[Agenda - ExComm Meeting 2008 July 19]

 
 Florida Native Plant Society
Executive Committee Meeting

John D. MacArthur Beach State Park
www.macarthurbeach.org  * 10900 State Road 703, North Palm Beach, FL 33408
(407) 624-6952

AGENDA
REPORTS
a.  President
b.   Past President
c.   Vice President of Administration
d.   Vice President of Finance
1. Development Sub-Committee –
Trip to Nicaragua
2. Panhandle Trip
e.   Treasurer
f.   Science Advisory Committee
g.   Membership Committee
h.   Conference Committee
      --- 2008, 2009, 2010

g.   Conservation Committee
      1.   Land Management Partners                           Sub-Committee
i.  Education Committee
j.  Government Policy & Legislation Committee
      --- Issues of the day
   --- Transportation Issues
k.   Communications Committee
   --- Update on FNPS chapter displays
        --- Mulch Brochure
m. Publications Committee 
n.   Landscape Awards Committee
 

OLD BUSINESS
1.   FNPS Visioning / (3) Year Strategic Plan Draft
Background:  At our February 16-17, 2008 BOD Retreat we started a dialog towards defining a future vision and strategic plan.  Our goal is to work this year to create a draft vision statement / (3) year strategic plan and have a facilitated workshop at our January 9-11, 2009 BOD Retreat to finalize the documents.
2.   Regional meetings
Is this idea something we want to move forward with?  If so, we need to discuss length, scheduling, location, ExComm member attendance and Regional Chapter Liaisons
3.   Handbook revisions – Status and deadline for completion.
4.   No Child Left Inside Program Update – Cindy Liberton

NEW BUSINESS
1.   Earthshare Meeting Update – Bob Egolf
2.   University of Florida Native plant curricula – Karina Veaudry
Background: We have been invited to provide instructors and develop programming for two Environmental Horticulture Seminar sessions starting this Fall (A Seminar program consists of 16 sessions total).
Next year we may be able to guide an entire 16 session Seminar program which may lead to core curricula classes.  This sessions and courses are developed for Environmental Horticulture and Landscape Architecture students.  Once developed, we could market the usage at other educational institutions.
Suggestions on content?  Suggested instructors?
3.   New products on the market: Fertilizers with broadcast insecticides and new broadcast insecticides. 
Background:  We know that some insecticide applications cause ecological damage by killing non-target organisms.  These damages are increased when broad-spectrum insecticides are utilized.  Broadcast sprays expose many non-target insects and organisms to the insecticide and cause unavoidable mortality for beneficial insects and pollinators.  Arthropods (other than the pest species), birds, butterflies, moths,  mammals, and other creatures may also be poisoned.  The non-target mortality may include predators and competitors of the pest species, which may cause secondary damage by releasing the pest from some of its ecological controls.

The continued development of pest-specific insecticides and IPM systems should be encouraged and will reduce society's reliance on broad-spectrum insecticides and other damaging pesticides.  The industry trend, however, is to create increasingly more broadcast insecticides such as the newly advertised products  called  “Complete Kill” and “Superior Kill”

Should FNPS have a policy statement regarding broadcast use of insecticides?  Should FNPS create educational programs targeting this topic?
4.   Board of Directors Retreat contracts
Background: Review of location, cost and contracts for BOD retreats for 2009, 2010 and 2011 to present to BOD.  To review proposed contracts, see documents in the discussion forum under ExComm Agenda.
5.   New Native Plant Nursery Grower Incentives
Background:  The statewide shortage of available native plants threatens to undo progress.  What are some strategies that FNPS can be involved in to assist in reversing this trend?
Discussion to include:
•   Native Plant Propagation and Nursery Methodology courses for interested nursery growers, FNGLA members and other strategies.
•   Education for Landscape Architects  and Land Planners to promote the benefits of native plants.
•   Education for landscape maintenance personnel.
•   Grant to pay for programs and distribution

6. AFNN Publication support
ADJOURNMENT - Optional guided hike – John D. MacArthur Beach State Park

[Earthshare Meeting Notes]

Earth Share Florida Meeting
July 10, 2008 Notes

In attendance:
Name   Organization   Position
Perry Bird
 
   EarthShare   Director, Member Services

Cheron Carlson
   EarthShare   Campaign Director
Barton Cooper   EarthShare    Florida Region
Pat Kieslis   Defenders of Wildlife   
Peter Clark   Tampa Bay Watch   
Keith Callahan   TNC   
Several   Sierra Club   
Bob Egolf   Florida Native Plant Society   

•   Please see attached tables on Florida Campaigns and distributions.
o   Note some municipalities are running campaigns modeled on State and Federal Governments.  Not following traditional Unite Way format.  Rumor is that University of Florida is about to follow suit.
•   Note that some employers match contributions:  Home Depot 2: 1, Wal-Mart 1:1.
•   EarthShare Access Awards provide instant rewards.  50% of money raised in first year, 25% year 2, 10% year 3.  Suggested targets:  Publix, Environmental Businesses (PBS&J), local law firms, County Commissions.
•   Worksheets handed out for member education via newsletters, websites.  See CNPS example.
FNPS Status:  I called Miriam Davidson, EarthShare’s Manager of Public Campaigns, to clarify in my own mind the status of FNPS.  We were “disallowed” to participate in the 2008 Florida State Employees Consolidated Campaign because of the way we reported administrative expenses for 2007.  Miriam and Karina have discussed the fact that we are eligible to re-apply in January 2009.  (Have we re-classified our expenses? Do we need to re-do a chart of accounts? Do we know what our Administrative % is?  What’s the FSECC limit?) 

