2007 Meeting Minutes

September, 2007

Jane welcomed everyone and asked if there were any proposed changes to the minutes from the August meeting. There were not. Eldon Scott could not be at the meeting but Jane reported that the Association now had 10 paid members and a treasury balance of $500.

The WNS education committee is soliciting MN alumni input on test and course content in preparation for the next Master Naturalist class beginning in January. Suggestions were made including that there could be an essay component where participants actually perform observation and interpretation. Comments will be forwarded to the committee

Jane made the group aware that the Evansville Parks Department was asking residents to complete an online survey regarding their interests in Evansville parks and recreation. A number in attendance had already completed the survey and felt it was worthwhile. The survey can be accessed through the following website: www.usi.edu/parksurvey.asp
Lauren told the group that Fall Flutterby was a great success and thanked everyone that helped with the event. The evening insect hike was rescheduled for September 29th because of rain. She asked the group to think about more possible activities for adults during next year’s event. Some suggestions given included Monarch tagging, instruction on raising butterflies, and details on how to be a Monarch way station.

Jane distributed the new WNS Program Guide to give everyone a feel for the types of programs they might be asked to assist with in the future.

Susan shared that plans for the first ever Ohio Valley Birding Festival were coming along nicely and that members of the Steering Committee were very excited about this new event. A week of hikes, lectures, workshops and activities will focus on educating people about migratory birds and the importance of protecting and providing habitat to ensure their survival. The event would be held over a number of days, but primarily occur on the weekend of May 2-4, 2008. She asked that all interested Master Naturalists please reserve the date now because there would be plenty of opportunity for docents to assist during the festival. Committees will start forming soon. Those specifically interested in helping plan or assist with the children’s activity area were encouraged to attend the Flying Wild curriculum training to be held on November 17th. Those in attendance offered a variety of suggestions for activities and sponsors. Susan will forward these on to the Steering Committee.

Lauren gave an impromptu tour of the newly renovated raptor facilities. She’s very busy training docents and new raptors! Master Naturalists with an interest in becoming a raptor handler are invited to speak to Lauren about being included in the next raptor docent training class.

Our next meeting will be held at the nature center at 6:30 PM on Monday, October 15. Heidi has arranged for Chuck Price, Professor of Science Education at USI, to give a presentation on the USI Bluebird Trail. Dr. Price will begin his talk at 6:30 sharp, so don't be late!

More info on the Bluebird trail can be found at: http://www.usi.edu/bluebird/.


Upcoming volunteer opportunities:


10/13 Recycle Saturday at Old Wal-Mart West, 8 am – Noon

10/20 & 21 “Tree”mendous Tree Weekend at WWNP





Upcoming educational opportunities:
10/16 John Castrale, IN DNR to speak about IN Raptors at WWNP @ 7 pm

11/17 Flying Wild curriculum training @ JJ Audubon State Park, 9 am-2 pm


Scott will be conducting Bird Banding Workshops during the upcoming months. If you would like to receive training in bird banding techniques and skills, please come on out. Practice is the only way to build confidence and learn the tricky techniques of removing birds from the mist net.

Please check these dates on your calendar:
Sunday, November 4, 9am-10:30am
Sunday, December 2, 1:00pm-2:30pm
Thursday, January 17, 9:00am-10:30am

A few of the dates listed are also open to the public, these are on Sunday mornings or afternoons.
The January date will be just for a Master Naturalists training class.

Scott says: "The last afternoon Bird Banding Workshop that I offered had over 50 public participants who came to watch and learn! It was somewhat overwhelming, but great. I could definitely use help during the workshops by trained Master Naturalists. This is a hands-on workshop for all who attend, as they assist with banding, recording information, and releasing banded birds. Generally, only trained hands assist with removal of birds from the net due to the difficulty of removing them, this is where I need help!
This will also be excellent training so that you can assist with the Ohio Valley Bird Festival during the first weekend May of 2008."

