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Post by meadowview on May 4, 2014 15:37:58 GMT
May 4, 2014 Dear Friends of Meadowview: Don’t forget to donate on Tuesday, May 6, to the Community Give for Meadowview’s Center for Biodiversity at Joseph Pines Preserve. With your help, we hope to raise $50,000 on Give day and match the Mary Morton Parsons Foundation challenge grant. If we accomplish that goal, we can close on the purchase of the biodiversity center. PLEASE DONATE ON MAY 6. We simply won’t be able to pull off this once in a lifetime opportunity without your help. Donate at www.bit.ly/MeadowviewGIVE14. Details about the Community Give are found at www.thecommunitygive.org and details of the project are in our spring newsletter issuu.com/wjenski/docs/meadowview_newsletter2014spring_iss. Your donation on May 6 not only renews your membership but it makes us eligible for up to $100,000 in cash prizes from the Community Foundation. Further, we’re offering a host of raffle prizes including valuable plants and books for those that donate $25 or more on May 6 (see attached or our Facebook page). You can track our fund-raising progress throughout the day on the Community Give leaderboard. Thank you for your support and please let me know if you have any questions. Sincerely, Phil Sheridan Phil Sheridan, Ph.D. Director and President Meadowview Biological Research Station 804-633-4336 www.pitcherplant.orgAttachments:
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Post by meadowview on May 1, 2014 13:52:16 GMT
Dear Friends of Meadowview: Spring is an exciting time at Meadowview and I have some big news for you! Please take a look at our spring 2014 newsletter at issuu.com/wjenski/docs/meadowview_newsletter2014spring_iss and read the story about the support we are getting to purchase the Center for Biodiversity at Joseph Pines Preserve. The newsletter link includes architectural plans for the biodiversity center. You can read our complete proposal for the center as a pdf prospectus on our Joseph Pines link at www.pitcherplant.org. We need YOUR help to make the Center for Biodiversity happen. We hope you can help us raise the $50,000 match for the Mary Morton Parsons Foundation challenge grant in one day on May 6. Why May 6? The Community Foundation of the Rappahannock River Region has allowed us to participate in a one day community fund raising event on May 6 called the Community Give. You can donate to the Center for Biodiversity on our dedicated link: www.bit.ly/MeadowviewGIVE14. More details about the Community Give can be found at www.thecommunitygive.org. Not only will your donations be matched 100% by the Mary Morton Parsons Foundation but gifts of $25 and up make us eligible for $100,000 in cash prizes being given away by the Community Foundation to participating non-profits. What a way to GIVE! We’re making the newsletter available electronically to streamline our media process, but if you want a hard copy please let us know so we can send you one. If you need to renew your membership, have spare money from your tax return, or just want to support our efforts to purchase the Center for Biodiversity, please donate on-line on May 6 at the Community Give. Don’t forget to let other people know that they can help prevent pitcher plant extinction by supporting our effort to purchase the Center for Biodiversity. Thank you for your support! Sincerely, Phil Sheridan, Ph.D. Director and President
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Post by meadowview on Apr 14, 2014 12:26:52 GMT
Hi Sflynn:
Our yellow flowered S. leucophylla have very red pitchers, much like our cultivar 'Burgundy'.