Miriam’s phone is 240-333-0300, x11.  I gave her Gene’s contact info.

[Earthshare - Florida Stats]

Florida Campaign Stats
   # of Employees in Florida   05 Pledges   06 Pledges   07 Pledges   National   Employees Nationwide
Accenture   *see right            $294,878   22,000
Allstate   *see right   $1,534   $1636   $1594   $30,667   40,000
American Express   4,300   $20,258   $18.820   $20,778   $197,270   
Ameriprise Financial   *see right   n/a   $1,768   $2,496   $135,015   11,275
CIT   1,000   n/a   n/a   $954   $36,421   
City of Orlando   3,000   n/a   $1,993   $3,371      
Combined Federal Campaign   147,405   $188,008   $177,360   $183,030   $5,850,722   
Florida State Employees   130,000   $135,744   $147,442   $147,442      
Hewlett Packard   50   -   -   $1,000   $217,410   
Home Depot   200   n/a   $1,462   $113   $102,068   
JP Morgan Chase   *see right   n/a   n/a   n/a   n/a   94,000
Natural Body  Spa & Shoppe   30   n/a   n/a         
Papyrus   150   n/a   n/a   n/a   n/a   
United Health Group   1,500   $2,033   $5,713   $5,304   $375,421   
Wal-Mart   52,000   n/a   $13,624   $19,874   $382,942   
Zurich North America   385   n/a   n/a   n/a   n/a   
   340,020   $347,577   $369,818   $385,956      
n/a indicates campaign was not active in that year
Campaign added a corporate match
Pledges not yet available, 2006 figures used as an estimate
Estimation based on proportionate # of donors vs # of employess

Florida distributions
   2005   2006   2007   Total
Audubon of Florida   $849   $530   $511   $1890
Florida Defenders of Wildlife   $4,389   $6,271   $3492   $14,152
Florida Native Plant Society   $2,788   $3,401   $726   $6,915
Friends of the Everglades   $1,474   $8,006   $3,221   $12,701
Florida Wildlife Federation   $12,853   $16,750   $4,468   $34,071
Save the Manatee Club   $8,073   $8,791   $5,750   $22,614
Tropical Audubon Society   $2,492   $2,034   $981   $5,507
Tampa Bay Watch   $334   $1,819   $1,412   $3,565
   $32,918   $45,783   $19,149   $97,850
Note:  majority of 2007 FSECC results not in yet!

[Agenda Item Related to On-Line Registration]

It does not look like it, but the attached e-mail from Cammie relates to on-line registration.  We seem to keep dividing information sent to the accountant into tiny bins -- for instance, instead of tracking money coming in from dues, we track money coming in from each individual dues category.  Cammie also has to maintain this same information herself, and so far as I know, we typically get the information from Cammie when we need it.  We'd like to discuss reducing redundancy -- that will also let us add other information (such as second e-mail addresses for multi-e-mail families, multiple cell phone numbers, etc.) without increasing her workload.
------- Shirley

[Publications Committee Report]

Publications Committee Status
July 19, 2008

•   Kick Off Meeting at Conference – Nine people attended.  Support for FNPS providing local media with updated reprints from Society and Chapter publications.  Also, some demand for more traditional publications.

•   Provide Local Media

o   Contacted Peggy Dessaint, IFAS Ornamental Horticulture for Manatee County.  She also writes a Gardening column for the Bradenton Herald.  She’s cutting back on her input and feels they might be interested.  Need a supply of articles ready to go.  (She also comments that she is seeing a surprising amount of disease and insect problems on natives that perhaps we may wish to address.)
o   Rosalind Rowe has expressed willingness to request articles via Sabal minor.  July 24 deadline.

•   Traditional Publications:
o   Planning and Planting a Native Yard.  John G. Beriault.  This was published by FNPS in late 1980’s .  It won John a Green Palmetto.  John Sibley of All Native Garden Center in Fort Myers says he perceives a need from new arrivals to Florida who want to do the right thing.  John is willing to proceed, but feels his publication applies to South Florida only.  I have been unable to get a copy.
o   Xeric Landscaping with Florida Native Plants  Jameson& Moyroud, 1991.  Copyright by AFNN.  A few years ago, Kathryn Pordelli recommended this as a great tool for local planning departments.  Chiappini resisted republcation because of AFNN sponsoring Nelson’s 100 Best.  Now AFNN is re-thinking and will produce it and a companion website.  They need financial support of course.  Is FNPS interested?