NABA
Northern Crescents Meeting Minutes
November 2005
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We received a monetary contribution from Pauline Kubis from Saginaw as a thank you for Jim Phillips lending her a monarch cage.
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Pat reports monarchs have arrived in Mexico.
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Wendy Grethen volunteered to be treasurer if needed.
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Thomas’s shared a NY Times (International 11/8/05) article about a man who followed monarchs from Montreal to Mexico in his ultralight to draw attention to the plight of the monarchs.
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Planning ideas
May 2006 meeting - Karen Oberhauser’s visit
Gail suggested we bring in an entomologist for a discussion and open forum to get some answers to questions we have about butterflies and other insects. Inviting local entomologists would lessen pressure of needing to draw large crowd to make the visit worthwhile. Other topics to discuss:
1. Biology & behavior
2. Why butterflies survive under certain conditions and not in others
3. Information about parasites
4. Old fields versus new fields
5. Heat and its effect/changing climates
6. Effect of hurricanes/storms
Theme meetings draw more people in (such as our identification classes)
Some chapters do outings and counts and one big symposium per year, not monthly meetings.
Perhaps do butterfly festival at a garden center or other place with better space to speak or do activities. Maybe lots of field trip options for a big conference.
Perhaps team with colleges since professors have to give lectures anyway
Perhaps do something with elder hostel group since they are here during butterfly times.
Discussion proceeded to defining our goals; educate public, better habitat, outreach (if this is our goal then maybe we should plan larger, one-time event to attract interest and more people.)
Perhaps move to every other month meetings during the winter; some groups meet only during the summer.
Maybe meet to combine discussion about favorite binoculars, instars & caterpillar guides as a start to butterfly season so people could go out and use the information immediately.
The idea of a large venue gathering took shape. We discussed having Karen Oberhauser’s presentation on “Unraveling the Mysteries of the Monarch” on May 9, 2006 as the centerpiece of an evening devoted to many aspects of butterflying. This included inviting vendors to come with samples of goods such as Wild Birds Unlimited bringing books, binoculars, or butterfly feeders; First Photo bringing cameras; Jim Phillips doing a butterfly ID class; or Larry Weber doing ID class or discussing his book, and some sort of food available Also having displays and photos of butterfly gardening.
Check on use of Ordean in conjunction with Community Ed. Program or one of the colleges for this event. Small fee is usually not a hindrance to attendance at such an event. Could be free for students. Teachers could be alerted in order to incorporate this into their lesson planning.
Gail offered to call Wendy about possible books being made available, also First Photo, Wild Birds, Northern Lights or others.
We could use NABA display previously used at butterfly festival.
Jim Phillips offered to do a butterfly ID class at such a gathering.
April or May book club offering could be “Chasing Monarchs” book.
The Chapter’s core group of members could focus efforts on planning this spring event, along with counts and garden tours. By keeping it simple, it would focus our efforts rather than trying to have too many meetings and lots of speakers with variable turnout.
Articles could be put into newspapers to attract people to an event with such a variety of offerings.
Pat Thomas will ask Ordean of they would want this included in Community Ed.
Pat Thomas will follow up on policy of items such as cards, magnets, or other fundraising can be done in conjunction with a community ed. Event.
December 6 meeting is the holiday potluck/social at the home of Jim & Pat Sanders.
January 10, 2006 meeting is 6:30pm at the MN Pollution Control Agency Office, Paulucci Building in Canal Park. Focus of this meeting is to discuss the May event.