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Loess Hills Audubon Meeting Minutes
May 1, 2014
Members
present: Brian Hazlett , Jerry Von Ehwegen, Ann Shaner, Bill Zales,
Chuck Johnson, Donna Popp, Bob
Moritz, Carol Blair, Herman Schultz, Bill
Huser, Jody Moats, Jerry Probst, and Jan Null. The meeting was called to order at 6:07 PM by President Brian Hazlett.
The
minutes from the March meeting were corrected and approved at the April meeting. The minutes from the April meeting were read and approved.
Treasurer’s Report: Current
balance is $2733.17.
Committee Reports:
Conservation: The Prairie Fire is available.
Iowa Audubon: -- No Report
Membership: -- No Report
Newsletter: Newsletter items will be due next August
for September/October newsletter.
Outings: Jerry Von Ehwegen reported that there were 12 people at the
April 26th outing. 72 species
were reported. Areas visited
south and east of Sioux City. Newcomer,
James Bailey was welcomed. One
highlight was the Cinnamon Teal. The
next outing is the Bird-a-thon on May10. Next
Outing dates are June 7, July 12, and August 9. Those attending should meet at the NW corner of Wal-Mart at 7:30 AM.
Website: Jerry VE reported that the website is up to date through the
last outing, including the bird of the month. He will add dates for the next year’s meetings.
Social Committee: No report.
Publicity- the meeting was in the newspaper.
Education
Jody Moats reported that they have a new Chimney Swift tower that is waiting for residents.
Programs: Bill Huser announced that Don Poggensee will give a photography
program, “Nighttime Skies and Alaska” tonight.
Old Business:
The
Briar Cliff Seminar on North American Grouse by Noppadol Paothong was enjoyable, with a good crowd and good speaker.
New Business:
The
Bird-a-thon Fundraiser will be held on May 10. Meet at the Wal-Mart parking lot.
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Donna
moved to pay $32.12 postage to Ann Shaner for postage for the year.
(It used to be $1000). Chuck seconded the motion.
The
Nominating Committee: Bob Livermore
graciously accepted the nomination for the office of president.
Bill Huser will be nominating Bob Livermore from the floor. We will cast ballots for the slate as presented: Rex Rundquist – V. P. Herman Schultz – Treasurer; Maria Rundquist – Secretary.
The
above slate of officers were unanimously elected at the general meeting following the board meeting.
Dates
for the coming meetings will be September 4, October 2, November 6, December 4, January 8, February 5, March 5, April 9, and
May 7. Bill will get permission
from Dawn to use DPNC for meetings October thru May. Because of road work, we will find another site for the August meeting. For the September 4 Potluck meeting he will get the Loess Lodge.
Jody Moats announced that a new Chimney Swift tower has been built at Adams Homestead.
Jan Null
read a thank you from Diane Blankenship for the LH Prairie Seminar donation.
Accomplishments:
Bill Zales
gave a presentation to the Sergeant Bluff Kiwanis, “Loess Hills- Past, Present, and Future”.
Jody Moats
reported the “Birds and Bagel” program at Adams Nature Center was a success
with
about 20 students having breakfast and watching birds. Jody will be speaking at the Merrill Lions Club about “Bird Walking at Adams”.
Herman
S commented on the Bird Watcher’s magazine. He has read it for 12 years and this is the first article about someone from Iowa- Althea B Sherman. She was responsible for the Goldfinch on
the license plate which was voted the state bird in 1933.
The
meeting was adjourned at 7:42 PM. Attendance
for the program was 50. Submitted by Jan Null, Secretary pro tem.
There are no meetings during the summer, so there are no minutes for June and July.
LHAS Meeting Minutes 8-26-2014
Members present: Bob Livermore, Brian
Hazlett, Jerry Von Ehwegen, Ann Shaner, Bill & Dottie Zales, Chuck Johnson, Donna Popp, Carol Blair, Herman Schultz, Bill
Huser, Jody Moats, Jerry Probst, Gary Heinemann, Maria Rundquist, Rex Rundquist.
Accepted excused absences: Dawn Snyder
(publicity)
Call to order by President Bob Livermore
at 7:05PM
May 2014 minutes. – Motion
to approve by Donna P. seconded by Carol B. – Motion carried.
President- Bob L.:
Sage Grouse proposal. – Discussed
the problem of habitat loss threatening Grouse and Prairie Chickens. - Bob offered to send a letter to Federal agencies involved
in protecting areas for breeding grouse.
