Board Members Present: Gerald Von Ehwegen, Anne Shaner, Donna Popp, Chuck Johnson, Herman Schultz, John and Sharon Polifka, Gary Heineman (came later), Jody Moats, Carol Blair

Others Present: Bob and Phyllis Nickolson, Jan Null

Secretary’s Report - Sharon: Minutes for the 11-3-16 meeting were emailed to board members. Minutes were approved.

President’s Report - John:

There was a short discussion regarding the responses to the three questions requested by National. Board members agreed that the answers submitted could be sent in under the president’s name.

The 2015-2016 Annual Report (which includes a Questionnaire and a Financial Report) was filed with Chapter Services.

John proposed changing the language of Article III by adding language that conforms to the position of Past President, which was created at the 10-6-16 general meeting (duties of the past president and term limit). This change in language in the by-laws was proposed in a motion by Donna and seconded by Carol. The motion to make the language in Article III include the Past President position carried.

Also proposed were changes in Articles II and XI involving the addition of “or electronically” (Article II-Meetings) and “or given electronically” (Article XI-Amendments). A motion was made by Donna, seconded by Jody, to propose adding this language, at the general meeting.

Vice-President’s Report - Rex: No vice-president’s report. Rex and Maria are in Costa Rica. John will introduce tonight’s speaker.

Treasurer‘s Report - Herman: Herman reported that the current checkbook balance is $5,481. He has written a check for $60 for the annual rent on the post office box.

Newsletter - Anne: The January/February newsletter has been sent out.

Membership - Donna: According to Donna, the dues to renew Audubon membership are $20. The dues can be sent directly to National. Members will have to keep track of their renewal dates as a renewal date is not indicated on the magazine. There was a question as to whether the National address is the same and about using a code when renewing in order for LHAS to get credit. Donna has this code. The dues can be sent in with one of the magazine inserts.

Publicity - Dawn: A Butterfly Gardening program will be presented by Rod Tondreau at 2 PM on Sunday, January 22^nd in the Gleeson Room at the Wilbur Aalfs Library. This program is sponsored by the Loess Hills Wild Ones and is open to all who are interested in learning how to plan for a pollinator-friendly garden.

Conservation - Bill: No conservation report. Bill and Dotty are in Las Cruces, NM.

Education/Naturalist - Jody: The Facebook page is up and running. Jody will be posting such information as bird outings, bird of the month, etc.

Outing/Website - Jerry: The December outing was the Christmas Bird Count. The Westfield CBC was on 12/15 - 16 people attended, 51 species were counted. The Sioux City CBC was on 12/19 (date changed due to weather) - 15 people attended, 47 species were counted. The Yankton CBC was on 12/18 - 24 people attended, 72 species were counted. The Ida Grove CBC was also held on 12/18 - 7 people attended, 38 species were counted. Information from the Ponca CBC is not in yet.

The next Show and Go will be on 1/28. The group will meet in the parking lot of the Singing Hills Walmart in Sioux City.

The website will be up-to-date when Christmas bird count information is received from Jerry Probst.

Social Committee - Carol Carol reports that enough people are signed up for treats through May.

Audubon Adventures - Gary: No news at this time.

Past President: Bob was unable to attend the meeting but did come later.

Old Business: None

New Business: Jody showed board members a picture, taken on her iphone, of a young bull moose which has been seen in the Akron and Westfield areas.

The Board of Directors meeting was adjourned at 6:55 PM. Motion by Anne, seconded by Carol, to adjourn. Minutes from the General Meeting:

The General Meeting was called to order at 7:25 PM by President John Polifka. John talked to the general membership about the proposed additions regarding notification in Articles II and XI. A motion was made by Leesa McNeil, seconded by Ed Sibly, to waive the 15 day notice. A motion was made by Leesa, seconded by Dawn Snyder, to approve the additions to the articles. Information was shared on the Butterfly Gardening program. Members were told to contact Donna if they wanted to be on the email list. The General Meeting was adjourned at 7:30 PM.

Resource naturalist Tyler Flamming was the presenter for the program “Owls of Iowa”. Tyler brought three owls (a Barred Owl, an Eastern Screech Owl, and a Barn Owl) and provided interesting and entertaining information about these owls during the program. 83 people were in attendance.

Submitted by Sharon Polifka, Seccretary

Board Members Present: Gerald Von Ehwegen, Anne Shaner, Donna Popp, Chuck Johnson, Herman Schultz, John and Sharon Polifka, Carol Blair, Bob Livermore, Rex Rundquist

Others Present: Bob and Phyllis Nickolson, Jan Null, Maria Rundquist, Brian Hazlett (came later)

Secretary’s Report - Sharon: Minutes for the 1-5-2017 meeting were emailed to board members. Motion by Donna, seconded by Carol, to approve minutes.

President’s Report - John: Responses to the questions from National were sent to Regional Director Bill Heck. Bill will incorporate the responses to the questions into his summary and discussion at the National Board Meeting which took place the week of January 23^rd. Information was shared about the IA Invasive Species Conference which meets 3-28 & 29 in Moravia, IA (additional information can be found on the IISC website). The Iowa Audubon (which had an informative article on wood thrushes) and Mississippi Currents newsletters were passed around the group.

Vice-President’s Report - Rex: Rex shared information on the speakers for the remainder of this year and into next year. Doug Harr will be the March speaker. Doug gave Rex a list of six possible topics. The board chose to have Doug speak on Iowa Audubon and Bird Friendly Iowa. Ty Smedes’ presentation will be on South Georgia Island. A speaker for May has not been found yet but a possibility might be a speaker to talk about warblers. Kevin Pape will be the speaker for the September meeting. He will speak at DPNC about Stone Park and it’s history. Steve Dinsmore will be the October speaker. Steve has a variety of topics he can speak on at the meeting. Jerry suggested that shorebirds might be a possible topic. Other ideas for speakers/topics included a birder from Nevada who has done a program on Sax-Zim Bog and a talk on Iowa young birders by Tyler Harms.

Treasurer‘s Report - Herman: Herman reported that the current checkbook balance is $5,808. He has written a check to the IRS for $39 for a transaction fee.