Contact Scott at skramer@wesselmannaturesociety.org or (812) 479-0771 ext. 102




August 20, 2007

Hello again, everyone!

Big thanks to Paul & Heidi Doss who hosted a great picnic at their farm.

Our geology field trip has been rescheduled for Saturday, September 22, and I will pass along the details as I receive them.

Treasurer Eldon Scott wants to remind everyone that we agreed on $25 annual dues. If you haven't yet paid, you can bring your dues to the next meeting, or send your dues to:

Eldon Scott
2561 W. 1125 S.
Haubstadt, IN 47639

Laurie Liggett is working on a design for volunteer name badges, and is hoping to collect photos of everyone. Details TBA.


Our next meeting will take place at WWNP on September 17 at 6:30 PM. Hope to see you all there!

:) Gena :)




July 16, 2007

( 1 ) Business

Lois Schmidt provided wonderful snacks for the meeting. Thanks, Lois!

Eldon and Jane are working on getting a tax ID number for SIMNA, and will set up a bank account for the group. The bylaws have been amended to state that in the event that the SIMNA group dissolves, any remaining assets will be donated to Wesselman Nature Society.

The KEB Litter Survey has been completed, and SIMNA will receive $250 from Keep Evansville Beautiful for the brand-new treasury! Thanks to everyone who helped with the survey!


( 2 ) Bird Festival

Mark your calendars! The first-ever Evansville-area bird festival is being planned for May 1 - 4, 2008. Wesselman Nature Society is joining forces with the local Wild Birds Unlimited, the Evansville Audubon Society, Audubon State Park in Henderson, and SIMNA to create a birding education festival. SIMNA has been asked to handle the kids' craft areas, and there will be lots of volunteer opportunities associated with the event as a whole. Julie from Audubon State Park will be presenting a Flying Wild workshop sometime this Fall to help us gear up for the kids' programming. Stay tuned for more news about this exciting event!


( 3 ) Master Naturalist Geology Field Trip with Professor Paul Doss

Date: Saturday, August 11
Time: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Location: We will meet at the Doss farm (14501 Big Cynthiana Road) at 8:00 AM

From there, we will carpool to locations in the Hoosier National Forest. Tentative stops include Hemlock Cliffs Nature Preserve and a “world-class” roadcut at SR 37 and I-64. You/We will return to the Doss farm around 5:00 PM.

The option exists to camp somewhere in Hoosier (and the Dosses may choose to stay and camp!). If you are interested in camping, please let us know when you RSVP so we can plan accordingly.

Wear good hiking shoes. Bring a sack lunch, water and a daypack.

To RSVP and / or for directions, contact Heidi and Paul Doss at fidiot@evansville.net.


( 4 ) Night Hike

We ended our meeting with a wonderful night hike, led by Scott Kramer. If you have ideas for future educational programs, please contact Heidi Doss at fidiot@evansville.net.


( 5 ) Our next meeting will be a picnic! (really!)

Master Naturalist Picnic Potluck

Date:  Monday, August 20
Time:  6:30 – 10:00 PM
Location:  Doss Farm (14501 Big Cynthiana Road, email Heidi at fidiot@evansville.net for directions)

Bring:  A dish to share, a chair to sit on, and something to put on the grill

Agenda:  We will start with a regular member meeting, share a meal and then end with some star watching with Gena.




June 18, 2007

We opened the meeting with further discussion of the group's name, and then those present added their votes to those previously cast via email. When the count was finalized, the name chosen was Southwestern Indiana Master Naturalists Association, or SIMNA.

Eldon Scott has agreed to serve as the group's treasurer, so a motion was made and passed to accept the following slate of officers for the July 1, 2007 – June 30, 2008 SIMNA year:

President: Jane Magary
Vice President: Heidi Doss
Treasurer: Eldon Scott
Secretary: Gena Garrett

Annual dues of $25 were previously agreed upon.


