MEETING
Pocono Avian Research Center
Board of Directors Meeting
December 31, 2018- ONLINE
1. Call to order
2. Accounts balanced at $21606.91 with accounts receivable outstanding in the amount of $346.  If anyone has any questions concerning the budget, please ask.
3. Minutes: In the past meeting, we approved all minutes from past meetings, and began a discussion about the upcoming programs at Kettle Creek.  Diane contributed an article about the Audubon Center in Philadelphia.  We should plan a trip in the coming year.  Please take a moment to
VOTE to approve minutes from August 27, 2018
4. Director Report: Happy New Year!!!    We have enjoyed our first year in the office at Kettle Creek.  We received a second desk from Lisa, and have to reorganize the space for the New Year.  When more than one person is working, it can get tight using the tables available in the prep room, and we also saw ourselves squeezed in during the owl banding when the building was filled with other meetings.  It is an exciting start!

We still need to better promote our events, so that we can help support the organizations that invited us.  Please repost any events you see on facebook, and we have added a calendar to the website for people to view the events that are upcoming.  We could use any additional ideas on how to market these types of events to increase attendance.
Finally, we need 3 additional board members for our organization.  Would anyone like to work on nominations for additional board members? I will head the committee in 2019.
5. Education report:  We continue to do monthly programs with the Brodhead Watershed Association water wiser kids program.  Additionally, we have been invited to participate in the programming for Kettle Creek in the start of 2019.  All of these are in addition to the one-day community events and other birding programs we do.  Bekah has created a calendar on the website.  Take a look!
6. Research report: Our research season ended with a still more rain in November.   We had 85 new northern saw whet owls, 2 foreign recaptures, and 1 barred owl to start the season.  Our intern, Alissa, will be invited to the annual meeting in January.  Bekah and Steven are banding for the winter feeder fidelity project.  We will try to create a report on the research by then of the winter.
7. New Business:  I hope everyone is registered to join us for the annual dinner on JANUARY 27, 2019   from 1-4 pm, at the Stroudsmoor.  I would like to hold a short (15 mins) meeting prior to the event.  Please let me know if you can meet at 12:30 pm
8. Meeting adjourned

Agenda:

1. Call to order
2. Review of last meeting
3. Treasurer’s report
4. Director’s report
5. Fundraising report
6. Owl news
7. New business
8. adjourn

Pocono Avian Research Center
Board of Directors Meeting
August 27, 2018- ONLINE

1. Call to order
2. Accounts balanced at $18,700.50 with accounts payable outstanding in the amount of $750.  Lisa will be setting up the Quickbooks accounts this quarter and we will be able to provide a profit/loss statement at the next meeting.  If anyone has any questions concerning the budget, please ask.
3. Minutes:
   VOTE to approve minutes from September 10, 2017
   VOTE to approve minutes from February 4, 2018
   
4. Director Report: We have moved into our new space!! Starting this past spring, we have moved all of the files and archives into our new space at the Monroe County Conservation District.  We are well situated with a desk, bookshelf and storage space.  There are a few furnishings still needed to complete our space and they include a 4-foot folding table or light desk and a desk lamp for out interns and office help. If anyone has pieces that you are willing to give away please let me know. 

We have already had one program meeting with Roger Spotts and Alesia Gallo, and we have begun to make plans for future programs each season.  It would be great to hold a Master Naturalist program, and a Wildlife Summit with local environmental speakers in the early spring.  Is anyone interested in helping promote these types of events? We could really use the help.
We have also been invited to do a number of events in the community.  One thing that we need is to better promote these events, so that we can help support the organizations that invited us and get more people out to learn about them.  Lisa is doing a great job of posting to Facebook, so if you see it and could repost these events it would be great.  Also, we could use any additional ideas on how to market these types of events to increase attendance.
Finally, we need additional board members for our organization.  Would anyone like to work on nominations for additional board members?
5. Education report:  we completed a lot of great programs this summer.  We did three science programs for the Barrett Friendly Library for the summer program.  We have also been invited to do monthly programs for The Nature Conservancy in Long Pond, and finally we have been invited to do monthly programs with the Brodhead Watershed Association water wiser kids program.  All of these are in addition to the one-day community events and other birding programs we do. 
6. Research report: Our research season ended with a rainy day in August.  The season had a lot of schedule problems, but the interns Ty, Gabe, and Luc, held it together and really gave us as much help as they could.  We were joined at the end of the season by Stephanie Augustine who is a graduate of Cedar Crest College and is looking for seasonal work in the field. We were grateful for her help.  As usual, we provided several research related programs for the Kettle Creek day camp and conservation camp.  In the fall, we are getting ready for Owl banding season, and we have schedule education programs on Friday nights in October and November.  Come out and join us any night.
7. New Business:  Please let me know if there is any new business to discuss.
8. Meeting adjourned

