SC minutes 10/20/2021

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EEAC Steering Committee Meeting Minutes
October 20, 2021 
Tuesday 5:30pm – 7pm 
Online Zoom Meeting

Attending: 
Steering Committee Members (8): Fran Agnon, Sarah Pidgeon, Mike Zamm, Shig Matsukawa, Bonnie McGuire, Ray Pultinas, Mary Leou, Bonnie Ralston.

Other EEAC Members (2): Ilana Weinstein (City Parks Foundation; formerly Urban Park Ranger Bronx), Andrew Stone.

Committee Reports and Updates

  1. Approve previous meeting minutes: 
    EEACminutes20210921 (In Process!)
  1. Program Committee (Fran acting program chair)
    1. Sent out a poll to gather interest/ideas from membership for a possible October meeting and for the annual meeting. Not enough interest in an October meeting for a lift off. 12 results, 3 from SC members. Results from polling members: Shifting focus to Annual meeting set for 11/17.  
      • Feedback:
  • Topics to Address in Annual Meeting:

           Hearing from a school that values EE has been impacted in keeping programs on the table this fall. 

Discussed Annual Meeting, Nov 17 Wed 5:30 – 7 pm

  • Google slides
  • Updates from each committee
  • People to reach out to
  • Zoom — EEAC account setup?
  • Short description of Annual Meeting and send out next week
    • Save the date
    • Topic, theme, speakers
    • Potential: WCF?; School – PS110 (Fran, Mary L); Diversity on the panel, Latino Outdoors (Ilana)
  • Reminder: postponing election to January
  • To the membership, where we are, update, and where we’re going.
  • What is the state of EE in K-grad?
  • What the field (schools) is experiencing now; lack of jobs, pay; needs support.
    • Comment (Mary L.): Teachers College got $25M with Columbia U. for Climate School.
    • Comment (Mike Z.): CCNY pursuing to be part of the Climate Solution Center proposal at Governors Island; CCNY will pick up again the Weather Stations in schools program.

Shift to State of the Field Update

  • Panel Discussion: State of EE in K-12 / school / government agency / non-profit (WCS) / for-profit (Sims)
    • Oren or someone else presentation – Columbia (Sarah)
    • School reach out – PS110K/ NJ School (Fran) 
    • Parks person (Bonnie M. !! or Ranger)
    • Latino Outdoors Org (Ilana Weinstein)
      • ilana.weinstein13@gmail.com
  • Let’s gather this captive audience for feedback 
    • Push for member engagement : Bonnie R. 

 Looking for help

  • Need many hands on deck to plan annual meeting. 
  • Much of this can be done virtually. Subcommittee leads can update their slides. 
  • We will reuse our agenda from last year and could use help reaching out to guest speakers
  • We’ll need a zoom link – I think we should buy an account for EEAC, but happy to have a loaner (11/17 – 5:30pm to 7pm)
    • Sarah can provide in the interim 
  • Save the Date and Eventbrite
    • Text place holder – with topic and theme (goal of Monday 10/25) Launch
    • Fran will reach out to folks above with information
    • Save the date (membership)
  1. Communications

For newsblog (Bonnie M.): need submissions, such as, book reviews; Environmental Rights Amendment from Mike Z.

Website update (Shig M.): 

  • Database content, will review (with Fran A.) uploading EE providers from the original list (of 161 EE providers) developed/worked on by River D.; 
  • Working on “Other Resources” (new webpage for EE links beyond NYC area, complementing Local Links)
  • Membership online system (see testsite.eeac-nyc.org for initial example)
  • Website redesign (after the rebranding is done) (to be done on testsite.eeac-nyc.org)
  1. Communication Committee Meeting and updates
  2. Website and Database Updates: eeac-nyc.org
    • New website (switched on, 1/13/2021).
      • Survey (on website and newsletter) sent out 2/16/2021 (by Bonnie M.)
      • Survey deadline 3/28/2021 (Sunday).
      • Survey Update (Bonnie M.)
    • The internal section:
      • SC members still to be given access?
      • Instructions to using WordPress (WP):
        1. How to use WP video clips (link provided with access setup).
        2. Or, set zoom appointment for a hands-on guide.
    • Website plan – upcoming:
      • Redesign of the website based on the Adaptive Plan – will follow the rebranding/logo redesign phase.
      • Membership system (coordinate Shig and Mary M.) – will be tested in our ManagemanentManagement testing site which is now at testsite.eeac-nyc.org.
      • PUBLICIZING WEBSITE?
    • Database content status report. MAILING OF PRESS RELEASE?
    • Followup on 2 requests via the website’s contact form, to subscribe to the listserv.
  3. Newsletter-blog using WordPress.
  1. EEAC and NYSOEA Partnership

