[MassChestnutOrchards] MA/RI TACF Autumn Meeting Minutes

[Yvonne Federowicz]

In case this didn¹t make it out to the full list...

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Draft Minutes MA-RI/TACF October 3, 2009 Quarterly meeting
River Bend ­ Uxbridge, MA
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Present:  Guy Shepard, Brian Clarke, Mike Novack, Jamie Donalds, Brad Smith,
Rufin Van Bossuyt, Denis Melican, Lois Melican, Kathy Desjardin, Yvonne
Federowicz, John Meiklejohn, Kendra Gurney


Treasurer's Report MikeNovack

It will be 2-3 years before we are planting thousands of trees in Seed
Orchards
Finances are looking good even though donations are down somewhat

We are doing well partly since the orchard supply expenses are down.

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Motion to approve Treasurer's Report: Brian, seconded Guy.  Approved
Unanimously.
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Mike would like a budget committee.  Volunteers: Mike Novack, John
Meiklejohn, Jamie Donalds.
Idea is to approve a tentative budget.  Should have something by the January
meeting to put in front of the Board..

Secretary's Report Kathy Desjardin

330 members so down a bit
Have a few contacts new, got some tree calls
New person in Chepachet (part of Glocester, RI)
Also Kendra heard from someone in Foster, RI




Harvesting:  Brian is trying to get the tall mother tree harvested; some
difficulty with truck.  A road was put in back to this tree over the summer
which helps.

Geocaching:  Kendra has used TACF poker chips in these, and Jamie has a
³travel bug² with chestnut wood and his bug is getting him emails ­ it's out
in KY now.

New tree leads:  there are more potential mother trees coming in

Kendra has a nice fillable PDF form that she can send Yvonne for the website

A leaf sample of ³sawtooth oak² from Asia was brought in; it looks
remarkably like chestnut

Minutes ­ approval of August 2009 ­ Brad motioned approve, Rufin seconded,
unanimously approved
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Inoculation Report
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We have done 4 inoculations so far

Looked at Wrentham in July, made some final selections
some can be removed now.  Mower would like some pruning done, he does a very
nice job.

Kendra will look at John Emery's orchard again on November 14.
Presentation at URI ­ November 14, 2009 ­ Kendra

When do we pull out?  Depends on what we want to do with the land.  To fill
the seed orchard, the BC3F1 selections have to grow a bit to begin to
produce more offspring (BC3F2).

No need to rush inoculation because it stresses trees out and might slow
their flowering; we will need them to grow larger.

2-4 selections per line rather than 1 to reduce inbreeding further down the
line

Kendra:  inoculation is much easier with about 15 people

Putting tree numbers onto trees makes them easier  - Kendra found a ³timber
crayon² - in Forestry Supplies ­ don't come off easily

John Emery and Kendra will look at his orchard again

John Meiklejohn: soon we will have an uptick in # of inoculations per summer

Kendra: Fred feels that larger tree diameters before inoculation is better
now.  Doing whole orchard at once is best.

Keeping track of how many trees have natural blight, how many are large
enough ­ very helpful in timing inoculation

Rufin: at Wrentham the innermost row is not doing as well

In CT one tree grew 8 feet this summer
Generally was a good year for growth

Organizing ahead of time is key to getting volunteers to help

TNC might have some; Trustees of Reservations, Audubon, Wild Turkey
Federation, RITree, Master Gardeners

Paul Gayle has seen the Glocester Orchard ­ has a forest management plan for
his acreage ­ would like to do a test planting.  Kendra's group has not yet
figured out how to respond

This person is a new ³cooperator² - might be 5 years before National can get
them seed but perhaps he could work at seed orchard or regular orchard

Person in Glocester ­ can they do a seed orchard?
Would they like to do a Nanking?

Nanking might have resistance more similar to Henryii ­ might be a cross
from China

Yvonne and Kendra will go out to see Mr. Gayle's property, maybe it could be
another Nanking spot?

Rufin:  Mass Fish & Wildlife would like to put seedlings in and Sandy
Anagnostakis is giving them some, we are not sure what type

We requested that they not put them very close to our orchards to keep the
genetics  separate

ANNUAL MEETING
We need a speaker!  Annual Meeting

Possibilities:
Kendra:  Hopkins has done work on general forest change
Paul  Scharbag at Forest Service ­ Kendra's advisor­ has done cold tolerance
work ­ climate change tie-in
Brian the new president of TACF is another possibility ­ he will likely
attend and we would like to ask him to talk some anyway
The scientists who did the two sets of websites on chestnut response to
climate change (modelling)


Kendra will also be speaking at URI 9-12.
Yvonne might talk a bit there, also man who put together the solar
installation


Charlotte ­ genetics and how much interbreeding

Site is ok ­ Brad has it organized.  Site has a security person.

