CONPS Board Meeting Minutes
August 22 2020 10 am – 1 pm
Zoom Virtual Meeting
Present: Ann, Irene, David V., Denise, Kelly, Amy, Kathy, Ron, Chrissy, Deryn, Ginger, Anna, Lynn, Leo, Mo
Welcome to Ginger, first time attendee!
1. Alice Eastwood (Fund) Scholarship – Leo/ Chrissy
● Supporting education and research in botany for the southern Rocky Mtns. – mission of the fund is to help not to shine, help top undergraduates pursuing plant/ environmental sciences promoting native plants (who will make a difference in the field), training next generation of botanists o Every qualified student receives CoNPS membership
o Students asked to demonstrate need, we want to remove barriers for underserved populations
o Commemorating Alice Eastwood’s lifelong work to promote botany and horticulture in the west
● Leo wants to partner with a 501c3 to fund this program for next 10 years (2029 = 150 yrs since Alice Eastwood started her work)
● Every year, Leo will supply funds as a gift to CoNPS; CoNPS would send out call for applications. Leo is providing list of professors who have students in this field. Leo willing to provide 1 scholarship at $950, 1 scholarship at $475. The amount is connected to Alice Eastwood’s annual salary at East Denver High.
● CoNPS will be expected to: help promote (e-news, website), collect applications (Linda and Chrissy), selection through Mission Grants committee, write check to student’s institution – Chrissy is happy to take on the grant support role in CoNPS as part of the Mission Grant committee
● This year, Leo disseminated call for applications, received 500 applications, Leo developed rubric, selected 2 finalists, Chrissy solicited letters of rec, selected recipient
o Asking for CoNPS board approval for recipient – Chrissy has copy of application of stellar selected grant recipient
● If Board was interested in building a longer-term fund, Leo is willing to help board do that.
o May be opportunities to partner with other Alice Eastwood initiatives in California (through a garden club)
● Irene motioned to move forward with the Alice Eastwood grant as described above. Motion passed.
2. Future of Aquilegia – Kelly
● Please see Mary’s letter and Kelly’s letter – Mary Menz is stepping down as managing editor; we need a new managing editor, serves as main contact point for Aquilegia and sets style and tone for the publication.
o Fall issue will be Mary’s last issue (end of Oct/ beginning of Nov); ideal to have someone selected by that time
o Managing ed duties spread out throughout the quarter, intensifying towards publication
o Contact with botanical community, aware of emerging trends and wide range of botanical interests among CoNPS members
o Mary may be able to provide insight about whether her duties can be split among a managing editorial team
● Mary is working on work flow document, Kelly will ask Mary to write a position description for Aquilegia managing editor
● Any likely candidates so far? Mary has reached out to people who have helped proofread in the past, no interest so far; Kelly and Mary each put in about 60-75 hrs per issue
● From Mary: Both Kelly and Mary responded to a call for volunteers put out by Jen B fall of 2017. We created a publication style sheet, layout and design template, and put it together by the seat of our pants that first issue. We continually refined the process since then, but there is always room for improvement!
● From Mary: We already have several people on the team (associate/layout editor, assistant editor, botanical names editor, proofreaders). A managing editor’s role is to ensure everything gets done. Not really sure how much more the tasks can be broken up. That is up to CoNPS and whomever steps forward to take on this role!
● Ann asked if we need a search committee – Kelly agreed that might be helpful to identify candidates. Mary also suggested putting on e-news and websites.
● One of the most difficult aspects of managing ed job is to get contributors to follow-through on their writing commitments
● Anna asked if time-dependent materials (chapter/ committee reports) fit into quarterly publications? Kelly has evidence that people read them there and also rely on Aquilegia for event information
● Denise will send out a member-wide letter (and to board), provide copy for e-news, based on job description from Mary – she will then provide applicants to selection team, which will include Kelly
o Position description will be shared to Google drive
o Selection team includes Kelly, Amy, maybe Mary
● As part of the “blast”, Lynn will reach out to her networks in Boulder – CoNPS board all encouraged to share position opening with their networks, both personally and through listservs (COSA, master gardeners [Deryn will send to state coordinator], native plant masters)
3. Virtual Garden Tour report – Denise
● Please see Marketing report in Google drive
● Garden tours have been a success! Videos are currently on CoNPS private YouTube channel. In the winter, Denise would like to put these videos in the CoNPS bookstore, still have to work out pricing
● Boulder in-person tour went okay – registration was a little soft, but provided opportunity for volunteers
● Net revenue in report does not include staff time
● Denise will work with Mo how to more efficiently offer “season tickets”
4. Annual conference update – Denise
● Please see Marketing report in Google drive
● About 58 registrants currently, goal is 300 registrants
● Tech production company Eventinterface offered a deep nonprofit discount for CoNPS – $1500
● Denise’s husband is generously recording the meeting. It will take a few weeks for the recordings to be available on YouTube.