AGENDA
Pocono Avian Research Center
Board of Directors Meeting
February 4, 2017- ONLINE
1.  Call to order
2.  Accounts balanced at $16,039.73  with 1108 in accounts receivable
3.  Minutes: minutes for the board meeting on October 10, 2017 will be available for a vote in the next meeting.
4.  Please take a look at the end of the year budget numbers from 2017 (attached).  I appreciate any questions you may have.
5.  VOTE: Please look at the budget projections for 2018 (attached).  We need a Motion to approve the budget for fiscal year 2018.  A second on the motion.  And your vote.  Please enter your votes on the website at http://www.poconoavianresearch.org/board-of-directors.html, scroll down for the meeting button and enter the password:  PARC8620
6.  VOTE: Please vote to reinstate the following slate of directors for 2018 (abstaining from the vote for yourself).
Darryl Speicher president
Lisa Schreffler secretary/treasurer
Mildred Bernstein board member
John Leiser board member
Diane Wong board member
Jackie Speicher, Director

7.  Following our discussion of payment for the summer research season, Rebekah Snyder left the board to become the paid biologist for 2017.  Bekah has now finished her Bachelor of Science degree and is looking for work experience in the field.  While she is still in eastern PA, we would like to hire her as a contract employee starting in 2018.  We are looking for your input as to the contents and formatting of the contract.  Please submit all comments on the website.
    At present the contract will consist of a salary of $10/hour which will be monitored by the Director.  Bekah will complete a weekly report of hours, and be paid on a bimonthly basis. There will be no withholding from this salary.
     Requirements:  The contract employee will be responsible for:

• locating and applying for grants for continuation of the research mission
• creating and organizing fundraising activities
• administrative tasks as needed
• making study skins from the salvage collection
• research coordinator for all banding projects
• writing papers for publication
• PARC newsletter (4 times a year)

 8.  Director Report: We are in need of additional board members.  Would anyone like to work on nominations for additional board members? We are involved in talks with the Monroe County Conservation District to open an office at their location this winter.  It is again time to pack up the paperwork and get it off of the dining room table.  We will staff the new office at least 3 days a week, and we will have access to the facilities including the 166-acre preserve, classroom space, building use for fundraisers, education programs, and other events.  When the district completes work on the contract, I will send along the details.  Are there any thoughts for services we should request on the contract?  I am open to all suggestions.
PARC purchased the swipe square reader so that we can now take credit cards directly using the phone.  I have downloaded the app on my phone.  Please let me know if you would like to have a square reader and I will connect you to the app download.  The purchase price of the original square reader was reimbursed, and they have sent a second one for our use.
There were 30 people registered for this year's dinner event (28 in attendance).  Two of our interns from 2017, Lee Schuler (spring 17) and Dakota Hettel (MAPS 17), were in attendance.  I enjoyed seeing everyone at the Stroudsmoor this weekend.
9.  New Business:
10.  Meeting adjourned

