• Talking with Ron Hardt
• Talking with other knowledgeable Town residents
• Chris’s data on vernal pools
d. Raffle and auction planning -
• Raffle – items are still needed and can be added at any time
• Maple syrup – Jim will ask a source for syrup to raffle
• There are currently 13 items to raffle at the Spring Fling
• Heidi will talk to Ken T. re: raffle and tables to use
• Barrie and Heidi will set up the raffle at the Fling
• Auction – opens 4/18 and closes 4/29 online
• Auction closes 4/29 so that winners’ pick-up of items can be arranged
• Posters to advertise – Chris will create 4 large posters that will show labeled auction items, will be 2X3’ laminated for Post Office, Kampersville, Landfill and school; smaller posters will be placed around local businesses and in neighboring towns; the large posters will have tear-off “tickets” that have our organization and website on each. Heidi will create these.
• Auction winners will be individually notified, and also announced at the Spring Fling. Some items could be picked up there. (Item pick up will be arranged by Chris.)
A newspaper announcement for both the raffle and auction will be sent to Mary Burchard by Heidi.
Jim will send auction information to VT Family Forests and Audubon.
d. Salamander soiree update and evaluation – completed 3 nights, had new people and had some new “regulars”, education value was high. Some areas
of growth to consider are spin-off sites, spending more time and attention on
another site, where are other crossing sites that are not documented yet, hold
training nights, re-employ scoopers for carrying critters.
5) New Business:
a. Meet and greet – May 23rd, 7:00 – 8:30pm, at the Salisbury school.
Refreshments will be provided by Barrie, Heidi, and Jim.
b. Letter of support for Jens Hilke and Jane Lazorchak – Jim drafted a letter of
support for these 2 positions; SCC voted to approve sending this letter.
c. AVCC Tiny grant – (see Treasurer’s report). The SCC will receive $500.
d. Tracking – Jim requested that Amy finish the tracking data update in two
weeks. Two tracking routes did not have an adequate number of visits but
they may still be included in the analyses. Jim contacted Jens and Jens has agreed to add the new data and produce maps by the end of May. In the fall, the SCC will begin planning the tasks (example: winter workshop) for which we received the grant.
e. Vernal pool mapping project – Vermont Center for Ecostudies and Arrowwood Environmental are conducting vernal pool mapping throughout
Vermont. In 2010, they are focusing on the middle of the state. They will be
hosting a training for vernal pool mapping at the Ripton Elementary School on Monday, April 26th at 5:00 – 8:00 pm. The questions the SCC has concerning this project will be addressed after the training; 2 or 3 of us are signed up to attend.
Actions to be taken:
• Chris will give the May 8th Town Forest walk information to Mary Burchard; will create a poster for this event; create posters for the online auction, including researching lamination for the posters; will arrange pick up of items by the auction winners; will attend the vernal pool mapping training; work with Preston on fixing the critter cam.
• Jim will put up Town Forest walk posters at the Landfill, Kampersville, and in Middlebury; e-mail walk and auction info to VT Family Forests and Audubon; talk to Ron Hardt about the wildlife summary for the Town Forest; ask for a donation of maple syrup for the raffle; provide refreshments for the Meet and Greet.
• Heidi will put up Town Forest walk posters at the Post Office, Salisbury School, and in East Middlebury; talk with Ken T. about the raffle and tables that we can use; set up the raffle with Barrie at the Fling; will create tear-off tickets for the auction posters; send a newspaper announcement for the raffle and auction to Mary Burchard; provide refreshments for the Meet and Greet; attend the vernal pool mapping training.
• Preston will work with Chris on the critter cam.
• Barrie will set up the raffle with Heidi at the Fling; provide refreshments for the Meet and Greet.
• Sue will complete the draft and final of the minutes; attend the vernal pool mapping training.
• All members: find more items to raffle; provide Chris with e-mail addresses for the auction if so desire.
Next meeting: May 13, 2010
Meeting adjourned 9:05PM.