Gena presented a short tutorial on how to use the features of the webpage.

Susan would like to let everyone know that 101 Trees of Indiana (recommended by instructor Ron Rathfron) and Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley, and the Southern Appalachians (recommended by instructor Debbie Goedde) are now in stock in the nature center shop.



Job Openings

Wesselman Woods Nature Preserve is adopting extended hours for the summer and fall, and is in need of people to staff the nature center in short afternoon and evening shifts. Beginning July 1, the nature center will be open 8 AM – 6 PM every day of the week, including Mondays. To apply for a position, contact Susan Haislip.



SIMNA Fundraiser

Keep Evansville Beautiful (formerly Operation City Beautiful) is looking for 4 – 5 Master Naturalists to conduct a litter survey of Evansville. Volunteers will need to be able to commit about twelve hours of work over 2 or 3 days. It has been suggested that the survey group meet on two or three Saturdays. Volunteers will visit several pre-selected neighborhoods by car, noting the presence or absence of litter in each area.

KEB will pay $250 to SIMNA for the project, which will be a great start to our treasury!

This project will not count toward Master Naturalist service hours.

Please contact Gena Garrett at gena.garrett@gmail.com or (812) 204-8475 if you’re interested in participating.



A Note of Thanks

Jane—

I wish to express a huge “thank you” to you and the Master Naturalist group for all of your help this spring at Howell Wetlands. Our second annual Earth Day celebration was a great success, and you and the other Master Naturalists were indispensable and great to work with. Our spring season of school programs at Howell Wetlands exploded in popularity and we saw a 900% growth in demand from last year. I couldn’t have accommodated this growth without the Master Naturalists who helped me lead large groups of children through the Wetlands.

I hope to continue a great relationship with all of you as we grow and expand with exciting new programs, projects, and events. Thank you for your interest, passion, and dedication to education and our WNS programs! You are more valuable than you know!

Your fellow nature lover,
Lauren Preske



Coming soon!

Project Learning Tree Workshop

Date: Saturday, August 25
Time: 9 AM - 4 PM
Location: Wesselman Woods Nature Preserve
Cost: free

Do you enjoy the outdoors? Want to teach others about the outdoors?

Project Learning Tree is an award-winning environmental education program designed for educators, scout leaders, or others working with children in indoor or outdoor settings, outdoor labs, nature centers, or at the zoo.

PLT is a hands-on learning experience, so come ready to be actively involved! PLT instructs you how to help students learn about the world around them, their place in the world, and their responsibility for it. This PLT workshop is free through a grant with the Indiana Hardwood Lumbermen's Association.

Participants in this 7 hour class will receive a free PLT activity guide with over 400 pages packed full of information and activities relating to forest and plant ecology, biodiversity, air quality and more. Bring a sack lunch.

Call Scott Kramer at 812-479-0771 ext 102 to register. Maximum number of participants is 30, so register as soon as possible!


Bird Festival

In May of 2008, WNS, the Evansville Audubon Society, and Wild Birds Unlimited will team up to host a bird education festival. Stan Tekiela, author of Birds of Indiana, will be the keynote speaker. SIMNA has been asked to plan the children's activities for the festival. If you're interested in helping with the planning, the Bird Festival committee will be meeting at the nature center at 7 PM on July 10. Stay tuned for more details!


The next meeting will be held on Monday, July 16 at 6:30 PM at the nature center. Lois Schmidt will provide snacks, and we will be going on a night hike in Wesselman Woods Nature Preserve.

If you'd like to volunteer to bring snacks for the August meeting, please let us know.




May 21, 2007

( 1 ) Who Are We?

There was a discussion about what to name the group, but no consensus was reached. It was decided that a vote would be the most fair way to decide on a group name. Names that have been suggested are:


Southwestern Indiana Master Naturalists Association

Southwestern Indiana Master Naturalists Association of Wesselman Nature Society

Wesselman Master Naturalists Association

Master Naturalists Association of Wesselman Nature Society


Please email your vote (or further suggestions) to Jane Magary at jmagary@dpat.com by Wednesday, June 13th .