Pocono Avian Research Center
Board of Directors Meeting
June 6, 2017- ONLINE

1. Call to order
2. Accounts balanced at $14391.34.
3. Director Report: It has been an incredible spring.  I am excited about the upcoming banding season, and about some of the great activities we have in store.  Please read below, vote on the contract request, and include your comments as we begin our 18th year of MAPS research.  Thank you all for your great support of the research center!
4. Education Committee: a. We are planning to be involved in two bird festivals this year: Bird Fest will take place at Kettle Creek on June 10 (from 8-1pm), and Owl-palooza will take place at the Roof in Paradise Township on September 26 (from 12-4 pm).  All educational games and materials are welcome.  We will also need some help for food concessions at the Owl-palooza.  Save the date, and we will have more information to come.  b. PARC provided some great activities and an educational table for Earth Day 2017.  Thank you to everyone who made it possible especially Lee Schuler with her watercolor bird project and Bekah Snyder with the bird weight game.  Thank you for manning the table through the day, and for all the help with set-up and clean-up.  c. We are planning for another Live meeting in October 2017.  Check your calendars, and let's pick a good date for everyone to meet.
5. Research Committee:   a. Research has begun and the MAPS banding schedule is out.  Please let me know if you would like a copy of the schedule.  We have two interns for the summer: Dakota Hettel and Ben Hawes.  They are excited for the hands-on experience, and attended each training session.  Lee (our spring intern) is also joining us for the start of the season.  b. PARC attended the first annual Bird Blitz at the Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge.  After an exciting morning, there were 89 species observed and recorded for the refuge (see attached summary).  A great start for this annual tradition, and this interesting research spot.
6. Grants Committee: We were not awarded a grant from the Pennsylvania Academy of Science for completion of the DNA analysis at ESU.  The cost will be supplied by donors and out account to get the data analyzed this summer.   
7. Audit Committee: nothing to report.  Audit reports of the first two quarters will be completed before the next meeting in the fall.
8. VOTE: I would like to contract for Bekah Snyder to be the paid biologist for the 2017 research season.  The contract would be for $2000.00.  Please enter your votes on the website at http://www.poconoavianresearch.org/board-of-directors.html, scroll down for the meeting button and enter the password:  PARC8620
9. New Business:
10. Meeting adjourned
    

AGENDA
Pocono Avian Research Center
Board of Directors Meeting
February 3, 2017- ONLINE

1. Call to order
2. VOTE: to approve the minutes from October 16, 2016.
3. Accounts balanced at $13997.64 with $841.00 in accounts receivable.
4. VOTE: Please vote to approve the projected budget for 2017.
5. Director Report: (a) We have been awarded PA state non-profit status- and our new certificate will expire in 2021. (b) Thank you to everyone for attending our meeting in October at the Billy's Pocono Diner.  I would like to try another in-person meeting this year.  If anyone would like to take charge of planning that, please let me know. (c) Our annual dinner on January 8, 2017 was a great success.  The crowd of 29 people came to celebrate our year end achievements and play a fun birding game with Darryl.  I am sorry that some of you were missing, and I hope that you will be at the next one.  We used your donations to pay for meals for the students who came out.  The dinner made almost $400 that will be used to pay for our annual insurance premiums.  Thank you again!!
6. Education Committee: (a)As the year begins, Darryl has already been requested to speak at both campuses of Northampton Community College.  We hope you can attend, and we hope you will tell your friends about it.  (b) Lisa has been working on updating our Facebook page, and putting great articles there.  If you have any more information to share (programs, great articles, fun pictures) please send them to her.  (c) Let us know if you do a program and mention PARC, so we can add it to the activities list.
7. Research Committee:   After a short hiatus, our research meetings have begun again.  They are on Tuesday at 2 pm in the Sci Tech building at ESU (location may change).  Please let me know if you can join us.
8. Grants Committee: We are going to apply for a grant from the Pennsylvania Academy of Science for completion of the DNA analysis at ESU.  The cost is $500 for all of the samples we collected this past summer. 
9. Audit Committee: I have attached the budget for review.  If you have any questions, send them along.
10. New Business: We have received a mailing for membership in the Pocono Environmental Council.  The annual cost is $50.  Should we join? Let me know.

Any other news?

1. Meeting adjourned

 
 

Minutes
Meeting on October 16, 2016
Pocono Avian Research Center
Board of Directors Meeting
Billy's Pocono Diner, Tannersville, PA

Present: Darryl Speicher, Jackie Speicher, Mildred Bernstein, Lisa Schreffler, John Leiser
Absent: Diane Wong, John Styk
Guest: Rebekah Snyder

1. Call to order at 10 am at Billy's Pocono Diner.
   
2. Approval of minutes from July 7, 2016.  Darryl Speicher reviewed the minutes from July.  On a motion by Jackie, second by Mildred, the minutes were approved.
   
