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Vice president Jim Larson distributed packets on monarch larval monitoring and showed members several items they'll need (field notebook, hand lens, thermometer, clip-board, pencil, rain gauge and rubber bands). Pat Thomas mentioned we could place a group order for some or all of these items. Jim feels we should be ready to start by the end of May. Members are asked to think of milkweed sites for monitoring. Jim thought we could form teams for the project, especially this first year as we will all be learning. Jim will contact people about the next step in this project. President Pat Thomas announced that the first butterfly garden planning session had taken place and another one is planned for Sunday, 2 March. Please check web site or contact Pat for details on place. Time is 1 p.m. and we think it will be at DeWitt-Seitz Building, Canal Park, third floor conference room. Tavis Westbrook of Prairie Restorations then gave his talk on native plant communities of NE Minnesota. He suggested books for further reading on our local native plants and talked about his organization's goals for this area. Tavis assured that NABA members will have milkweed this summer. President Pat Thomas ended the meeting with a card for members to sign for Muriel Shirey's friends and family. Muriel passed away on 31 January 2003. Pat proposed we name our butterfly count "The Muriel Shirey Memorial Butterfly Count" - everyone agreed. Pat also proposed we donate a stone for Muriel in NABA's butterfly park. It was agreed that we do this, too, in honor of Muriel. Her love of butterflies and bright spirit will be sadly missed, but we know her spirit lives on. Meeting ended on a cold winter night with visions of butterflies. Submitted by Pat Thomas
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