Motion to do so in the name of LHAS
by Bill H.; seconded by Rex. - Carried.
Race 4 Birds. - Bill (will report
in next meeting)
Foundry Rd. habitat in SSC. - Ed
Sibley has good pictures of birds found there. Birds are leaving the area; concerns of pesticide spraying in the area. There
is need for involvement in habitat protection.
Bob L. announced the LHAS board of
directors as follows:
Vice-President:
Rex Rundquist
Programs were discussed
for the whole year; Next meeting, September 4th, 2014
will be at the Stone Lodge in Stone State Park with a Potluck. Rex will contact Kevin Pape and/or Randy Williams for possible
“Spirit Knoll” program.
Secretary:
Maria Rundquist
Maria will help Rex to contact the
following possible speakers:
Richard Leopold. - Deputy Director
Of the Polk County Conservation and John Vanderpoel on the ABA 2011 Big Year.
Treasurer:
Herman Schultz
Checking account is in balance. Current
funds = $3433.60. Donna Popp recommended we pay our room use fee at the Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center. We owe the 2 years 2013-14
& 2014-15 at $275.00 per year.
Motion was made to pay the 2 years
(total of $550.00) by Donna P.; seconded by Rex R.; Motion carried. Herman S. will send the check.
Bill Huser brought the issue of the
IRS papers that need to filed. They are overdue. Herman S. will file the papers and will pay the P.O. Box rent. Bob L. and
Bill Huser have keys for the P.O. Box.
Newsletter:
Ann Shaner
Deadline for items is
tomorrow, Wednesday, August 27th at Noon.
Membership:
Donna Popp
Bob L. recommended that we have a
sign in sheet at all meetings. Donna encouraged having outreach programs for new people to join and to make a special effort
to talk to all new visitors at our monthly meetings. We don’t have brochures. Carol Blair volunteered to draft a brochure
and send to Bob L. for approval.
Conservation:
Bill Zales
Bill was the speaker for the Annual
meeting of the Fish & Wildlife in Kansas. Bill visited Wes Jackson in Kansas.
Education/Naturalist:
Jody Moats
There is a concern regarding aphids
on the milkweed plants on her property.
Outings:
Jerry Von Ehwegen
The May Birdathon was well attended.
June outing brought 6 people; July outing, 10 people; and August outing, 19 people. The next outings are scheduled for September
13 and October 11, 2014.
Programs: Rex Rundquist (see above)
Website:
Jerry Von Ehwegen
Web site is up to date through last
outing including the Bird Of The Month. Minutes will be published on the website.
Publicity: Dawn Snyder (absent)
Birdseed:
Jerry Probst
Will be getting prices
tomorrow. Will send format price list to be published in website & newsletter. Seed delivery is Nov. 6th meeting. Usually we make around $ 1200.00 per year.
Iowa-Audubon: Chuck Johnson (No report)
Social
Committee: Carol Blair
Already had list for treats; suggestions
made to include lemonade, ice water, and to use instant coffee.
Audubon
Adventures: Gary Heinemann
Will do contacts with the Schools
Districts again in South Sioux City.
Christmas
Bird Count: Jerry Probst
Sioux City CBC (December
20th), Ponca, (Dec 14th), and Westfield, (January 3rd).
We made $822.00 from Birdathon last
year.
Good News: “Race
for Hope” is September 20, 2014, at Adams Homestead (Jody announced her daughter, McKenna, is the Youth Ambassador for
the race); Maria announced Lion’s Club Pancake Feed on Oct 3rd and 4th at the Abu Bekr Shriner’s
Building. Rex recommended developing a local Young Birders program. He visited with Carl Bendorf At the IOU meeting Aug. 23rd about how Iowa Young Birders was organized. Will be discussed
at later meetings.
The meeting was adjourned at 9PM
Respectfully Submitted by Maria Rundquist.
Since the September meeting was our annual picnic at Stone Lodge, there was no board meeting
so there are no minutes for September.
Loess Hills Audubon Meeting Minutes
October 2, 2014
Members
present: Bob Livermore, Jerry Von Ehwegen, Ann Shaner, Bill Zales,
Dotty Zales, Chuck Johnson, Carol
Blair, Herman Schultz, , Jerry
Probst, Bob & Phyllis Nickolson, Rex Rundquist, Helen Greenhalgh and Jan Null. The meeting was called to order at 6:20 PM by President Bob Livermore.
The August
minutes were not read or approved.
Treasurer’s Report: Current
balance is ok.