3. Financial Report: According to the Profit and Loss (P&L) statement, we are $169.03 in the red at the end of the second quarter.  Expenses included dinner at the Stroudsmoor, insurance, and website.  Income is from education programs and general donations.  Accounts balanced at $13,791.54 with $325 in accounts receivable.
   
4. Directors report   (a)In March/April 2016 we wrote a letter of support for an easement with The Nature Conservancy - we may be able to access the property for research.  We also have an agreement with the Buck Hill Conservation Foundation to access their three acre bird sanctuary.  Additionally, we have applied for and received the station permit for Kettle Creek. We have been making some strong connections in the county. (b)We have been holding weekly research meetings (Monday at noon at Dunkin Donuts in Bartonsville).  Everyone is welcome to attend these meetings.  Please join us when you can and give us your expertise. cWe have been doing some additional presentations for NCC: Darryl and John (Jackie and Lisa were present) did a banding presentation at NCC Monroe Campus for the US Dept of Education (DoE), PA DoE, local politicians, NCC administrators, faculty and students.  John reported that the presentation was well received.  NCC had been awarded a 'green ribbon' award and this was intended to showcase some of the activities NCC has been supporting .
5. Education Committee   (a)education programs: Garlic festival, Cherry valley festival, PEEC warbler weekend, Lackawanna College, Barrett Library ( 6-part program)  (b)Bekah was asked to do an education program in Scranton in December.  (c)(Darryl reports) Kettle Creek Friday night owl banding programs will take place during October.  PR has gone in the county and on the Kettle creek Facebook Page. (d)(Lisa reports) Face book Page: send her stories.  The page has a lot of likes, and is linked to the bird theme for NEH grant at NCC.
6. Research Committee   (a)Stephen Kloiber: Owl eye color research is going well.  He has written a few paragraphs.  Lisa has helped with the data analysis.  (b)Bekah reported on progress in the Grey Catbird and barberry study: we will be looking at DNA analysis this fall, and the color banding will go on for one more year.  We are sure it is not just Barberry presence/absence but age of the plant as well.  It is being used for nest sites, and maybe food resources.  (c)John's student have been coming out to owl banding.  They have been very helpful and dependable.  This will be worth service learning credit to them.   (d)Lisa reported on her bird research.  Jackie and Stephen have been listening to the sound files and helping to analyze the recordings.  Very slow process.   (e)There was no Snipe Hunt in 2016.  We will reevaluate and maybe try again in 2017.   (f)Bluebird Nest Box project has been successful at Buck Hill.  This finished up at the end of August.  We have one dedicated volunteer at Buck Hill (Carol Klatt) who has been helping out.
7. Community Activities - We have a lot of good community partners: The Nature Conservancy, Monroe County Conservation District, Kettle Creek Environmental Ed Center, Lackawanna College Environmental Ed Center, East Stroudsburg University, Buck Hill Conservation Foundation, Pocono Environmental Ed Center, Brodhead Watershed Assoc, Barrett Paradise Friendly Library.
8. New Business    (a)Change in the board: John Styk- Board member since 2010.  He is interested in helping with big projects, but has been unable to attend most meetings, especially online.  John should be removed from the board for inactivity.    (b)Change in the board: Rebekah Snyder is a long-time volunteer, who was hired as a biologist in 2015 and 2016.  Bekah has been very helpful in all aspects of the research.  We would like to invite her to join the board.  On a motion from Lisa, second by Mildred: all in favor.    (c)Status update on NCC merge: John is working on a business plan for the college.  The merger would include office space, separate endowment under NCC foundation, salary for a full time person (50/50 split) who would teach and run the center.  Future plans for the center include generating new courses such as field ornithology, research techniques, and more.  In 2017 NCC will begin a capital campaign for their 50th anniversary: we will get a line item in the budget and donations can be earmarked for the center. John indicates this will happen sometime soon.   (d)Annual dinner will be held on January 8 (1-4 pm) and is usually at the Stroudsmoor.  We make about $1.00 on each person attending, and the remainder of the fundraising is from the silent auction.  Jackie will look into other venues to see if there are other good choices out there.  Everyone is happy with the Stroudsmoor: so we may stay with them.
9. Next Meeting: January 8, 2017 Prior to the annual dinner.
10. Adjourn at 11:24 am.