Signage
Kathy & Brad to do 
desserts, food
projections stuff
need a projector ­ Chapter machine

There are two rooms we can use.  Board and beginners meetings

Board Meeting starts at 10; presentations at 11
Could have a video
Brad managing the newcomers' meeting; Kendra can help if needed
Video recordings: Marty Jessel?

Orchards
Rhode Island:

Westerly soil test showed little nitrogen, esp in deeper soil

FORMALIZE:
We should require soil tests before any seed orchard is put in
Also a test planting

River Bend with irrigation is doing much better

Spigots should get drained

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Elections:
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Will need to suspend bylaws for people first elected in 2001

Board size will be shrinking

Yvonne could ask Rhode Island people

Frank Howard and Jim Garland:  making them honorary?
We need to discuss this in January ­ what to do for these people as thanks,
keep them involved

Roy could be asked ­ he has come to several Board meetings
Motion: if Roy shows interest when asked by Yvonne, that we are approving
his nomination today so it will have been approved within the 30-day limit.
John Meiklejohn.  Seconded: Yvonne.

Approved unanimously

The 20th position would be open then.

National TACF Meetings

National brought up ³regionalizing² representation.  Jamie and many of us do
not like this idea.

Jamie would like to make a proposal at Pittsburgh with our support:
decouple chapter representation to national board from the Presidency.
Could be a ³seasoned² member

Representation from chapters doesn't have to be the president but would be
for 3 years?
Rufin is ³at-large² member of board

³green-ness² is bad, takes time to learn the committees and such.
Chairman thinks Board is too large, unwieldy

Number of chapters has grown

Mike Novack: moves that chapter expresses its support for that change type.
John Meiklejohn seconded.  Passed unanimously.


SEED ORCHARDS
John Mirick came up with a report on seed orchard development but could not
make this meeting - > January meeting

DCR & chief forester very in favor of seed orchard (Lois & Denis) but no
paperwork yet
Meetings coming up.

Trustees of Reservations ­ Rufin went to see their proposed site.  Smaller
than we need for seed orchard plus surrounded by invasives like autumn
olive.

Jamie:  he could draft a letter to Trustees.  Will pass it by John Mirick ­
working with Guy, John Meiklejohn & John Mirick ­ partnering with Trustees
for seed orchard space

Kendra offered to help with that as well ­ also researching

John Meiklejohn has a spot he would like Kendra to help look at re. seed
orchard

Minimum seed orchard size:  3Ž4 acre

Stockbridge orchard:  getting support for this ­ Jamie & Rufin asked Kendra
to help since she goes down to CT.  We have lots of members there, and one
manager. Craig Moffit.

We could try to organize work parties of members near Stockbridge
Rufin: Kathy gave him a list of people

Peter Berle = Former Stockbridge manager - was president of National
Audubon, did lots of other environmental work.

Laurel Hill conservancy is in that area; it is the oldest conservancy in
country now.
TACF may have taken some pollen from their hill early on.

Conway orchard ­ John Meiklejohn & Charlotte went up last fall.  Intended to
get back but have not yet.  Trees are growing into their wire cages.  Metal
tubes, impacted.

Plan:  go up to Conway in Spring 2010 and do more maintenance.

Mike Novack lives fairly close to it.

If someone comes forward and wants to help with Conway, we can use their
help

Conway Mother Tree:
Guy knows person to help Brian
Kendra might know someone also
John Meiklejohn:  Bartlett Tree is very committed to TACF around country,
has helped in Granville

Other harvests:  RI to be done this week

Weedwhacker ­ Rufin taking, to get to Charlotte

The irrigation system for Glocester is coming in; it has been on back order

Master Gardeners don't need theirs perhaps but

Glocester needs to get it ­ then we can install next spring
Jamie will contact Yvonne once it's all in, then we can get it to RI for
winter

Tech Soup ­ people liked idea of us getting account; Kendra can then have
access for Adobe

Denis & Lois ­ chocolate chestnut ice cream for annual meeting

SCA headquarters is in Charlestown NH and they want an orchard ­ Kendra will
be working with them

TACF National Meeting:
photos are good but presentation needs to be updated
Kendra will send around the PDF for us to update

Get orchard measurements to Charlotte!!!

Motion to Adjourn 4:17


Yvonne needs to contact Don Wulf in Cranston ­ Kathy will send pictures
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