We will announce the results and formalize the vote at our next meeting.


( 2 ) Business

Susan Haislip would like to ask that anyone who has not yet turned in a volunteer interest survey, please do so ASAP.

Heidi Doss has not only agreed to serve as our charter Vice-President, but she has also already begun putting together programs for future meetings. Dr. Paul Doss has offered to conduct a geology field trip for us in August or September. Heidi has also offered to teach a one-hour program about how children learn, to help us learn methods for introducing young people to the wonders of the natural world.

The position of treasurer remains open at this time.

Dues for membership in the group were set at $25 per year.

Those present agreed that there would be no requirement for additional hours to be a member of the group. Requirements would be to pass the Master Naturalist class and complete service hours.


( 3 ) Guest Speakers

Vic Chamness, President of Wesselman Nature Society's Board of Directors, spoke with the group about the relationship between the Society and the Master Naturalist group. He thanked the group for their volunteer service, and invited Master Naturalists to attend Board of Directors' meetings to provide input and / or to serve on BOD committees.

The BOD has discussed last month's request for reduced Wesselman Nature Society membership fees for Master Naturalists, and the matter has been referred to the Board's Finance and Education Committees for further consideration. A BOD representative will attend the next IMN meeting to anwer any questions from the group.

Vic also talked about the exciting things that were in the works such as working with the city to plan and budget for renovations to the Wesselman Woods Nature Center building and a building at Howell Wetlands.

Group president Jane Magary asked Vic to pass the class members' thanks on to the Board and staff for the terrific instruction provided by staff during the Master Naturalist class.


Amy Brown, Program Manager for Canoe Evansville, gave a presentation about Canoe Evansville and Pigeon Creek. She answered group members' questions and shared a wonderful slide show.

Canoe Evansville's volunteer group meets at the Roca Bar on Kentucky Ave. at 6:00 PM on the first Thursday of each month, and all Master Naturalists are welcome to attend.


( 4 ) Next Meeting:

The next meeting will be held at 6:30 PM on Monday, June 18 at the nature center. We will be finalizing the vote for our group name, and Gena will give a short presentation on how to access and use the features on this website. If you are interested in providing refreshments, please contact Jane Magary at jmagary@dpat.com, (812) 473-6535 (day), or (812) 401-2327.



April 23, 2007

Congratulations on completing the course, passing the exam, and beginning your volunteer hours! The next step is to join our brand new association for alumni.

We held our first organizational meeting on Monday, April 23. There were 20 people in attendance, and many others expressed interest in future attendance. We had a very positive discussion about staying “loosely” associated, with many expressing an interest in continuing to have educational meetings. We settled on trying to meet monthly on the third Monday at 6:30PM.

There was much discussion on what to call our association, so we will vote on that at our next meeting. Gena Garrett graciously volunteered to be our Secretary, and help create this newsletter to keep us informed! And until someone else volunteers, Jane Magary will act as President. That leaves the jobs of Vice-President and Treasurer up for grabs! Here’s your chance to take charge of this charter association and set the direction for the future. The subject of dues will also be voted on at our next meeting.

Next Meeting: May 21 at 6:30PM at the Nature Center.
There is a rumor that we may even have snacks and a speaker!



ANNOUNCEMENTS

Susan Haislip has requested that you turn in your volunteer interest list as soon as possible so that she can put together training for various volunteer positions. Please let her know what you want to help out with! shaislip@wesselmannaturesociety.org

Norma Duckworth needs help with Pickin on the Pigeon at Garvin Park on June 2, 2007. She will train volunteers to demonstrate the Enviroscape (the watershed model Lauren used in class) and explain handouts. Norma.duckworth@in.nacdnet.net