MINUTES for meeting on May 15, 2016
Pocono Avian Research Center
Board of Directors Meeting
May 15, 2016 - ONLINE

1. Call to order
2. ON a motion made by Darryl Speicher and seconded by Mildred, the board voted to approve the minutes from January 19, 2016. From Lisa: I approve the minutes.
3. Accounts balanced at $15,443.30 with $175 to deposit and $300 in accounts receivable.
4. Director Report: We have started the training for summer MAPS season.  Our fall intern, Suzanne Reigle, is attending the training in preparation for the fall.  We have several students working with us this summer, but no official interns.  Rebekah Snyder will be paid as a research biologist for the summer.  She is working on a Grey Catbird study for independent research credit at ESU. 
5. Education Committee: This spring we held educational programs at the Barrett Library, the Lackawanna College EE Center, the Pocono EE Center, and Buck Hill Conservation Foundation.  We have developed a six-part birding class at the Barrett Library this summer for late July/August.
6. Research Committee: Congratulations to Bekah Snyder, Angela Clements, and Ryan Brancato for presenting a poster at Lehigh University during The Lehigh Valley Ecology and Evolution Symposium.  The poster examined the relationship between the changing plant community and the number of grey catbirds found at our research sites.  The research continues this summer with our 16th season of banding in the Poconos.  We have received the station permit for Kettle Creek, where we will begin color banding studies on the Grey Catbird this summer.  From Mildred: Congratulations to Bekah, Angela and Ryan! Also, congratulations for 16 years of banding in the Poconos.
7. Grants Committee: No grants for this season
8. Audit Committee: Nothing to report
9. New Business

In March, we received the following request from The Nature Conservancy: We’re applying for funding to buy a 56-acre conservation easement in Cherry Valley, near the Blakeslee Farm.  We’d like PARC to be a partner in the use of the property (as your time permits).  So I’d appreciate your sending me an email or letter on your letterhead along the lines of the attached.  We replied with a letter of support, sent in April (April 4, 2016).
From Mildred: Keep up the wonderful work!
From Lisa: Looks great. Congrats to the interns for presenting the research! I am looking forward to helping with some grant writing and banding this summer.
10.  Meeting adjourned

AGENDA for meeting on July 7, 2016
Pocono Avian Research Center
Board of Directors Meeting
July 7, 2016 - ONLINE

1. Call to order
2. VOTE: to approve the minutes from May 15, 2016.
3. Accounts balanced at $15,978.87 with $300 in accounts receivable.
4. Director Report: (a) This is our year to reapply for PA state non-profit status- our current certificate expires in late July 2016.  I have completed the paperwork, which will be mailed out this week.  The state provided us with a temporary certificate until we have been approved.  (b)  We applied for and received a VISA credit card from our local bank.  Currently we hold an American Express card, which was not accepted at all venues.  This new card should reconcile that problem.  (c)  We are still awaiting news from John Leiser about the move to NCC. 
5. Meeting: I would like to schedule a meeting on Sunday, September 25, 2016 at 3pm.  Location TBD.  Please check your calendars and let me know if you would be able to attend.
6. Education Committee: Summer programs include a banding demonstration for The Nature Conservancy in August, conservation camp banding demo, and the birding program for the library.  Let us know if you do a program and mention PARC, so we can add it to the activities list.
7. Research Committee:   (a) Several students started MAPS training in May, however they did not stay on into the season.    (b) We have hired Stephen as MAPS station manager, and he will be doing a project using the owl banding data to identify trends in eye color, sex, age, and mass.  (c)  Gray Catbird project is moving along well.  This week Bekah identified two catbird nests and located possible sites of three others.  One nest has 4-eggs in it. Very Exciting!!       (d)Color banding studies have begun at Kettle Creek.  Along with the silver USGS band on the right leg, we have added a plastic color band to the left leg of all gray catbirds this summer.  Hatch years receive blue bands, adult males are yellow and adult females are red.  This has helped us to identify gender of catbirds observed n the field, and also helps us identify birds we have banded in past years. All banders quickly became proficient at attaching the color bands.
8. Grants Committee: We are always looking for grant opportunities.
9. Audit Committee: We have completed the first two quarters of 2016, and our accounts are in good shape.  I will have our accounting paperwork completed by end of July.
10. New Business
11. Meeting adjourned
    