Newsletter - Anne: Articles for the March/April newsletter are due by 2-21.

Membership - Donna: The newest “new” membership procedure (which will also be clarified in the next newsletter) is as follows: new members should send membership dues ($25) to Donna Popp who will complete a transmittal form to National (the entire $25 goes to LHAS), renewal dues ($20) should be sent to National (who keeps the entire $20). All checks should have the chapter identification number on them (H52).

Publicity - Dawn: Dawn was unable to make the meeting. With regards to storing the LHAS display, Bill has offered to store the display in their barn if DPNC needs the space. This information was shared with DPNC staff.

Conservation - Bill: No conservation report. Bill and Dotty are in Las Cruces, NM.

Education/Naturalist - Jody: Jody was unable to make the meeting.

Outing/Website - Jerry: The January outing was led by Paul Roisen. Nine people attended; seven in the AM and two in the PM. The next Show and Go will be on 2-18. The group will meet in the NW corner of the parking lot at the Singing Hills Walmart in Sioux City. The Great Backyard Bird Count runs from 2-17 to 2-20. Species counted on 2-18 will be recorded under the LHAS name for the backyard bird count. The website is up to date and the Bird of the Month is the Carolina Wren.

Social Committee - Carol Carol reports that enough people are signed up for treats through May.

Audubon Adventures - Gary: Gary was unable to attend the meeting.

Past President - Bob: See New Business

Old Business: Connie Mutel’s talk is set for April 12^th at 6 PM at Briar Cliff. LHAS will contribute $100. Anne will contact Brian Hazlett to get this information in the newsletter.

New Business: Upcoming bird festivals include the Crane Fest (Kearney, NE) and the International Owl Festival (Houston, MN), both in March. Bob brought a brochure from the Teton Raptor Center about pipes on roofs, such as vent pipes, which are found to be death traps for birds. Birds see the pipes as a refuge, get caught in the pipe, and are unable to get back out. A survey done by Nevada Audubon of different pipes on buildings and in the ground found 879 dead birds, 113 dead reptiles, and 20 dead mammals in these pipes. A solution to this is to install a screen on these pipes. They are called Poo-Poo Screens and sell for $29.95 apiece (S/H included). As a chapter, should we encourage county conservation boards to consider buying these screens? Anne will talk to Dawn and Bob Nickolson will talk to Kevin Pape about this possibility.

The Board of Directors meeting was adjourned at 7:05 PM. Motion by Maria, seconded by Carol, to adjourn the meeting.Minutes from the General Meeting:

The General Meeting was called to order at 7:25 PM by President John Polifka. Members were asked to sign the clipboard if they wanted to be on the email list. Jerry Von Ehwegen made an announcement about the next outing. Bill Huser introduced Marla Greer and thanked her and her husband for their many contributions to birding, as well as restarting the bird club. General members were told that LHAS now has a Facebook page. Brian Hazlett gave out information on the next Galapagos Islands tour in January, 2018. The General Meeting was adjourned at 7:30 PM.

Paul Roisen was the presenter for the program titled “Madagascar: The 8^th Continent”. Paul shared his experiences in Madagascar, where he lived when he was growing up, and talked about the land, habitat, people, birds, and other wildlife of Madagascar. 48 people were in attendance.

Submitted by Sharon Polifka, Seccretary

Meeting called to order at 6:15 PM by President John Polifka

Board Members Present:  Gerald Von Ehwegen, Anne Shaner, Donna Popp, Chuck Johnson, Herman Schultz, John and Sharon Polifka, Carol Blair, Jody Moats

Others Present:  Jan Null.   Bob and Phyllis Nickolson and Bill Huser came later.

Secretary’s Report - Sharon:  Minutes for the 2-2-2017 meeting were emailed to board members. Corrections were made to the minutes.  Motion by Carol, seconded by Anne, to approve minutes.

President’s Report - John:  The current program chair, Rex Rundquist, would like assistance from board members in finding his replacement for 2017-18.  Three people have already agreed to present next year (Kevin Pape, Tyler Harms, and Steve Dinsmore).  Rex would be willing to work with his replacement in helping to set up the remaining programs.

Vice-President’s Report - Rex:  Rex was unable to attend the board meeting due to a family emergency but was able to attend the program.

Treasurer‘s Report - Herman:  Herman reported that the current checkbook balance is  $5,844.

Newsletter - Anne:  The March/April newsletter for 2017 has been sent out.

Membership - Donna:  The new membership procedure was nicely clarified in the March/April newsletter.  Thanks, Donna!

Publicity - Dawn:  Dawn was unable to make the meeting.  Dawn would like to thank LHAS for their concern and suggestions about birds being trapped in pipes or vents.  She spoke to all of the Woodbury County Conservation park employees regarding open vents on roofs.  There are not many pipes or vents in the parks and no problems have been reported regarding birds being trapped  but they agreed to put hardware cloth or screening over any that might be a problem.

Conservation - Bill:  No conservation report.  Bill and Dotty are in Las Cruces, NM.

Education/Naturalist - Jody:  The Facebook page is up and running.  Some of the information Jody has posted on Facebook includes meeting dates, outings, and information from the Bird Hot Line.  Contact Jody if you have some information to share.

Outing/Website - Jerry:  Nine people attended the outing on February 18^th.  33 species were counted.  These species were recorded under the LHAS name for the Great Backyard Bird Count which was held from 2-17 to 2-20.  Jerry reported that the group had good sightings of Snow Geese and Lapland Longspurs, and saw 45 Bald Eagles at Blue Lake.  Jan reported that, according to her notes, the temperature was 6 degrees last year.  This year the temperature was 60 degrees.

            The next Show and Go will be on March 18^th in Yankton.  The group will meet at the NW corner of the parking lot at the Singing Hills Walmart in Sioux City at 7:30 AM.  The outing will be at Yankton, SD and lunch will be at Chuck and Donna’s cabin.  For those driving directly to Yankton, please meet at the first parking lot at the north end of Lake Yankton at 9 AM.

            The website is up to date and the Bird of the Month is the Greater White-fronted Goose.

