Minutes October 20, 2012

Pocono Avian Research Center
Board of Directors Meeting – pre meeting notes
October 20, 2012
Location: Northampton Community College
MINUTES

1.      Call to order at 10:31 a.m. Present: Darryl Speicher, Jackie Speicher, Mildred Bernstein, John Leiser, and Lisa Schreffler (via phone). Absent: Diane Wong, John Styk

2.      Review minutes of the last meeting.  Approve minutes: motion MB, second JL, all approve

3.      Financial report: We have opened a new account at ESSA (in the new branch opened in Mountainhome) and plan to close the account at Keystone Community Bank by the end of the year.  ESSA balance = $ 1879.72; Keystone Community Bank balance = $ 5835.32.  There are $ 493 in deposits to be made, and Accounts receivable include invoices # 116,117,118,119,120 = $ 1200.  Recent equipment purchase include: new CD player-$50, Compasses-$179.40.  We should have someone audit the books.  Motion to approve financial report: Motions MB, second JS, all approve.

4.      Director’s Report:
a.       We continue to do well with the office at our house in Cresco.  I am still on the lookout for a small office space that would be inexpensive to rent in order to facilitate meetings with interns and for possible expansion of the research center in the future. I will call on Mrs. Biles; she owns an empty house on RTE 390 near the Skytop entrance.  Also, look into the Texter’s properties.
b.      The website has is the top referral site on the Delaware national Recreation Area website bird page.
c.       Visitors have been steady to the website and many of them are taking advantage of the comment forms within the site pages.  This I a positive feedback to the site.  I have been updating the home page monthly, and anyone who wants to write the cover letter to the visitors is welcome to e-mail me their information and I will put it on the page. 
d.      Take a look at the new website and I would appreciate any feedback you could give.  I have added a few new items.  Anyone who wants to write the home page letter is welcome to.  I have been updating the website each month.

5.      Education report: Lots of public programs this summer/fall: ppl, project Owlnet, libraries, Lackawanna Environmental Institute, and lots of groups at Skytop.

6.      Research report:
a.       Everyone should take a moment to look at the Owlnet manual we developed with the students at Northampton.  John Leiser was able to get them printed at NCC, and we have been using them and handing them out all fall.  They have been well received.  This is a great tool for the banding season.  We will look to adding more pictures to the manual and then uploading it onto the website as a pdf.  
b.      Many thanks to Steven Kloiber for his help with the Cerulean Warbler surveys.  We completed four surveys for the Kalamazoo Nature Center this summer.
c.       The Girl Scout bluebird project went well.  Only one scout submitted data under the contact forms but that went well.  I am contacting the troop leader soon to make arrangements to move the page off of password protection.
d.      Project Owlnet is beginning.  We have two interns: Amanda Schwartz from University of PA and Kevin Boyle from ESU.  We will also have lots of help from NCC students and old interns. Amanda is working on a project to define the Owlnet data in a descriptive paper which will also estimate owl populations.  Kevin will determine his project in the next few weeks.  
e.       MAPS interns Autumn Swan is still working on a paper about bird behavior in the net and at the banding station.  We will submit it to a journal for comments before submitting to Northeast naturalist for publication.  Amber was able to learn enough this summer to get her master’s bander permit so she may continue her research into the Black-capped chickadee.  MAPS Data will be set to IBP and BBL this week.
f.       We have given sub-permits to Stephen Kloiber and Dan Zmoda and they have been very helpful with the owl banding this station this season.  They are also a part of the feeder fidelity project we have begun in the winter.  We need to look into finding and training more people to help out at the station.  Perhaps we could advertise to train people through ORNJOBS.  We need to locate funds to pay these trainees.

7.      Fundraising report:
a.       We will begin to make plans for the annual dinner on January 6, 2013.  Clear your calendars and invite many people to attend this wonderful buffet at the Stroudsmoor this is our biggest fundraiser all year, so we need to get the people out.  I will get ticket prices out asap.
b.      We could develop a gift shop on the website with Jacob’s help.  Presently this could contain Adopt-a-Bird certificates for the holidays, and maybe tee shirts.  Jackie will look into T-shirt websites that allow us to order by the piece for a reasonable cost. 

8.      New business:
a.       Perhaps there is an opportunity to structure a field study class that could combine our contacts with the NCC and ESU faculty.  This type of class needs to be transferrable to other universities.  John Leiser will look into this possibility.
b.      FIVE YEAR PLAN.  We need to develop a new five and ten year plan for the research center.  Please feel free to use the comment board to send your ideas.  I will ask for new ideas and begin to develop the plan at the next board meeting this winter.
c.       Social media: Bekah would like to begin work on a social network for the center using facebook.  This is a good step and we could use more pictures and text about what we do in order to facilitate this networking.  Mildred would be interested in also being an administrator on the page so she could add content.
d.      Grants: Norcross Wildlife Foundation-application for digital camera and sound equipment (Jackie will be sending this out next week).  Cora L Brooks Foundation-studies along the waterways (John will look into this); EPA-continuation of the invasive study (John will look into this).  Other grant sources could include PA American Waters grants and Clean & Green grants (Jackie will look into these).
e.       Board Members: it may be time to add new board members to the group.  Please look into your contacts and see if anyone would be helpful for the organization.  Be prepared to bring up a few names at the winter meeting.

9.      Birds    Pine Siskins have been very common this fall and early winter.  Red Crossbills were sighted by captain Dan in the yard.  This could be a great winter for birds.

10.  Adjourn at 11:48 motion JL, second LS, all approve.

11.  Next meeting will be Online format in December 2012.

Thank you for all your support.
Respectfully submitted,
Jackie Speicher