Pocono Avian Research Center
Board of Directors Meeting
May 15, 2016 - ONLINE

1. Call to order
2. VOTE: to approve the minutes from January 19, 2016.
3. Accounts balanced at $15,443.30 with $175 to deposit and 300 in accounts receivable.
4. Director Report: We have started the training for summer MAPS season.  Our fall intern, Suzanne Reigle, is attending the training in preparation for the fall.  We have several students working with us this summer, but no official interns.
5. Education Committee: This spring we are scheduled for educational programs at the Barrett Library, the Lackawanna College EE Center, the Pocono EE Center, and Buck Hill Conservation Foundation.  Plans are underway for a birding class at the Barrett Library this summer.
6. Research Committee: Congratulations to Bekah Snyder, Angela Clements, and Ryan Brancato for presenting a poster at Lehigh University during The Lehigh Valley Ecology and Evolution Symposium.  The poster examined the relationship between the changing pant community and the number of grey catbirds found at our research sites.  The research continues this summer with our 16th season of banding in the Poconos.  We have received the station permit for Kettle creek, where we will begin color banding studies on the Grey Catbird this summer.
7. Grants Committee: We are planning to send several grants this year to Norcross Wildlife Foundation
8. Audit Committee: Nothing to report
9. New Business
10. Meeting adjourned

Pocono Avian Research Center
Board of Directors Meeting
January 19, 2016 - ONLINE
 
Present: Darryl Speicher, Jackie Speicher, Mildred Bernstein, Lisa Schreffler, Diane Wong
Absent: John Leiser, John Styk

1. Call to order online
2. Minutes from December 2015 were approved.
3. Accounts balanced at $15484.00 with $655 in accounts receivable.
4. VOTE to approve the budget: Motion made by Darryl, second by Mildred, all approved.
5. VOTE: the board positions were approved
6. Director Report: We had another wonderful celebration and champagne toast at the annual dinner.  We spoke about the great work of our interns this year, and presented certificates to Ryan Brancato and Angela Clements.  We also acknowledged Steven Kloiber -long time volunteer who will be helping run the Feeder Fidelity project this year.  We thanked the entire Green family, especially Sara Green - who earned her Girl Scout Gold Award - for the Owl Fest Celebration which was a huge success in the community.  We will be helping with the Earth Day 2016 celebration (April 23, 2016). 
7. Education Committee: Darryl has already been invited to do the birding weekend for Pocono Environmental Education Center again in 2016. PARC just completed a program for the Barrett Friendly Library.
8. Research Committee: We are still waiting to hear about our master station permit for Kettle Creek, so banding continues under Darryl's Master Bander permit.
9. Grants Committee: As always, we are actively searching for grant opportunities for this year and next.
10. Audit Committee: 2015 budget is completed.  We had a surplus of $3369.44.  This is the fifth (5th) year in a row that we have ended with a surplus.  The Annual Dinner gets paid out in the ‘Professional expenses’ line item in January.  Last year’s dinner cost: $514.54 -  $100 deposit paid in Dec 2014, and $414.54 paid in January 2015. In Dec 2015 we paid the $100 deposit for the dinner out of Professional expenses.  The income for the dinner is located in ‘General income’ and the income from the auction is in ‘Fundraising income.’ The workbook has the detailed information about each donation and whether it is for the dinner, just a donation, etc.  ‘Program expenses’ is the money we pay for volunteer and intern expenses- whether it is contracted money, equipment reimbursement, or whatever.  The $1800 is for Bekah ($1300) and Angela ($500).  Bekah received the last of her money in the fourth quarter ($700).
11. New Business- none
12. Meeting adjourned