Social Committee - Carol   Carol asked if anyone knew where she could get some swamp milkweed seeds.  Anne suggested that she contact Dianne Blankenship.  Jody said that she might get some free seeds from Monarch Watch.

Audubon Adventures - Gary:  No new information on Audubon Adventures.

Past President - Bob:  Bob is birding in Arizona.

Old Business:  Connie Mutel’s talk is set for April 12^th at 7 PM at Meis Auditorium at Briar Cliff University (the time was incorrect in the last minutes).  Posters were handed out to be distributed in the area.

New Business:  The Lucas County Birding Festival will be held in Chariton, Iowa from May 5^th to the 7^th.  The festival will include bird walks, field trips, children’s activities, educational speakers, the Iowa Ornithologists’s Union Spring Meeting, and a keynote speaker and banquet.  More information can be obtained at lucascountytourism.org.

The Board of Directors meeting was adjourned at 6:50 PM.  Motion by Anne, seconded by Carol, to adjourn the meeting.

Minutes from the General Meeting:

            The General Meeting was called to order at 7:30  PM by President John Polifka. 

Anyone who was interested in becoming a program chair for the 2017-18 year was asked to attend one of the remaining board meetings.  The current program chair, Rex Rundquist, would work with this person in finding presenters for the coming year’s programs.

            John indicated that those interested in the Loess Hills Prairie Seminar which will be held from June 2^nd to the 4^th should contact Andrea Porter at Monona County Conservation.  Her email address is mccbnat@mononacounty.org.

            Members were asked to sign the clipboard if they wanted to be on the email list. Brian Hazlett shared information about Connie Mutel’s presentation at Briar Cliff. Jerry talked about the Show and Go outing on March 18^th in Yankton, SD.  The group will leave at 7:30 AM from the NW corner of the Singing Hills Walmart or from the N end of Lake Yankton at 9 AM.  The group will meet at Chuck and Donna’s cabin for lunch. 

            The general meeting was adjourned at 7:40 PM.

            Doug Harr, Director of Iowa Audubon, was the presenter for the evening program.  He talked about the Iowa Audubon organization and presented information on a new program, “Bird Friendly Iowa”.  Bird Friendly Iowa is a statewide bird habitat conservation and educational outreach program that was created in association with Trees Forever.  37 people were in attendance.

Submitted by Sharon Polifka, Seccretary

Board Members Present: Gerald Von Ehwegen, Anne Shaner, Donna Popp, Chuck Johnson, Herman Schultz, John and Sharon Polifka, Dotty and Bill Zales, Rex Rundquist, Bob Livermore

Others Present: Jan Null, Bob and Phyllis Nickolson, Jerry Probst

Secretary’s Report - Sharon: Minutes for the 3-2-2017 meeting were emailed to board members. Corrections were made to the minutes. Motion by Chuck, seconded by Dotty, to approve minutes.

President’s Report - John:

Fund the Trust Day is Tuesday, April 11^th. Graham McGaffin with TNC will be attending this event. He will be leaving the ShopKo parking lot at 6:30 AM and returning at approximately 5 or 5:30 PM. Please let him know if you are interested in sharing a ride with him. You will need to register for this event at iowawaterandlandlegacy.org/take-action/join-us-capitol/ There will be round-table discussions with CEO’s of Ducks Unlimited, Pheasants Forever, and the National Wild Turkey Federation; discussions with craft brewers on importance of clean water; economic round table discussions; and meetings with legislators. Lunch will be provided.

John had a question about donations to LHPS and to Briar Cliff for Connie Mutel’s lecture on April 12th. The Board agreed that a donation of $250 will be made to LHPS. A donation of $100 has already been given to Briar Cliff for Connie’s lecture.

There was a discussion regarding Alan Bartels request for financial support for his new book, “What’s Going Down in Prairie Dog Town?”. Alan is president of the Friends of Gracie, a group involved with conservation, and a long time volunteer at Audubon’s Rowe Sanctuary and Raptor Recovery. Bob made a motion, seconded by Dotty, that LHAS donate $25 towards the book in exchange for one copy of his book which would then be donated to the Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center. A check for $25 along with the request for a copy of the book will be sent to Mr. Bartels.

Board vacancies were discussed. There are two vacancies that need to be filled: Secretary and Treasurer. Also, Chuck indicated that he would like to have someone else be responsible for Birdathon. Sharon has agreed to continue on as secretary for the 2017-2018 year. Donna indicated that she would take over the responsibility for Birdathon. Herman would like the board to find a replacement for him. An announcement will be made at the general meeting concerning Board vacancies and the position of Vice-President/Program Chair. Rex’ position will end after next year. He would like to have his replacement work with him this coming year in setting up programs. John and Bob will work together to find replacements.

Vice-President’s Report - Rex: The program tonight will be presented by Ty Smedes. The May speaker will be Paul Roisen,. He will present Part 2 of his Madagascar trip. Rex also talked about the BBS request for Iowa volunteers to participate in a breeding bird survey. There are three vacancies for the following BBS routes (named after nearby towns): Neola in Pottawattamie County, Pierson in Woodbury and Plymouth Counties, and Washta in Cherokee and Woodbury Counties. Bob and Jerry Probst have participated in these surveys in the past and were able to explain what is involved in the survey. Bob, possibly Rob Towler, will volunteer for the Pierson route and John and Sharon will volunteer for the Washta route. Doug Harr, BBS coordinator, needs to be contacted in the next two weeks if interested. He can be reached at dnharr@gmail.com.

Treasurer‘s Report - Herman: Herman reported that the current checkbook balance is $5,793.

Newsletter - Anne: Articles for the May-August newsletter are due April 25^th. Anne will send out a reminder.

Membership - Donna: Nothing new for membership. Donna indicated that she would take over the work on Birdathon. Thank you, Donna!

Publicity - Dawn: Dawn was unable to make the meeting but would like to remind everyone to let her know the details of Birdathon and any other items that need to be announced to the local media.

