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MEETING MINUTES
16 Sep 2014
5:30 -7:00 pm
City Hall, 108 E. Green St.
In attendance:
Members Anna Stalter (Co- chair); Dan Hoffman; F. Robert Wesley (CU Natural Areas); Jon Meigs (Town of
Ithaca Liaison); Mark Darling (BPW Liaison)
Guest: Jake Brenner, Faculty Manager, Ithaca College Natural Lands
Notetaker: Anna Stalter
Jake Brenner spoke at length about the IC Natural Areas Education Program. The program serves upwards of 20
students and intern trainees for the Natural Lands. Two paid, and additional volunteer stewards patrol the
natural lands monthly, attend workshops and trainings weekly. The program fosters education and outreach with
stewards acting to promote the respectful, ethical use of the college lands, a peer education model that enables
students to put their environmental ideals into practice.
Jake is willing to incorporate stewardship of Six Mile Creek into the program. Jake suggested that his group
could start an educational campaign, and look for service opportunities. Through these activities will educate
the IC student body, engage the neighborhood, and include Fire and Police Depts.
Need a positive message on signage, promote the coolness of being green and downplay rules and regulations,
shifting the focus and bolstering ethics.
Dan remarked that peer influence could have a positive effect. Jake mentioned that some cities have an active
stewards program and suggests looking for funding and other support for such a program in Ithaca (GIAC, Park
Foundation, Ithaca Youth Bureau).
Jake will bring this all up at the next meeting with students, asking them what might be an effective way to
educate IC students about SMC and how to implement that. He suggested that we also consider inviting
Cornell's Friends of the Gorge stewards to participate, especially in the city natural areas that are close to
Cornell.
We tentatively set a date for a student cleanup during IC Fall Break Oct 16 -17.
In further discussion, it was mentioned that the new access road is like a superhighway leading right into SMC.
Mark will ask BPW to consider fencing to restrict access.
Anna announced that there would be a stilt grass pull at SMC on September 26 at 2 pm.
No one present had any information on the Coddington Rd. property. Dan mentioned, however, that the city had
used most of the money reserved for purchasing land around the natural area. Will try to find out how much
money is left and how to replenish that fund.