Committee Reports:
Conservation: The Prairie Fire is available. Bill Zales gave a summary of some of the interesting articles.
Iowa Audubon: -- No Report
Membership: -- No Report
Newsletter: Newsletter items will be due next Tuesday,
October 28 for the November/December newsletter.
Outings: Jerry Von Ehwegen reported that there were 12 people at the
September 13th outing. 56 species
were reported. The next outing
is October 11th and all should meet at the NW corner of Wal-Mart
at 7:30 AM.
Website: Jerry VE reported that the website is up to date through the
last outing; the Bird of Month is still in process. The minutes of the meetings are also out there.
Social Committee: No report.
Publicity: No report.
Education
Jody Moats asked who had sighted Monarch butterflies. She is not seeing as many as in past years. Rex reported seeing good numbers.
Programs: Rex reported on the scheduled programs. He asked for ideas for
January and March. Ty Smedes
will be our program in April, and in November we will have a program by Dave
Stage on the Machu Picchu
area of Peru.
Old Business:
New Business: Jerry Probst
reported that we could get and sell Birdseed and a few orders have been placed. To get the discount, orders should be placed by October 16, and final orders
will be October 31.
Jerry
also said that many good birds were going through—Warblers and Sparrows.
Accomplishments: None
The meeting
was adjourned at 6:45 PM.
After
the meeting, Herman gave us a quiz about the Passenger Pigeons as it is the 100th anniversary of their extinction. He also gave us a “Fold the Flock”.
There
was information and photos of the Chimney Swift.
The program was by Matt Wetrich, naturalist for the Carroll County Conservation Board. Matt presented a program on Hawk ID which corresponds
nicely with the Hawk migration occurring at that time.
Attendance
for the program was 28.
Submitted
by Dotty Zales and Jan Null, Secretary pro tem.
Loess Hills Audubon Meeting Minutes
11-06-2014
Members Present: Bob Livermore, Rex Rundquist, Maria Rundquist, Ann Shaner, Bill & Dotty Zales, Chuck Johnson,
Carol Blair, Herman Schultz, Jerry Probst, Jerry Von Ehwegen, Jan Null.
Meeting call to order at 6:05PM
Minutes read and approved (Motion by Carol, second by Ann).
President Bob:
Sierra Group Email to announce at the meeting the efforts in Pine Ridge SD (to stop KXL-Pipeline) they are asking
for donations of winter clothing/camping items. Rex moved to approve announcing at general meeting. Seconded by Maria.
Voted down 4 yes 5 no.
Newsletter ideas: Bob suggested improvements such as more articles, birding activities; Jody offered to send
youth activity materials. Maria suggested adding the logo that Randy Williams created. Ann will ask Randy if we can obtain
the logo again for the newsletter.
Secretary: No report
Treasurer: Herman said: balance $3328.65. Will write a check $550.00 pledged to the Nature Center and will pay
for the PO Box. Herman also will ask Bill Vust to help him figure out how to file our IRS papers on line.
Newsletter: Ann said she needs a “tutorial” to help her with the logo.
Membership: No report
Conservation: Bill Zales. - Shared an article in the most recent Audubon Magazine Nov/Dec p. 22 (“Food
Fight” by Michael Pollan). Also shared an email from Mark S. Edwards, retired Iowa DNR Trails Coordinator, regarding
Iowa’s paucity of natural habitat/park lands. Email will be published in the next newsletter. Bill will share some of
the message at the general meeting.
Bob encouraged everyone to write to our legislators.
Education: Jody passed out copies of the new “South Dakota Diurnal Birds of Prey”. It is available
at the Adams Nature Center and website www.gfp.sd.gov .
Outings: Jerry V. Said Oct 11 10 people showed. (76 species including 13 species of sparrows. Next outing is
(15 Nov2014) (meet same place, same time).
Programs: Rex said December is member slide/sharing Christmas potluck. January is Open, February – (David
True) - March is open. April (Ty Smedes). - May (Jane Hey).
Website: Jerry will update website with the Christmas Bird Count dates/times/places.
Publicity: No report
Birdseed/Xmas Count. Jerry P. will announce available left-over seed. Total sale as of today $2477.30 and Birdseed
bill is $2573.42.
IA Audubon. - Chuck said (18 Oct 2014) was the “Fall Into Birds” Festival in Johnston, IA.
Social Committee: Carol will pass the refreshment list at the meeting to complete sign-up for the remaining meetings.
Good News: Someone spotted a female Surf Scoter at Bacon Creek.