Conservation - Bill: Bill and Dotty participated in a bluebird survey while in New Mexico. No bluebirds were seen. Bill has cleaned out the bluebird houses on their property. Out of 100 boxes, 34 had bluebird nests, 24 had wren nests, 14 had tree

swallow nests, 19 were empty, 1 had a mouse nest, and 2 had wasp nests. Also, paint cans, etc. work just as well as bluebird boxes for nesting containers (maybe even better). Bill is hopeful (but doubtful) that there will be some progress with IWILL.

Education/Naturalist - Jody: Jody was unable to attend. She was at a conference in South Dakota.

Outing/Website - Jerry: Eighteen people attended the outing on March 18^th in the Gavin‘s Point Dam area. 54 species were counted. A delicious lunch was served at Chuck and Donna’s place at noon. Thank you!

The next Show and Go will be on April 22nd. The group will meet at the NW corner of the parking lot at the Singing Hills Walmart in Sioux City at 7:30 AM. The website is up to date and the Bird of the Month is the Horned Grebe.

Social Committee - Carol Carol was unable to make the meeting. Jan, Jerry and Jeri Watkins provided treats for the evening and Dotty and Bill provided refreshment. Thanks for the treats/refreshment and happy birthday to Jan and Jerry. Also, thanks to everyone who helped clean up afterwards. Dotty read the thank you card from Jan Null and her family.

Past President - Bob: No news from past president. Bob will help with filling the Board vacancy.

Old Business: Connie Mutel’s talk is set for April 12^th at 7 PM at Meis Auditorium at Briar Cliff University. She will also be speaking April 10^th in the Morningside area and April 11^th at the Unitarian Church on Jackson St. at 7:30 PM.

New Business: Some upcoming bird festivals: Lucas County Birding Festival (in conjunction with IOU) on May 5 to 7^th. 11^th Annual Chequamegon Bay Birding and Nature Festival in Ashland, Wisconsin on May 18^th to 20^th.

The Board of Directors meeting was adjourned at 7:10 PM. Motion by Anne, seconded by Dotty, to adjourn the meeting.Minutes from the General Meeting:

The General Meeting was called to order at 7:30 PM by President John Polifka. :

The following information was presented:

Members were asked to sign the clipboard if they wanted to be on the email list.

A reminder was given about Connie Mutel’s talk at Briar Cliff University at 7 PM at Meir Auditorium on Wednesday, May 12^th.

The Board is seeking a volunteer for the vacancy of Treasurer and would also like to have someone work with Rex next year in finding presenters for the programs. Please contact John Polifka or Bob Livermore if interested.

Bill provided information on IWILL. There will be another lobby day on April 11^th. Contact Graham McGaffin if interested. There is a need to convince the legislators that Iowa needs to pass this amendment.

Anne shared information about Lamb Theatre’s presentation of “On Golden Pond” on Friday, May 5^th at 7:30 PM. Tickets are $10 and all proceeds benefit the DPNC Summer Programming for Youth. Tickets can be ordered on-line or purchased at the DPNC.

According to Jerry, the next Show and Go outing will be on April 22^nd. Please meet at 7:30 at the NW Corner of the parking lot at the Singing Hills Walmart in Sioux City.

The general meeting was adjourned at 7:40 PM. Motion by Anne, seconded by Donna, to adjourn.

Ty Smedes was the presenter for the evening program. He shared images and video from his trip to South Georgia Island, a 100 mile long mountainous island in the Atlantic Ocean, halfway between the tips of South America and Africa. 45 people were in attendance.

Submitted by Sharon Polifka, Seccretary

Board Members Present: Gerald Von Ehwegen, Anne Shaner, Donna Popp, Chuck Johnson, John and Sharon Polifka, Bill Zales, Rex Rundquist, Gary Heineman, Dawn Synder

Others Present: Jan Null, Bob and Phyllis Nickolson, Jerry Probst, Maria Rundquist

Secretary’s Report - Sharon: Minutes for the 4-6-2017 meeting were emailed to board members. There was a correction to the last board meeting minutes: Under Conservation, good nesting containers should be old paint cans, not coffee cans. Motion by Anne, seconded by Jan, to approve minutes.

President’s Report - John: The email from Joan Ramirez, a representative for Flipcause, was forwarded to board members. Flipcause is a technical support service for nonprofits to help with such activities as fundraising, membership sign up, social media, etc. Board members did not see a need for such a service. An email from Monica Scherer, Alaska Wilderness League, updating us on bills and legislation being introduced regarding Alaska, was also forwarded to board members. The Iowa Audubon newsletter was shared with board members at the meeting.

The floor will be open to nominations for the positions of Secretary and Treasurer at the general meeting. Sharon Polifka and Jeri Watkins are willing to serve for each board position, respectively.

Vice-President’s Report - Rex: Nothing new from the vice-president.

Treasurer‘s Report - Herman: No treasurer’s report available. Thank you, Herman, for acting as Treasurer this year.

Newsletter - Anne: Anne has a bill for $50.54 for postage and a ream of yellow paper.

Membership - Donna: Nothing new for membership.

Birdathon - Donna: Birdathon will be held on May 13^th. A sign-up sheet will be passed around at the general meeting. The plan is to meet for lunch at the Singing Hills Culvers. During the Birdathon, participants will only be counting species, not the total number of birds. There will be a place on the sign-up sheet for pledges.

Publicity - Dawn: Paul Roisen’s presentation tonight was highlighted today in the Sioux City Journal. Dawn asked the board whether or not the Birdathon should be announced in the paper. Board members did not feel this was necessary.

Conservation - Bill: Bill and Dotty Zales attended the Iowa Invasive Weed Conference at Honey Creek by Lake Rathbun. Bill proposed a work afternoon at the Nature Center to cut down the bittersweet at the center. Dawn indicated that Tyler would be taking care of the bittersweet. Bill found a male grey fox alongside Highway 75 near Leeds and made a study skin of it. Question - has anyone seen grey foxes in the area? Dawn indicated that one had been seen about 25 years ago at the nature center.

Education/Naturalist - Jody: Jody was unable to attend.

Outing/Website - Jerry: Seven people attended the outing on April 22^nd. 65 species were counted. The group had hoped to see the Eurasian Wigeon, which had been seen at the Owego Wetlands the preceding week, but were unable to locate it. The next Show and Go will be the annual Birdathon on May 13^th. The summer outings will be on June 10^th, July 8^th, and August 19^th. The website is up to date and the Bird of the Month is the Brown Thrasher.

