08/02/2006 Env Bd Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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From the former president by Jason Husveth, president, 2003 - 2006 Greetings members! I hope you are all enjoying Minnesota's native flora and wealth of natural areas during these warm summer months. I have had the honor of serving as your president for the past three years. With the help of an energized and talented board and enthusiastic members, we have accomplished a great deal in this time. I want to thank all of you for making my term as president so rewarding and, I hope, productive. As many of you may know, a new slate of officers was elected at the June 2006 board meeting. Scott Milburn will be taking over the reins of president, and I am certain he will excel in this role. Shirley Mali Kooyman was elected vice president, and her professional skills and considerable experience on the board will serve her and the society well. I am excited to see the new directions that our senior officers will take us. After several years on the board and serving as secretary, Karen Schik has stepped down to pursue and develop local conservation initiatives in her community. Among her many contributions, Karen has served as an invaluable resource on the board and has volunteered countless hours to planning our annual symposia for the past several years. I wish to thank Karen for her exceptional service to the society. She will be missed (and called upon in a pinch). Daniel Jones was elected as secretary and continues to offer his talents and passion to the society. Ron Huber will continue to serve as treasurer, and he and Cathy are doing a fine job at managing the society's assets and financial concerns. Ken Arndt continues to raise the bar with field trip planning and coordination, and will continue on the board. Sandy McCartney is working on developing an annual scholarship for Minnesota students. Many thanks to Gerry Drewry for keeping us on task with the quarterly newsletter, and to Linda Huhn for coordinating fantastic speakers and topics for our monthly meetings. It has been a pleasure to serve as your president for the past three years. I will continue serving on the board through 2007, and I look forward to helping the society grow well into the future. Thank you! Art Hawkins dies Conservationist Art Hawkins, 92, died on his property at Lake Amelia March 9. As a United States Fish and Wildlife manager in Minnesota, Hawkins developed many of the research protocols and waterfowl management plans used by the agency. He was a member of the Commissioners Advisory Committee to Scientific and Natural Areas for almost 20 years. Hawkins held a bachelor's degree from Cornell and a master's degree from the University of Wisconsin, where he worked under Aldo Leopold. He was one of Leopold's last surviving students. Like Leopold, Hawkins restored his land to a wildlife preserve. Hawkins placed some of the first nesting platforms for osprey on his land and kept a diary or journal about the property for nearly 50 years. The MN NPS has started a memorial fund for Art Hawkins. If you wish to contribute, make your check out to the Society, mark it for the Art Hawkins memorial, and mail it to Minnesota Native Plant Society, P.O. Box 20401, Bloomington, MN 55420. Take an evening tour of Hastings Sand Coulee July 18 by Elizabeth Storey, river stewardship coordinator Friends of the Mississippi River Join Friends of the Mississippi River Vermillion Stewards for a prairie tour of the Hastings Sand Coulee Tuesday, July 18, from 6:30 – 8 p.m. Karen Schik, restoration ecologist for Friends of the Mississippi River (FMR), will introduce us to this rare dry prairie that has survived since the early 1800s. Karen prepared the stewardship plan that has determined the course of action for efforts to return the coulee to its pre - settlement condition. Technically a sand - gravel prairie, this special place is home to several rare habitat types; endangered plant species including James' polanisia ( Polanisia jamesii), sea -beach needle grass (Aristida tuberculosa), and kittentail (Besseya bullii); and the threatened blue racer snake (Coluber constrictor). The 2.5- mile -long coulee is a former glacial stream valley identified by Minnesota County Biological Survey as one of the most biologically important sites in Dakota County. Space is limited. To register, contact Elizabeth at Friends of the Mississippi River, estorey @fmr.org or 651- 222 -2193, ext. 16. This event is free of charge. Newsletter is available by E -mail or regular mail This newsletter is available in two formats — printed and e-mail. If you wish to change to the other format, just send an e -mail to memberships @mnnps.org or phone 651 -739 -4323. 3