Master Gardener Meeting Minutes 11/8/2012

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Master Gardener Meeting Minutes 11/8/2012

Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church

1601 N. San Francisco

Continuing Education

                                                      Fire, Flood, and Forest Recovery: The Science of Habitat Restoration

                                                      Schultz Fire

                                                      Dr. Kris Haskins, the Arboretum at Flagstaff

Dr. Haskins gave an overview of the Schultz Fire and the effects on the burned and surrounding areas.  The fire burned about 15,000 acres and the flooding caused by the runoff from the monsoon rains resulted in massive erosion and incredible damage to homes and property.  While some native species have started to re-colonize the area, non-native weeds have become a major problem in both the burned and in the affected population areas.  The Arboretum at Flagstaff, the Museum of Northern Arizona, Arizona Forestry and the United States Forest Service, have been studying the issues and working on restoration of the affected areas.  The restoration efforts include: mechanical removal like mowing, grazing by sheep or goats, pulling, mulching, use of herbicides, burning, encouraging competition and biocontrol.  Unfortunately, mowing only works in areas that can be reached by machines, many weeds are not palatable to animals, pulling and mulching is very labor intensive, herbicides can negatively affect more than the weeds, some weeds grow best after a fire and competition and biocontrol require patience.  If you remove the weeds and then plant natives, the natives can shade out the invasive weeds. There is a study in progress to determine the most effective ways to re-introduce natives to an area.  Biocontrol, the use of a natural predator like a beetle specific to a particular weed, can reduce or eliminate the weed in a particular area but it takes time and can be expensive.  For example, the beetle for Dalmation Toadflax costs $.77 per beetle and thousands are needed to treat a relatively small area. 

If you live in an area affected by the Schultz Fire, you can contact Dr. Haskins at research@thearb.org, about the Private Landholders Assessment Program.  The program will work with the homeowners to examine weed issues, develop a plan for weed removal and assistance, determine options for restoration and monitor the progress of the actions taken.

Thanks to Laura Parker, Andrea and Galen Guerette and Ann Eagan for the refreshments.

Business Meeting

Laura Parker presided over the election of officers for 2013. Nominations from the floor were requested but none were received.  The following slate of officers were elected by hand vote:

President- Debi Stalvey
Vice President- Charlotte Dodgson
Treasurer- Shared by Linda Guarino and Crys Wells
Secretary- Ann Eagan

Crys Wells agreed to remain as the coordinator for volunteer support.

Jim Mast and Julie Holmes agreed to chair and be a member of the Education Committee.  An additional member is requested to assist Jim and Julie.

Volunteers are still needed for Community Programs, MG Projects, Historian, Help with the blog.  Please contact Debi Stalvey if you are willing to serve on one of these committees.

Reports are due in December for officers and committee chairs.  Please email Debi Stalvey by December 15.

                                   

Financial report – Ed Skiba

Sixty-two calendars were sold at the Arizona Highlands Garden Conference.  Additional calendars were sold elsewhere.  The post office box and rent for the church were paid.  The Master Gardener Association checking account balance as of 11/8/2012 stands at $1029.70.

Ed also asked about a recently received membership (Beverly McCallister).  The association decided to have the membership apply to the rest of this year and for 2013.

                                                     

MG Program Happenings (class) – Hattie Braun

Hattie announced that she would be setting up the Spring 2013 master gardener class on Monday, November 12.  The class will start the first week in February on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Hattie also talked about the 11/7 master gardener class.  The topic was irrigation and a couple from Tucson did a hands-on class with the wife giving the background, mathematics and design of irrigation systems and the husband distributed buckets filled with irrigation parts to groups who then designed and built an irrigation system complete with a timer.  Hattie said they want to come back in the spring and that she will try to arrange for them to do an additional class for master gardeners.

Calendar Update – Debi Stalvey

Debi has all of the remaining calendars except those still at the nurseries.  She reminded everyone that they can still buy them.  They make great gifts!

                                                                       

Committee Reports:

Continuing Education – Loni Shapiro                 

Before handing off continuing education, Loni shared ideas for 2013. These include Maintaining Landscapes without Roundup, Bees, SSLUG Garden/Pollinator Garden on the NAU campus, vegetable gardening, growing natives, how to entry your vegetables in the County Fair, season extenders and planting fall bulbs.  Additional ideas received from the audience include: worm composting, mushrooms, square foot gardening, and inviting Kim Costian.

Volunteer Support/Social – Hattie Braun and Crys Wells

Reminder: the Christmas Party will be Thursday, December 13, 6-8 p.m. at Molly Larsen’s house.  She will provide ham and beverages.  Members will be receiving invitations soon via email.  It is a potluck so plan to bring a dish – instructions on who brings what will be in the invitation.  Also plan to bring a garden-related white elephant gift if you wish to be included in the gift exchange.

Crys reported 577.75 volunteer hours and 163.5 Education hours for October.  The year-to-date totals are 4326.9 volunteer hours and 659 education hours.

Please record your volunteer and education hours for 2012 before the end of the year.  This will help Crys to have an accurate record and Hattie needs the numbers to justify the continuation of the master gardener program.

New Business:

Do not forget to sign-up to bring refreshments for the general meeting!  Ann will have the sign-up sheet at the Christmas Party.  We need someone to bring snacks and cold beverages for the January, April, May, June, July, August, October and November meetings.  Plates, cups, silverware, napkins and hot water, coffee/tea are provided by the Association.  Volunteers will receive an email reminder one week prior to the meeting.

                 

Gardening Questions?

Hattie asked if anyone else has had aphids continuing to drop sticky liquid from their trees.  It has been continuing much longer than usual.  If you have this happening at your house even after the major freeze, please call Hattie and let her know.

Jeff Best asked where he could buy small bales of straw for mulching.  Someone recommended Cal Ranch.  Others recommended using pine needles.

Someone asked about bulbs that are starting to come up now.  Suggestions were to mulch the bulbs heavily so they go dormant.  If they do not, they may not have the energy to come back in the spring.

Next meeting:                                     Christmas Party

                                                      December 13, 2012

                                                      Molly Larsen

Future meetings:                   January 10, 2013

                                                      Paul Gazda

Maintaining Landscapes without Roundup