Social Committee - Carol Nothing new from the social committee. Thanks to those who brought treats for the meeting.

Old Business: A check for $25 was sent to Alan Bartels to help with generating funds along with a request for a copy of his book.

New Business: Carol informed the group that there will be a bird count at DeSoto Bend this Saturday starting at 8 AM. Those participating will be able to bird in places where the public is not allowed. Jerry talked about the possibility of a program on turtle harvesting. Jan will recognize James Wesley Bailey at the general meeting. James Wesley Bailey passed away last October and is the son of James Ferlin Bailey.

The Board of Directors meeting was adjourned at 6:45 PM. Motion by Anne, seconded by Carol, to adjourn the meeting.Minutes from the General Meeting:

The General Meeting was called to order at 7:30 PM by President John Polifka.

The following business was conducted:

Nominations were opened for the positions of Secretary and Treasurer. Sharon Polifka and Jeri Watkins were named for the positions of Secretary and Treasurer, respectively. Motion was made by Bob Livermore and seconded by Donna Popp to nominate Sharon Polifka as Secretary, and a motion was made by Bob and seconded by Randy Williams to nominate Jeri Watkins as Treasurer.

The following information was shared:

The next Show and Go outing will be the Birdathon on May 13^th. Please contact Donna Popp or go to the LHAS website for more information on the Birdathon. The sign-up sheet was passed around the group. Jan Null recognized James Ferlin Bailey’s son, James Wesley Bailey, for his work with birds and owls (he was considered an expert on the endangered Black-capped Vireo). James Ferlin Bailey also talked about James’ life.

The general meeting was adjourned at 7:35 PM. Motion by Maria, seconded by Paul Roisen, to adjourn.

Paul Roisen was the presenter for the evening program. He shared Part 2 of his bird outing to Madagascar. 43 people were in attendance.

Submitted by Sharon Polifka, Seccretary

Board Members Present: Gerald Von Ehwegen, Anne Shaner, Donna Popp, Chuck Johnson, John and Sharon Polifka, Bill and Dotty Zales, Rex Rundquist, Jody Moats, Jeri Watkins

Others Present: Jan Null, Bob and Phyllis Nickolson, Cheryl Mildenstein, Brian Hazlett

Secretary’s Report - Sharon: Minutes for the 5-4-2017 meeting were emailed to board members. Motion by Anne, seconded by Dotty, to approve the minutes.

President’s Report - John: Refer to New Business section

Vice-President/Program Chair Report - Rex: Program dates/speakers for 2017-18 are as follows: 9-7/ Kevin Pape, 10-5/Steve Dinsmore, 11-2/Tyler Flamming, 12-7/Member slide show, 1-4/Paul Roisen, 2-1/Open, 3-1/Tyler Harms, 4-3/Open, 5-3/Open.

Rex gave a report from Iowa Audubon. The Bird Friendly Community Program involves getting local leaders involved in plans that will enhance bird habitats in their community. The website for this program is birdfriendlyiowa.org. The Pelican Festival will be held 9-9 at the Coralville Reservoir and there will be a Cy-Hawk Birding Challenge on 9-17 involving the Iowa City Bird and the Ames Big Bluestem clubs. Funds raised from this event will go to support Iowa Audubon this year. Information on the event can be found at iabirds.org. Iowa Audubon is also seeking fundraising ideas. One way you can support Iowa Audubon is by becoming a member. A motion was made by Donna, seconded by Anne, to contribute $100 to Iowa Audubon to show our support.

Treasurer‘s Report - Jeri: The current checkbook balance is $6,139.31 There was a deposit of $763 from Birdathon. $572 was received from National.

Newsletter - Anne: The September/October newsletter has been sent out.

Membership - Donna: Nothing new from membership.

Birdathon - Donna: Birdathon was held on May 13^th. Ten teams collectively identified 162 species and pledges brought in $763. Last year, 174 species were identified and pledges brought in $595.

Publicity - Dawn: Dawn was unable to attend the meeting.

Conservation - Bill: The Federal Migratory Bird Stamp costs $25 and will directly support conservation efforts. The stamp can be purchased at a post office and will get you into national monuments and refuges for free. Dotty and Bill reported seeing a pileated woodpecker fly over their home (a first for their property!).

Education/Naturalist - Jody: Jody reported on a new South Dakota Game and Fish website. It is an on-line interactive tool which provides information on such topics as breeding birds, habitats needed, new species, etc. She also shared with board members a bird identification game developed by one of her interns which will be used for birding programs and statewide education.

Outing/Website - Jerry: Highlights of the June, July, and August outings, including species identified and number of participants, can be found on the LHAS website or in the LHAS newsletter. The website is up-to-date - no Bird of the Month as of yet. The next Show & Go will be held on 9-30.

Social - Carol Volunteers are needed to bring treats to meetings. Thanks to everyone who brought food for the pot luck.

Old Business: None

New Business: An email was received from Bryan Wood, Executive Director of the Audubon Center of the North Woods, about sponsoring youth in our area for one of their summer camps. Board members were asked for their opinions. Anne suggested sponsoring a partial scholarship if we knew of a young person who would be interested in attending one of the camps. Dotty suggested that Rex might talk to Tyler Harms (Young Birders) to see if he would know of someone in the area who would be interested. Rex will follow up with Tyler.

Rex had talked with Chad Graeve about lack of funding for Hawk Watch. Hawk Watch generally occurs from September to early December and needs volunteers to collect data. Jerry Toll, who is also involved with Hawk Watch, said he would check into it and get back to Rex.

Monica Scherer from the Alaska Wilderness League is circulating a sign-on letter which allows businesses, organizations, and community groups to voice their concerns about protecting the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Motion by Rex, seconded by Bill, to sign our organization on to this letter. John will sign on LHAS to the letter.

A replacement for the position of Vice President/Program Chair needs to be found. The board suggested that this be addressed again at tonight’s general meeting.