● John Vickery has taken over committee chair for this year
● Tom Schweich is putting together videos and photos from members for Friday night social
o If you have received that email request, please send your photo, fave plant and short paragraph to Sue Dingwell sageblue892@gmail.com
● We will not offer awards during this year’s meeting
● We need volunteers to solicit silent auction items and to report summaries of each session
5. Merging Marr and Steinkamp grants – Mo
● Issue with grants – they were set up to fund researchers studying rare and endangered CO native plants. Over the past 10 years, we’ve never been able to use all the funds set aside for Steinkamp, not enough people doing that research. Jack Carter suggested merging the grants, since Marr is more general and is fully used. We’d have to get approval from Steinkamp family to make that change – we don’t know if the family is willing to discuss this.
o Another option is to fund worthy Steinkamp grant submissions, then the balance goes to CO Natural Heritage Program
o Is the gap based on how grant is publicized? Mo will find out who chair for that committee to discuss publicizing grant on website –
● We will continue to offer Marr and Steinkamp grants separately for the time being, focusing on targeted promotion in order to increase applications; wait until April board meeting to discuss contacting Steinkamp family
● We are interested in promoting Mission grant, Marr and Steinkamp grants among undergrad and grad students or keeping within CoNPS community
o Lynn suggested CO Natural Areas Program as another possible source for applicants
6. Facebook committee update – Denise
● Please see Marketing report in Google drive
● Thank you to the Facebook committee for your dedication in keeping daily content current and responding to member queries! Thank you to Jen
Bousselot for her generous mentorship!
● Denise working hard to follow Mary’s advice in converting social media participants to CoNPS membership
7. Colorado Native Landscaping Coalition – Denise
● Wild Ones taking leading role, but also CoNPS, CWF, Audubon Rockies and PPAN – goal to have “xeriscape” concept include more natives, active
promotion of natives in municipalities. Deryn will be representing LWCNP conference/ CSU.
● Please see CNLC documents in Google drive
● Kelly suggested an article about CNLC for Aquilegia – Denise will recruit a volunteer to write at next CNLC mtg.
8. Workshops/ webinars report and special speaker brainstorm – Kathy
● Please see Workshop summary docs in Google drive
● 12 programs so far in 2020 – so far very successful! Thank you to all of our incredible presenters!
● Webinars usually btw 2-3 hours; we are now getting participation from people in other states
● $6035 net revenue (staff time is deducted). This is 2.71 times original 2020 budget projections. We can reach more people and spend less to present CoNPS content, much more affordable for our community
● Evaluations have been very favorable – thanks to Irene for creating online evaluation for
o Special speaker series: Doug Tallamy provided content in July. In process of contacting Peter Raven. Other ideas: Scott Hoffman Black (Xerces Society), Exec Director of CA Native Plant Society, contacts from Lady Bird Wildflower Center and Santa Barbara Botanic Garden (Deryn Davidson has contacts), Chris Martine
9. Landscaping w/ CO Native Plants Conference Feb 2021 virtual vendor – Denise
● At least $15 for virtual booth – this issue should go to Ed and Outreach and they can include in 2021
● Denise will contact David Julie to discuss
10. Shared Google Drive – Irene
● Chrissy will find and re-share tutorial and drive information
● Recommendation: star the CoNPS folder once you have current link to make it easier to find
● Link for CoNPS official files: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1LqscfCebRXiGVpH424gy8pMCCAF WOXuT?usp=sharing
● Chrissy, Amy and Irene will work on making sure we have info and share with everybody
11. New board contact list – Linda requested
● Linda and Denise will be sending out request for current info
● Irene will share link to contact list on Google drive
12. Next meeting format Nov. 14 10 am – 1 pm
● Zoom platform for rest of 2020
● Even without internet interactivity, phone access is accessible
● Recommendations: turn off additional applications, mute and don’t share video, make sure others aren’t using your bandwidth
13. Do we want to put together 2021 calendar out of 2019 photo contest winners? (Kelly)
● Usually offered at annual meeting in physical bookstore
● Print on demand service? (i.e. Redbubble) – Irene will send Kelly email with info