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