Several non-profit organizations had booths at Art Splash this year. Dotty asked the board why Audubon has never had a booth. It would be good publicity for our organization. Dotty will talk to Tyler to see if he would consider releasing a raptor at the next Art Splash. This topic will be placed on the agenda at a later date. She will also be getting a price list for bird seed from Bomgaars and the Feed Shack. She would like each of us to give another person a copy of the list which could help bring in additional income.

Brian Hazlett informed the board about the upcoming John Liu presentation at the Briar Cliff University Center for Prairie Studies. John Liu has documented the habitat restoration of China’s Loess Plateau since 1995. His presentation will be on 9-25 from 7-8 PM at Briar Cliff.

The Board meeting was adjourned at 6:35 PM. Motion by Jody, seconded by Carol, to adjourn the meeting.Minutes from the General Meeting:

The General Meeting was called to order at 7:35 PM by President John Polifka.

The following business was conducted:

Donna passed around the clipboard for email addresses. She asked that those who pledged money for Birdathon to please pay their pledge money. Carol passed around the sign-up list for bringing treats this year.

Members were asked to contact John or Rex if interested in the Vice-President/Program Chair position. Rex would like his successor to work with him this year. The Program Chair finds and contacts potential speakers, sets up dates, and works with the speaker on a topic. Rex had a few Warbler posters and Bob Nickolson had some calendars for anyone who wanted one.

Brian told the group about Jon Liu’s presentation on 9-25 at Briar Cliff. He also has posters.

Jerry Von Ehwegen announced that the next Show & Go would be on 9-30. The group meets at 7:30 at the NW corner of the Singing Hills Walmart parking lot

The General Meeting was adjourned at 7:45 PM. Motion by Gracie Wagoner, seconded by Carol Blair, to adjourn.

Kevin Pape, Stone State Park Ranger, was the presenter for the evening program. He talked about the challenges he has faced at the park. 34 people were in attendance.

Submitted by Sharon Polifka

LHAS Secretary

Board Members Present: Gerald Von Ehwegen, Anne Shaner, Donna Popp, Chuck Johnson, Carol Blair, John and Sharon Polifka, Bill and Dotty Zales, Rex Rundquist, Gary Heineman

Others Present: Jan Null, Bob and Phyllis Nickolson,, Brian Hazlett, Jerry Probst, Bob Livermore

Secretary’s Report - Sharon: Minutes for the 9-7-2017 meeting were emailed to board members. Motion by Carol, seconded by Dotty, to approve the minutes. The motion was carried.

President’s Report - John: Refer to Old/New Business sections

Vice-President/Program Chair Report - Rex: Program dates/speakers remain the same; however, Rex reported that he possibly has a speaker for the February program.

Rex also gave an update on the Bird Friendly Community Program. The program has a website (birdfriendly.org). The website contains information on such topics as community certification and birding breeding dates.

Treasurer‘s Report - Jeri: Jeri was unable to attend the meeting. Her report was given by John. The current checkbook balance is $5,772.56 There were no deposits. A check for $225 was written to WCCB for newspaper ads, $100 donation was made to Iowa Audubon, $31.45 and $4.95 was needed for new checks and bank fees, and $4.95 for the website. She also reported that $5.35 could be saved each month through on-line checking. John will ask Jeri to look into this possibility. Jeri needs tonight’s speakers address and gratuity amount. Rex indicated that the gratuity is $100 for out-of-town speakers.

Newsletter - Anne: Items for the November/December newsletter are due by October 24^th.

Membership - Donna: Nothing new from membership. Donna has sent out the bird seed order form. An order form can also be found on the LHAS website and Facebook.

Bird Food Sales - Dotty: The bird seed will come from the Feed Shed this year. Dotty reported that she has 11 orders so far (order forms were also distributed by Dotty at the general meeting). The cut-off date for orders is 10-19.

Publicity - Dawn: No publicity report. Dawn was unable to attend the meeting.

Conservation - Bill: No conservation report. However, Bill talked about how some Audubon chapters own small properties of land. Bill raised the question of whether our chapter should consider this.

Education/Naturalist - Jody: No education/naturalist report. Jody was unable to attend the meeting.

Outing/Website - Jerry: The last outing was held on 9-30-17, Seven people attended the outing and 50 species were counted. Highlights from the outing included seeing a Peregrine Falcon (which is also the Bird of the Month) and an American Golden-Plover. The website is up-to-date. The next Show & Go will be held on 10-14. The group will meet at 7:30 AM at the NW corner of the Singing Hills Walmart in Sioux City.

Dotty reported seeing Yellow-rumped warblers on their property. Rex indicated that Le Conte’s sparrows have also been seen.

Social - Carol Volunteers are still needed to bring treats to the March meeting. Thanks to everyone who brought treats tonight and to Carol for always cleaning up after us.

Old Business: Bryan’s email response regarding Audubon Center of the North Woods scholarships and the cost of these scholarships was forwarded to Board Members. The board decided that LHAS would not be able to fund these scholarships. John will contact Bryan with this decision.

New Business: Merrill-Hinton Lion’s Club president Margaret Marienau asked if someone from LHAS could give a presentation at a future Lion’s Club meeting. Bill Zales volunteered to give this presentation. Thanks, Bill.

Pip Fisher, IOU Vice-President, contacted Rex regarding Sioux City hosting the Spring, 2018 IOU meeting. There was a discussion about what this would entail - meeting dates, meeting site, the cost of hosting the meeting, lodging and meals, speaker (Rex suggested Nathan Pieplow, author and professor at the University of Colorado, or Erik Bruhnke, a guide and bird expert), field trip leaders and locations, etc. Brian Hazlett was asked if Briar Cliff could serve as a meeting site and he thought that this was possible. After this discussion, Pip Fisher talked with us via speaker phone and it was decided that if Sioux City were to host the meeting, the dates would be May 18, 19, and 20. A motion was made by Anne, seconded by Dotty, that the final decision to host the meeting would be made if it were possible to make all of the above arrangements. The motion was carried.

The Board meeting was adjourned at 7:15 PM. Motion by Anne, seconded by Carol, to adjourn the meeting. Motion carried.Minutes from the General Meeting:

The General Meeting was called to order at 7:20 PM by President John Polifka.