New Business: BCU had a Prairie Burn demonstration. 10 students from BCU helped. Bill Zales needs help for a
Prairie Burn at noon on Nov. 6, 7, and 8 at his place.
Bob said next meeting we would discuss the position of President Emeritus, whose duty would be to support to
train new people for the board. Also need to change the by-laws.
Adjourn: at 7:14PM Motion by Ann/seconded by Carol.
Submitted by Maria Rundquist, Secretary
Loess Hills Audubon Society
Board meeting. December
4, 2014
Call to order at 6:10PM
Attendance: Bob Livermore, Sharon & John
Polifka, Anne Shaner, Donna Popp, Chuck Johnson, Herman Schultz, Dotty & Bill Zales, Jody Moats, Carol Blair, Jan Null,
Jerry Von Ehwegen, Bob & Phyllis Nickolson, Dawn Snyder, Gary Heineman, Bill Huser.
Minutes: Will be reviewed at the next meeting
in January.
President Bob reported that the Board approved
support for efforts to limit oil drilling in the Artic Ocean. The votes were done online.
Newsletter ideas: Anne asked for suggestions to improve the newsletter;
discussed adding pictures and revising the logo (perhaps, deleting “Sioux City” and Bill Zales suggested putting
a bird on the logo); Carol Blair offered to try some revisions on the computer.
Annual Report. We have a 30-day extension
on our annual report to the National Audubon Society. This is important to maintain our 501(c) 3 status. Bob will work on
the paperwork.
GBBC on February 13-16. - Jerry V. will put
the information in website. But people can go on line to report their bird counts.
Board meeting times: Anne made a motion to
start the Board meeting at 6:15PM. Carol seconded. – Motion Carried.
President Emeritus: Bob suggested we consider
such a position for the outgoing Board President to provide continuity in the office and to mentor the President. Chuck Johnson
moved that we call the position Past-President (not Emeritus)
And Rex R. seconded. - Motion carried. Bob
will write a job description and bring it to the next board meeting. If approved we will bring it to the chapter at large
in February.
Vice-President Rex. - No report
Secretary Maria. - No report
Treasurer Herman: checking account balance
(November meeting $3,373.70) and (December meeting $ 3,324.63). The income for the past month was $2,529.30 (Bird seed sales
$2,504.30, plus Audubon National $25.00). Expenditures for the past month included $3,128.37 for birdseed and Pay-Pal $4.95
(for web site). Also paid Woodbury County Conservation Board $550.00 for use of the DP Nature Center for our meetings.
Newsletter Anne: Next deadline is December
30, 2014
Membership: Donna. - No report
Conservation: Bill said Prairie Fire newsletter
would be the last one in print because it will be available on line next year.
Education/Naturalist: Jody reported the domestic
ducks she captured at McCook Lake would have a safe winter at her barn along with the chickens at Adams Preserve.
Outing: Jerry reported November was canceled
due to snow; and the Christmas Bird Counts (CBC) would be the December outing. - The dates of the local CBC’s are posted
in the website along with the location of the host addresses.
Programs: Bob reported Doug Chafa from DNR
would be the speaker for January 8, 2015. Rex reported David True would be speaker for February 2015. March meeting remains
open. Ty Smedes is speaker for April 2015 and Jane Hey, speaker for May.
Website: Jerry. – Web site is up to
date except for the Bird of the Month—Lycos will be phasing out the current editor we use to update the web site---they
will convert the web site of paying customers to the new editor which will require us to learn how to use the new editor.
It could cause some delays in keeping the web site current.
Publicity: Dawn. - Looking for news. - Will
publish the dates for the Christmas bird count.
Birdseed Sales - Two bags plus suet left
for sale.
Iowa Audubon: Chuck is looking for replacement
to fill his position; he no longer can drive the long distances to the meetings. He offered to attend, if someone else drives
to help with the transition. He didn’t go to the last meeting in Des Moines. Meetings are held on Sundays (11:00 AM
to 3:00 PM) 3-4 times a year.
Social Committee: Carol reported the need
of a new water-heating pot for beverages. (Broken power cord). Dawn said we could use the Dorothy Pecaut coffee pot.
Old Business: None
New Business: Rex announced about the “Minnesota
Avian Adventure” to Sax-Zim Bog in January 2015.
Dotty Z. read Larry Grill email regarding
the clubhouse in Browns Lake is for sale. The board is not interested.
Respectfully submitted by,
Maria Rundquist
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