Cayuga Lake Watershed Network
Doc. #2009-
Program Committee (formerly Outreach Committee)
February 1 - May 31, 2009
(Ed Harwood, Chair; Roxy Johnston, Rebecca Ruggles, Judy Pipher)

Since meetings/telecons are no longer scheduled, this report of the Program Committee is developed from reports from each committee member on their activities.

1. Weeds conference “WEEDS AND OTHER AQUATIC PLANTS: THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY” scheduled for March 28, Seneca Falls

Attention during February and March was focused on the Weeds conference. Ruth Richardson (IO Chair) invited keynote speaker Bob Johnson, and Judy Pipher invited all the other speakers and panelists and the moderator Mary Catt, arranged the program, and informed the speakers of their time slots. Ruth and Judy discussed the format by telephone. Judy wrote a draft PR notice to send out, and others (Ed Harwood, Hilary Lambert, Steward, in particular) helped to modify. The notice was sent to several local newspapers, several online community calendars, a few local radio stations (to have them advertise on their community calendars), was posted on the CLWN website and sent to our listserv and to another related listserv, CLAWC. Judy tested (with a borrowed power point projector) several potential sites to hold the program, and decided on the Red Jacket Fire House, Seneca Falls as best. She arranged for the fire chief to be there during the program (a Fire House requirement that someone from their Board be present at Firehouse events). The IO volunteered to co-host the event, and to supply funding. Judy attended an IO meeting and described the plan. She had also prepared a draft of the flyer by then, which was circulated among the Program Cte. and Issues Cte. members for feedback. The IO members also provided excellent feedback to improve the flyer, and it was finalized. Judy produced and distributed several hundred flyers (with the help of volunteers), as well as a few hundred more for the Board and the Network Office to distribute. Ed posted the flyer in northeast Ithaca and Lansing. Lu Cook of the IO provided contact information for set up of chairs, tables, and AV equipment at the Firehouse, which proved crucial. Judy purchased cookies, ice, and cream for coffee, Ruth purchased fruit. Hilary Lambert organized condiments, tea, cups etc., as well as displays from the Network office. Ed provided transportation for CLWN resources from the Wells office. Judy supplied a coffee maker, and Ed provided coffee. Roxy purchased water pitchers for the Weeds conference and other conferences so that the Network could be environmentally friendly and avoid water in bottles. Judy set up tables and chairs and the AV equipment the day before, and made signage to display out front (Roxy Johnston supplied an easel for the signage). Ruth, Ed, Roxy, Rebecca, Hilary, and Board members helped get everything organized the day of the event. Rebecca took notes, and wrote up a very nice report on the event for the website and the Newsletter. Many from CLWN manned the tables, and provided other crucial help. Although the day was unseasonably warm and sunny, 67 people attended, and comments on the conference were quite favorable. In April Judy sent out thank-you e-mails to all the speakers and panelists.

2. Website Updates and Upgrades

In February, Roxy spent time going over the website, finding various broken links and inconsistencies, and came to Judy’s home to help her modify the site. Another web review meeting will be forthcoming. Throughout these months normal updating work on the website continued of course. In response to a request from the Board, Judy arranged for AWP (the Watershed Network’s web hosting service) to modify a few elements on our website that she could not deal with: we now have the possibility of online membership, and a tab has been changed. For a September event, the Board requested ability to buy tickets online – Judy will request that AWP perform the modification in June or July. Hilary is having her interns prepare blogs and other interactive links for the Network, and Judy will insert links to our web pages.

3. Traveling Road Show “UPS AND DOWNS OF CAYUGA LAKE”, with Bill Kappel

Roxy and Rebecca began organizing the traveling road show, featuring hydrologist Bill Kappel, which discusses seasonal variations of water levels. The first event will take place at Montezuma Refuge June 25. In February, Roxy approached Bill Kappel as the speaker for the traveling road show, and secured his agreement. Roxy became Bill Kappel’s “road manager” for the traveling road show. Roxy and Rebecca solicited suggestions for locations and sponsors from the other committee members (Program and Issues). Rebecca researched three locations for the first event: Montezuma (Andrea Van Beusichem is contact 315-568-5987 x 228), Seneca Meadows (with help from Judy) and spoke to Marcy Neumire (315-539-5624) [in conversation with Roxy, determined this not to be the ideal location for a water-topic program (!)], and The Frontenac Historical Society in Union Springs , Linda Zach president, 315-889-7762 or Museum 889-7273. Rebecca wrote a draft of the announcement for Bill’s talk. Roxy arranged for IO co-sponsorship. Hilary, Roxy, Judy, others, have mobilized communications and postings on websites for the first event.

The second traveling road show will be in Ithaca, at the History Center (a co-sponsor, arranged by Roxy) at 6pm August 27th. Other dates and locations are not yet firmed up, but expect traveling road shows in October and next April will be scheduled. The History Center has developed a very nice flyer for the event (see http://thehistorycenter.net/news/august_café.html)

4. E-Commons Project

Roxy went to a meeting with some folks about posting data/publications to Cornell's
e-commons. Hilary represented the Network and the meeting focused on how to
move forward on a Network initiated effort.

Roxy met with Sharon Anderson, Hillary Lambert and Amber Nolder to talk about the CU e-commons project. The main focus was how to best move the project along through
the transition from Sharon to Hilary and what roles the Network and Cooperative
Extension will play.

5. Committee Organizational Activities

Ed put together a rubric which outlined our committee's activities for 2009 and sent it out for comment, finalized it, and obtained Board approval. Ed reports on our activities to the Board at monthly meetings. Rebecca and Ed met in May to begin developing the idea of a family oriented event that would showcase businesses, historical sites, recreation and other features of the lake and include lake education as part of a recreational event. We agreed to talk to county bureaus of tourism and others to test these ideas out.
Ed attended three of four Board meetings; composed a script for soliciting door prize/silent auction items for the Network’s dinner fund-raiser in September, “Sunset on Cayuga”; participated in the Earth Day event at the Farmer's Market; and contacted two potential new board members.

Judy began writing to all past Lakefest display participants in May, informing them that Lakefest would not be held this year, and thanking them for their past support. Although this task has not been completed (will be in June), response has been uniformly one of surprise because participants thought it had been an excellent opportunity to educate the public.