The following business was conducted:

Leesa McNeil and Jon Nylen have agreed to work with Rex to take over the position of Program Chair when Rex’s term is up. Thanks, Leesa and Jon!

Maria Rundquist invited everyone to the Sierra Club Chili Social on Friday, 11-3 at the DPNC and gave a tribute to a doctor whose estate benefited the Sierra Club.

Donna passed around the clipboard for email addresses. The sign-up list for bringing treats was also passed around the group.

Rex talked about sponsoring the IOU spring meeting in Sioux City. The IOU website would have more information on this in the coming months. .

Jerry Von Ehwegen announced that the next Show & Go would be on 10-14. The group meets at 7:30 at the NW corner of the Singing Hills Walmart parking lot

Dotty passed around bird seed order forms and encouraged everyone to place their order. There is a 10% discount if order placed on the 7^th. The General Meeting was adjourned at 7:40 PM.

Stephen Dinsmore, Professor of Wildlife Ecology and Associate Department Chair in the Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management at Iowa State, was the presenter for the evening program. His talk focused on Iowa shorebirds, one of the most diverse groups of birds in Iowa. 35 people were in attendance.

Submitted by Sharon Polifka

LHAS Secretary

Board Members Present: Gerald (Jerry)Von Ehwegen, Anne Shaner, Donna Popp, Chuck Johnson, Carol Blair, John and Sharon Polifka, Bill and Dotty Zales, Rex Rundquist, Jody Moats, Jeri Watkins, Gary Heineman, Bob Livermore

Others Present: Jan Null, Bob and Phyllis Nickolson, Tucker Lutter, Paul Roisen, Dave Hoferer, Jerry Probst

Secretary’s Report - Sharon: Minutes for the 10-5-2017 meeting were emailed to board members. Motion by Anne, seconded by Dotty, to approve the minutes. Motion carried.

President’s Report - John: John requested information from Jerry and Jeri in order to complete the annual report.

Vice-President/Program Chair Report - Rex: Rex gave an update on program dates/speakers for this year. Speakers are still needed for February, April, and May. Some possibilities include a presentation on Ecuador/Galapagos Islands, Jay Norwood “Ding Darling“, the Northern Bob White, and the geoglyphs discovered at Correctionville. Rex also mentioned the donation from Aveda to Iowa Audubon and wanted us to think about how Sioux City could be involved in Bird Friendly Iowa.

Dave Hoferer, Professor of Biology from Briar Cliff, is the contact person helping with the planning for the Iowa Ornithology Union (IOU) spring meeting on May 18^th through the 20^th. IOU conferences generally involve a social hour on Friday night, field trips Saturday and Sunday morning, speakers, free time, and a business meeting Saturday afternoon, a silent auction, information booths, and a banquet with a main speaker Saturday night.

Dave emailed a proposal to Pip Fisher. The St. Francis Center on the BCU campus (which includes two main rooms, which can be subdivided, and a cafeteria) would be available for rent for approximately $900. This would include renting the rooms and preparation of meals. There might be reduction in the cost if only one main room was needed..

For individuals, breakfast would run from $8 to $9, depending on the menu, and a sack lunch would cost $8.50. The cost of the banquet, depending on the budget, would cost approximately $20. We need to decide if we prefer buffet style or being served individually. Conference attendees could stay in dorms for $20 per person. BCU has up to 70 rooms which could be reserved by attendees. We need to explore whether or not hotels close to BCU would offer group rates for those who prefer to stay in a hotel.

LHAS would be responsible for coordinating field trips and finding people to lead the field trips. Field trips north and south of Sioux City could include Broken Kettle, Five Ridge Prairie, Butcher Road, Stone State Park, Owego, Bacon Creek, Synders Bend and Browns Lake, Carol Blair is very familiar with the Owego area and would be willing to be a field trip leader for that area.

We will need to talk some more about the conference and keep Jodi updated on what is happening so that she can place this information on Facebook. The deadline for finalizing plans is at least two months before the conference, but the earlier the better.

Treasurer‘s Report - Jeri: The current checkbook balance is $8,657.36 There were deposits of $3,005.40 from bird seed sales. $100 was paid to Iowa Young Birders on behalf of Steve Dinsmore (last month’s speaker) and $4.95 was paid for the website. Motion by Donna, seconded by Rex, for Jeri to set up on-line banking which will save $5.35 a month. Motion carried.

Newsletter - Anne: The November/December newsletter has been sent out. A few people did not receive the newsletter due to some computer issues. Donna will be checking email adddresses to make sure she has everyone’s email address in her new computer.

Membership - Donna: Nothing new from membership. Membership is down from past years. This might be the result of the confusing membership procedures as well as a lack of expiration date on the Audubon magazine which makes it difficult to determine when membership should be renewed.

Publicity - Dawn: Dawn was unable to attend the meeting. She would like Christmas Bird Count dates so she can put together a press release.

Conservation - Bill: Bill was helping distribute bird seed outside so Dotty gave her report on bird seed sales. Bird seed sales are down this year. Bird seed was only purchased from the Feed Shed this year as Bomgaars did not return Dotty’s calls. There have been fewer donations, bird seed is more expensive (more so at the Feed Shed), and those buyers who made large purchases in the past have not purchased as much seed this year. There are eight extra bags of seed still available for purchase. At present, there is a profit of $874.17 from bird seed sales.

Education/Naturalist - Jody: Jody distributed a flyer inviting people to Christmas at the Homestead at Adams Homestead and Nature Preserve on Saturday, 11-11, from 12 to 4 PM.

Outing/Website - Jerry: Six people attended the outing on 10-14 and 64 species were counted. There were nine raptor species as well as some sparrow species. The website is up-to-date - no Bird of the Month as of yet. The next Show & Go will be held on 11-18. The group will meet at 7:30 AM at the NW corner of the Singing Hills Walmart in Sioux City. The December outings will be held on the dates of the Christmas Bird Counts. These dates and places are as follows: 12-14 for Ponca, NE; 12-16 for Sioux City, IA; 12-17 for Yankton, SD and Ida Grove, IA; and 12-21 for Westfield, IA.

