Kate Kelly of Lewis Creek Association is our guest speaker today www.lewiscreek.org
Carrie called the meeting to order at 7:30 am.
Catherine Moller is our guest today. Catherine owns a business in Hinesburg and is a former RYLA and Rotaract member in New Jersey.
December 16 is the Christmas party at Jim Donovan’s house. Please RSVP to Carrie. $25 per person.
November is Rotary Foundation month. Carrie shared that she attended a training class at the District meeting about applying for grants and noted 50% of the money raised for the Foundation comes back to the clubs. If everyone could donate at least $25 that money can be utilized by our club directly.
April 30 is the due date for grant applications and we have one year to use the funds. Money not spent has to be sent back. Carrie asked the club to think about projects that our club could do.
Carrie shared her experience from the District Assembly. The Rotary Friendship Project is a Rotarian share between countries. In 2023, Rotarians can go to Scotland while Turkey is the site in 2024.
Richard attended and noted the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion seminar. He provided a definition of diversity and shared that the goal is to get people over the hurdle of understanding it is in today’s social context.
Dan attended a Rotaract seminar that spoke to how to incorporate all segments of our community.
Save the Date! April 28-29 2023 is the annual District 7850 meeting at Jay Peak.
Teacher scholarships: our District (7850) is awarding $5,000 to nominees that each club will submit. These monies will be disbursed amongst all the nominees.
Plans are in place for our annual turkey-giving project.
New Member: Ric presented Annette Labombard with her membership kit. Annette has been involved with Gary M over the past several years and enjoys all that the club does. Welcome Annette!
Denis collected the happy fines.
Dan introduced Kate Kelly from Lewis Creek Association. Their mission is to protect, maintain and restore the ecological health of the entire watershed surrounding the Lake Champlain water basin.
Phosphorus entering the watershed has a negative impact on the health of the lake and failure to control phosphorus costs us $115,000,000 per year. We must control the health of the watershed.
Phosphorus enters the lake specifically during rain events by picking it up and transporting it to the lake.
Vermont is responsible for six hundred and thirty one metric tons per year entering the basin. This needs to be reduced by 30% imminently. State projects like the straightening of the Laplatte River add to the problem along with heavy rainfalls that flood and pollute along with rushing phosphorus to the lake.
So what can we do?
- Slow the flow.
- Initiate State regulations.
- Monitor water quality.
What can we do on our properties?
- Prevent sentiment on your property by fixing gullies and grading driveways.
- Let water to soak in, collect and redirect.
- Plant native species as a no mow zone.
- Maintain woods, shrubs.
Jim presented Kate with the book “Creating Rain Gardens” by Apryl Uncapher and Cleo Woelfle-Erskine which will be donated to the Charlotte Library.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:35 am.