Present: Cynthia Crampton (chair), Jude Grass, Bill Kinkaid, Margaret Coutts, Daniel Overmyer, Nigel Peck, David Cook, Adrian Grant Duff, Viveka Ohman, Jeremy McCall, Dorothy Nelson (recording). 

Cynthia welcomed everyone to the meeting.

Agenda approved with the addition of “New Board members” to  Item 16. Any Other Business

David / Bill moved/sec minutes of September 1, 2009 approved as amended. Carried.

None

6. Correspondence - none

Jeremy reports receipt of about $3000 in donations to replenish the camp contingency fund. All rentals of booked meeting sites have been paid to the end of the year. 

Daniel reports no report as yet, opinions of various interested parties still being solicited by Jude and June.

9. Vancouver Naturalist

Follow-up to Kelly’s email and ongoing discussion. Jeremy brought in copies of Victoria Natural History Society’s newsletter for comparison. It was agreed that a questionnaire will be included in the next issue of The Naturalist to encourage consideration by the whole membership. Jeremy will include financial information and the various options: (1) as is    (2) entirely on the website, no paper version (3) electronic version with paper copies for those who do not have computers (4) electronic version with the addition of a regular activity sheet four times per year. Articles currently published in The Naturalist might be moved to Discovery magazine. Trip reports continue to appear on the website. Bill pointed out it is important that time sensitive material be available several times per year.

Bill reported the plant and bird lists from the Smithers summer camp (2008) did not appear with the article and will appear in the next issue.

Roxanne Paul is working on soliciting content for the next issue with help from Jeremy and Marian. Roxanne is seeking 2 more articles and photos. Marian and Bill will submit articles on this year’s Cinnabar camp

Cynthia reports that Marian has made a start on this, and will continue when the next edition of Discovery is published.

Viveka reported that the pamphlet is about to go to the printer. Sheila Byers has a plan for distribution.

Daphne reports that Harbour Publishing intends to take on publication in September.

Jeremy is looking for comments and corrections as soon as possible on the draft of the latest waiver form. With regard to Policy Guidelines, field trip policy is currently incomplete and must be completed (see Part 3). David expressed approval of the two classifications for walks and day hikes; he emphasized that NV walks are not “hikes.” Leaders will have to differentiate at orientation.

With regard to bird walks sponsored by Van Dusen Gardens and led by Jeremy Gordon, they are currently advertised in The Naturalist as Nature Vancouver walks. However, Jeremy does not use a waiver.

It is important to Nature Vancouver that waivers are trip specific unlike the Kamloops club whose procedure is that signed waivers are included with membership on a once/year basis.

David recommended that in the case of walks in West Vancouver, waivers include the term “private lands.”

Margaret Coutts and Dorothy will divide responsibilities for reporting BC Nature activities: Club chat will be submitted to the BC Nature newsletter and Club annual report for the BC Nature AGM and FGM by Dorothy, Margaret will write an article for each issue of the Naturalist to inform the membership of BC Nature events/activities and convey information to the NV executive at each meeting, forward information re Club support grants deadlines (February 15), resolutions for AGM (February 28, and award nominations (March 15).

Birding Section - Jude reports a successful October 1 meeting with Larry Cowan showing his slides from an Ecuador trip. All speakers are confirmed for the year. At elections, Mike Fung has resigned, other members of the executive agreed to stand.

Botany Section – David reports the Billy Bishop Legion site is very successful. Dr. Keith Wade presented an illustrated lecture on Papua New Guinea in September. Bill Merrilees will present “Mega-herbs of the sub-Antarctic” at the October meeting. Kathryn Steig and Rosemary Taylor will do a talk on plants of Stanley Park in March.

Geology Section – upcoming trips can be found on the trips website and emails sent out regularly by David.

Evening Programs and Workshops – Jude reports that all presenters are confirmed for the year, except January at the Beaty Museum. September meeting Glen Chilton presented a very lively evening about the Labrador Duck at Unity Church (42^nd/Oak). Only 30 attended probably because of the new site. A new 70” screen would be advantageous; Ron Long informs that one can be bought for $150. Agreed that it should be purchased.

The Aquarium site has proven to be a difficult location, particularly for those traveling by public transit. 

Conservation Section – Daniel reported on meeting with Colin Fry, Executive Director of the Agricultural Land Commission, and distributed copies of a list of recommended topics for discussion, with a view to Nature Vancouver involvement possibly as watchdog.

Daniel will attend a public meeting sponsored by SFU “Planning Metro Vancouver as if Food Matters” on October 21 at the Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre, featuring five leading food and land use experts (Michael Ableman, Kent Mullinex, Jane Pickering, John Savage and Harold Steves) in a discussion of food security plans, moderated by Peter Ladner.

CampCommittee – Bill reported next year’s camp will be at Keystone-Standard Basin, in the Selkirks north of Revelstoke, Articles from camp are welcome for Discovery magazine.

Marine Biology Section – The September meeting with Jim Cosgrove and Neil McDaniel presenting “The Giant Octopus and Other Cephalopods of the Pacific Coast” was interesting although only 30 attended; this site is not yet familiar. On October 18 a field trip of 25 will travel to Agassiz for a tour of Swift Aquafarm, one of the few attempts to farm salmon away from wild stocks. Following lunch at Limbert Farm, the group will go to Weaver Creek spawning channel.

Outreach – Nigel reports the Coho Festival was a successful event, as was Beaty open house. He has a contract with GVRD Parks.  Nigel will have a table at Worksafe BC’s Health & Wellness Fair in Richmond Oct 27, 28.

YNC – The YNC AGM took place on September 12 in Pender Harbour in parallel with the BC Nature FGM. Annual membership fee will be raised to $25. A separate annual subscription to NatureWILD will cost $20 for 4 issues / year. New Board of Directors includes Amar Balaggan, George Bangham, Rob Butler, Peter Davidson, Laura Estrada, Ruth Foster, Eva Nagy, Bob Peart, Gail Ross, Daphne Solecki. New family memberships number 100 within the past 3 months. Donations (much needed in light of no Gaming Grant this year) have been received via website plea.

Daniel reported to the Conservation section on his meetings with Colin Fry of the ALC in July this year. He foresees that Nature Vancouver could involve itself in monitoring ALR lands, watching for violations and reporting them to the Commision, and informing itself generally with the list of recommended topics. Background information and the list of recommended topics are attached to these minutes.

Currently there are considerations of members who might be candidates to replace Daphne Solecki as a Director.

The meeting was adjourned at approximately 9:15 PM.