Some LHAS members recently participated in a field trip to Good Earth State Park near Sioux Falls sponsored by the Sierra Club. Dotty suggested that the park might be a possibility for a spring outing.

Social - Carol Thanks to everyone who brought treats tonight. Some volunteers are still needed to bring treats.

Old Business: No old business other than continuing the discussion regarding the spring IOU meeting in Sioux City from last month.

New Business: No new business.

The Board meeting was adjourned at 7:25 PM. Motion by Anne, seconded by Jody, to adjourn the meeting. Motion carried.Minutes from the General Meeting:

The General Meeting was called to order at 7:30 PM by President John Polifka. After the group sang Happy Birthday to Paul Roisen, a sign-up sheet for the Christmas Bird Count and a clipboard for email addresses was passed around the group. Jerry talked about the November outing. Dotty thanked those who had made seed purchases and that there were still some extra bags of seed for purchase.

The General Meeting was adjourned at 7:35 PM. Motion by Anne, seconded by Rex, to adjourn. Motion carried.

Tyler Flamming, DPNC Resource Naturalist, was the presenter for the evening program. He presented information about his blubird project, brought books, handouts and material for us to look at, and information on website resources. 39 people were in attendance.

Submitted by Sharon Polifka

LHAS Secretary

Board Members Present: Gerald (Jerry)Von Ehwegen, Anne Shaner, Donna Popp, Chuck Johnson, Carol Blair, John and Sharon Polifka, Bill and Dotty Zales, Jeri Watkins, Gary Heineman

Others Present: Jan Null, Bob and Phyllis Nickolson, Jerry Probst

Secretary’s Report - Sharon: Minutes for the 11-2-2017 meeting were emailed to board members. Motion by Donna, seconded by Dotty, to approve the minutes. Motion carried.

President’s Report - John: The Annual Report has been submitted. Thanks to Jerry and Jeri for their help with this report. Reminder that four board positions (President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer) will be up for re-election this spring.

Vice-President/Program Chair Report - Rex: No report.

Treasurer‘s Report - Jeri: The current checkbook balance is $6,449.83 There were two deposits of $114 and $130. The following checks were written: $2,366.23 to the Feed Shed (bird seed), $75 to Tyler Flamming, (November program presenter), $4.95 to PayPal (website), and there was a fee of $5.95 (bank service charge). This will be the last service charge since on-line banking has been set up. Motion by Anne, seconded by Carol, to make the annual donation of $270 to DPNC. Motion carried. Jeri will contact Herman, last year’s treasurer, concerning an IRS question. Jeri also passed around a thank you letter from Iowa Young Birders for a gift of $100 for a Silver Sponsorship.

Newsletter - Anne: Articles for the January/February newsletter are due 12-27-27.

Membership - Donna: Nothing new from membership.

Publicity - Dawn: Information on the Christmas Bird Count dates has been sent out. Don Poggensee will be conducting a field trip at Moorehead Park in Ida Grove to see Saw-whet owls on Saturday, 2-3-18. Participants should meet at the park at 10 AM. Carpooling will be available from Sioux City.

Conservation - Bill: Nothing to report from conservation. Dotty indicated that there are four bags of bird seed left - two bags of Cardinal Supreme at $29 each, and two bags of Black Sunflower Oil at $25 each.

Education/Naturalist - Jody: No report.

Outing/Website - Jerry: Six birders attended the outing on 11-18 and 34 species were counted. One of the highlights of the outing was spotting 40 Common Redpolls at Luton Wildlife Area North. The website is up-to-date. The Bird of the Month is the Red-breasted Nuthatch.. The Christmas Bird Counts will replace the December Show and Go. CBC dates and places are as follows: 12-14 for Ponca, NE; 12-16 for Sioux City, IA; 12-17 for Yankton, SD and Ida Grove, IA; and 12-21 for Westfield, IA.

Social - Carol Thanks to everyone who brought treats tonight.

Old Business: No old business other than that IOU spring meeting in Sioux City is now official. Lee Schoenewe has offered to be one of the guides for the field trips.

New Business: Three items of new business:

Chickadee Check-off supports Iowa wildlife when individuals donate $1 or more on the Fish and Wildlife Check-off contribution line on Form 1040 on their tax returns. An article about the Chickadee Check-off will be placed in the newsletter and brought up again at the next LHAS general membership meeting.

Collaborative Funding grants (application deadline is 12-11-17) are again available this year. Contact Ashley Peters, MN Audubon, at 952/715-1209 if interested.

Animals at Risk from Climate Change posters from the Global Education Project are available for purchase and can be used as a reference guide, displayed in educational centers, or in science classes. Board members suggested buying 10 posters and distributing them in this area. Motion by Donna, seconded by Anne, to make this purchase. Motion carried. Jeri was given information on how to purchase the posters.

Waterford Press is offering a holiday special to Audubon chapters on their Cornell Lab pocket guide series. Audubon would receive a 52% discount if 50 or more guides are purchased before 12-15-17. Board members discussed the this offer and decided not to participate at this time.

The Board meeting was adjourned at 6:55 PM. Motion by Donna, seconded by Dotty, to adjourn the meeting. Motion carried.Minutes from the General Meeting:

The General Meeting was called to order at 7:25 PM by President John Polifka.

Jerry Probst talked about Christmas Bird Count dates and locations and had a sign up sheet available for those who wished to participate in the bird count. The email sign-up sheet was passed around the group. Members were informed that there was still some bird seed that could be purchased tonight. Dawn Synder talked about the Winter Fun Day on Saturday, 12-9 from 10 AM to 3 PM at the DPNC and also about the retirement reception for Rick Schneider, Director of Woodbury County Conservation Department, on Friday, 12-15, from 1 to 4 PM at DPNC. Bob Livermore talked with the group about the Chicadee Check-off.

The General Meeting was adjourned at 7:40 PM. Motion by Leesa McNeil, seconded by Carol, to adjourn. Motion carried.

Members shared their digital photos of birds, trips, and adventures after the meeting. 32 people attended the program.

Submitted by Sharon Polifka

LHAS Secretary