Discussed NYSOEA

  1. 2021 Conference will be a hybrid virtual/in-person
    • Looking for conference proposals
    • Metro Region host: Jones Beach State Park
      • Looking for carpool coordination
  1. Projects Forum
    1. Next Steps- DISTRIBUTION OF MINI-REPORT TO ALL LISTS TO INFORM THEM ABOUT THE FORUM V REPORT ON THE WEBSITE!!
    2. REPORT ON SYLLABI BANK and FOLLOWUP ON PROJECT IDEAS FROM FORUM V- focus on outreach in support of the proposed environmental rights amendment to the state constitution

Updates by Mike Z.:

  • Syllabi bank
  • Weather Station, recommend schools to the program, currently 7 public schools; what are the requirements? (Mike will follow up)
  • Climate Solutions Center on Governors Island, letter of support (image below) from EEAC sent to City College contact on 10/1/2021

Noted: Sam Holmes passed away, age 96, a founder of EEAC, Mke suggests someone else to write about Sam Holmes.

Environmental Rights Amendment to be on the ballot as question 2; New York State would be the 7th state to have it; about 80% in favor, but need people to vote; there’s really no opposition; Environmental Rights Fact Sheet by Environmental Advocates NY: https://eany.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Enviro-Rights-Fact-Sheet.pdf

  1. To EEAC listserv to be done by Mike.
  2. To Eventbrite list?
  1. Adaptive Plan Accountability
    1. Retreat — purpose and date discussion — to be discussed
    2. COOP (Bonnie M.)

Updates by Bonnie R.: 

  • Member packet, next is to format it:
    https://eeac-nyc.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/UPDATED-111821_Member-welcome-packet.pdf
  • Identity – brand/logo, if can’t find someone (graphic artist?), Bonnie R. may be able
  • Meet and Greet (?)
  1. Membership and Finance: Mary Most 

Updates: will create invoices; Eventbrite for Annual Meeting – create “2022 Membership Drive”; Eventbrite list should be moved to another committee?

  1. Finance Report (see separate file)
  2. Question: Usually memberships received in October (eg with registrations for Nov Annual Meeting) are good through Dec of the NEXT YEAR. I suggest we offer that again?  

TO DO: 

  • Create “2022 Membership Drive” Eventbrite, then edit link on website at www.eeac-nyc.org/membership — invite all GoogleGroup subscribers and Eventbrite subscribers to join or renew. We’ve held off since the pandemic. 
  • Current Link: https://2021-eeac-membership.eventbrite.com 
  • Create “invoices” for organizational memberships, email each organization’s primary contact including a chart showing their current members, titles, and contact info. 
  1. TO DO: Contact the remaining senders of checks dating back to Nov 2019 recently (spring 2021) located by Mary Leou at NYU, and make arrangements for replacement payment via PayPal or Eventbrite. 
  2. For the record: Amalgamated Bank still shows Judith Hutton at NYBG as primary contact. River is also on the account. Requested in Jan 2020 that they update signatories to Mary Most, Sarah Pidgeon (remove Jacqueline Pilati, Judith Hutton). 
  3. Eventbrite list maintenance should move to Programs or Communications. Has this happened yet? 
  1. Nominating Committee
    1. Looking for potential candidates for the steering committee
      • Among members in good standing
      • Deadline December 10
      • The nominate and self-nominate form will be resent.
      • 1 candidate: Bonnie R. for Treasurer
      • Need 3 new, 1 is interested.