Natural Resources Advisory Committee Members 2017

Transcription

1 II.A.14-9a Natural Resources Advisory Committee Members Natural Resources Advisory Committee Members 2017 Kurt M. Leuschner (committee chair) Professor of Natural Resources College of the Desert School of Applied Sciences and Business Monterey Avenue phone: (760) Caroline Conway Education Director, Desert Preserves The Wildlands Conservancy P.O. Box 395 Pioneertown, CA Valerie Ward Director of Community Affairs Eclectic Street (760) Office (760) Fax Fred Waring Drive, Suite 200 Judi Greene Desert Horticultural Society of the Coachella Valley The Living Desert (Retired) Portola Ave Cell:

2 Maureen Perry Education Specialist Coachella Valley Water District Hovley Lane East Palm Desert, CA (o) , x-2550 (f) Cameron Barrows, PhD University of California Riverside Center for Conservation Biology Room Frank Sinatra Dr. Palm Desert, CA Phil Parker Campus College Chair for the College of Security and Criminal Justice University of Phoenix. 451 E. Vanderbilt, San Bernardino, Ca. (909) Sarah Robles Biology and AP Environmental Science Teacher Rancho Mirage High School Rattler Road Rancho Mirage, CA Buford Crites Former Mayor/Councilmember, Palm Desert Professor Emeritus, College of the Desert Boardmember Friends of the Desert Mountains

3 Charles Greely, P.E., LEED AP, QSD Principal Engineer DUDEK ENGINEERING + ENVIRONMENTAL T C cgreely@dudek.com Lori Gavitt Horticulturist / Arborist p f c Desert Butte Trail Indian Wells, California lgavitt@thereserveclub.com Eddy Konno Wildlife Biologist California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife Elizabeth VanZandt Interpretive Ranger (ret.) Joshua Tree National Park Lance O Donnell Lead Architect O2 Architecture, Palm Springs Gary Calhoun Recycling Coordinator City of Rancho Mirage Vincent Battaglia C.E.O. of Renova Energy Palm Desert Lisa Ream Recycling Coordinator City of Palm Desert Paul McCreesh Owner of The Green Guys Palm Desert

4 II.A.14-9b Natural Resources Advisory Committee Minutes Natural Resources Advisory Committee Meeting March 7, pm Room AS 103 Present: Kurt Leuschner, Phil Parker, Buford Crites, Maureen Perry, Caroline Conway, Katie Barrows, Cameron Barrows, Charles Greely, Sarah Robles I. Old Business 1. Confirm Committee members and titles see attached list 2. Update and phone list - done 3. Green Council Kurt is the chairman. There is a student leader Luis Castellanos. - Eco-Logic Club Another student is interested in getting it going. Club has been dormant for a while. Spring a challenging time to start a club but we will be ready for the Fall semester Backyard Birding Class - Kurt announced that the Backyard birding class has been approved and is in the cue. Will hopefully start next year (Fall 2018). II. New Business 1. GIS class is now being offered here (live) at COD. There are 20+ students in the current class. Candice Weber is the instructor. Will be offered next spring as well. Eventually we hope to add an Advanced GIS class. 2. Advanced Birding Class - Kurt would like to pursue a one unit advanced birding class to add to current birding class series. Kurt would like to have this series of bird classes so that they can be offered over a 3-year period. winter birds Salton Sea migrant birds fall (mountains) migrant birds spring (oases, Whitewater, Thousand Palms etc.) backyard birds advanced birding Discussion about pre-requisites - Motion Crites/C. Barrows - unanimously approved. 3. Work Experience Program - 16 week period during semester. Student needs to work 4 hours a week, for 1 unit. Students can do up to four units per semester. Could be during summer as well. All are encouraged to get a student involved. They need 4 hours a week. Can set up for student to assist with projects (tamarisk removal, restoration) 4. Discussion about enrollment. Enrollment in Conservation of Natural Resources (CNR) class is down compared to previous years, including at Mecca/Thermal. Discussion

5 about new classes and what would attract students. Losing some students to other courses perhaps. 5. COD Facilities Update - Indio facility doing well. Sarah Greeley teaches CNR 35 students. Palm Springs CNR class struggles with enrollment. - Mecca/Thermal campus COD wants to expand activities there President wants to start a Roadrunner Farm at Mecca-Thermal including food grown to use in culinary arts program. A group is being put together to push this idea. An event will be held Friday, april 7 to kick things off. 6. Perkins Funding for approve requested items What are funding needs for the next year through July 30. Funding cycles work one year ahead. - Is there anything we should have for this program. Could request funding for transportation = buses Kurt will request a weather station for Mecca-Thermal area = $15, Motion to recommend purchase of weather station by Maureen/Katie was unanimously approved 7. Other College News Salton Sea Education and Research Center - COD is collaborating with Salton Sea Authority, UCR etc. Led by Science Dept. adjunct faculty member. Have a telescope. Envision having labs there, future SSA meetings - Salton Sea Education center will be setting up an advisory committee College of the Desert is teaching classes in Desert Hot Springs. Interest in more classes for high school students. Discussion about getting students interested in citizen science programs. Challenges are transportation, hands on training. Hours that students can attend are during week or at night. Could work experience be used as a vehicle to get student involved. Kurt described an internship with student and Valley Sanitary District - Maureen will look into whether CVWD and Dudek Engineering might be interested in having WE interns 8. Set Next Meeting date will schedule the next meeting in the Fall of Adjourn the meeting was adjourned at 5:00 pm