Best,
Phil
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Post by meadowview on Apr 13, 2014 20:20:50 GMT
Hi Sflynn: Good find! Here's a shot of a similar S. leucophylla mutant in flower at Meadowview in May 2013. Sincerely, Phil Sheridan Meadowview
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Post by meadowview on Mar 13, 2014 14:21:28 GMT
Hi Folks: Our winter 2014 newsletter is out and you can access it as a pdf on our main page www.pitcherplant.org. Enjoy! Sincerely, Phil Sheridan, Ph.D. President and Director Meadowview Biological Research Station
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Post by meadowview on Feb 28, 2014 13:52:20 GMT
Hi Folks: If you are looking for a cause to donate to, I have one. We have been awarded a $50K challenge grant from the Mary Morton Parsons Foundation for the Center for Biodiversity at Joseph Pines Preserve. So far we have received $3k in donations which leaves $47K more to go. We must raise our match of $50K by November 2014 or we don't get the $50K match. The total $100K is our down payment on the property and the rest will be funded by a DEQ loan. We would like to close on this deal in June 2014 but need your help to do so. We have a convenient donate button for this cause on our main page at www.pitcherplant.org. We also have a full, detailed explanation of the project as a prospectus on our Joseph Pines link. This is a very worthy cause and will greatly expand our restoration efforts of rare native Virginia pitcher plants, and associates, not only at the preserve but in the region. Please spread the word that we need help for this cause. Sincerely, Phil Sheridan, Ph.D. President and Director Meadowview Biological Research Station
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Post by meadowview on Feb 6, 2014 20:33:03 GMT
Hi Folks: I just saw I typed the wrong year yesterday. Our new 2014, not 2013, catalog is now available on our web site at www.pitcherplant.org. Sincerely, Phil Sheridan Meadowview
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Post by meadowview on Feb 5, 2014 19:51:53 GMT
Hi Sykosarah:
I haven't yet figured out how we could effectively use long distance volunteers. Other than promoting the cause, which in itself is very useful, it would be very difficult to administer a long distance volunteer program. We do have eco-vacations where you can come and help us out for a while.
Sincerely,
Phil Sheridan Meadowview
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Post by meadowview on Feb 5, 2014 17:15:31 GMT
Hi Folks: I hope you are making it through this tough winter in good spirits. Some good cheer for you. Our webmaster, Mike Smith, has just uploaded our spring catalog. Please take a look at www.pitcherplant.org. We've got a few new items, but we've had to pull several Sarracenia because of declining supply due to increased demand and lack of staff to increase production. We hope to address the staff issue this year and have three job openings: vice-president, horticulturist, and two restoration ecology intern positions. There is also a link to the job openings on our web page. We're limiting the intern positions to the summer from 5/15 - 8/1. There has been a clear need for a full time horticulturist at Meadowview for some time. The horticulturist position is going to require a motivated, honest, and competent individual and their salary will be commensurate with their ability to double or triple sales. We know we can greatly increase plant sales, we just need someone to be dedicated to this activity. Our conservation work continues to increase and we need to split the conservation and horticultural arenas. The Vice President and horticulturist positions include room and board. Both positions require signing a non-compete and non-disclosure form. Do not apply if you want to come here and learn how to setup your own non-profit or nursery, we've had enough of that! We're looking for talented individuals dedicated to the work of Meadowview. We think it only fair that the v.p. and horticulturist positions are going to require self-motivated individuals to work with us to develop a way to be compensated. To date, Meadowview staff, volunteers, officers, and directors have been non-compensated and we expect that, at least initially, for novices joining the team. We have exciting times ahead for both the nursery and preserve system and those who join our effort can expect to grow with us. Please feel free to spread the word and post these job openings elsewhere. Let me know if you have any questions. Sincerely, Phil Sheridan, Ph.D. Director Meadowview Biological Research Station
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Post by meadowview on Dec 30, 2013 14:43:41 GMT
Hi Folks: Some updates. The VADEQ has officially approved our loan request of $449,000 to purchase the center for biodiversity at Joseph Pines Preserve. The loan is contingent on donor or foundation support. We received the second highest score in the state for the project, just below Natural Bridge. In November, we received a $50,000 challenge grant from the Mary Morton Parsons Foundation towards the center. We will have to raise the match of $50K. I'm about to submit our letter of intent to the Cameron Foundation in Petersburg, VA asking them to service the hypothetical note on the balance of $349,000. The note would be over ten years at 0.25% interest, an incredible rate provided by the State of VA for conservation projects. We should know in the next month if Cameron Foundation is interested and will then move into full proposal mode. $449,000 is a lot of money, I realize that,but we really have a great opportunity to move Joseph Pines to the next level. If anyone, or organization, is interested in doing an end of year match for the Mary Morton Parsons Foundation grant please contact me at meadowview@pitcherplant.org. Details of the above items can be found on our Joseph Pines link at www.pitcherplant.org. Bob Z. Haven't forgotten you and the article(s) for CPN. As you can see we're running full tilt. I think we will slow down just enough in late Jan. - Feb to slide a couple papers out to you. Happy New Years everyone!!! Sincerely, Phil Sheridan, Ph.D. Director and President Meadowview Biological Research Station
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Post by meadowview on Oct 30, 2013 14:27:56 GMT
Hi Sflynn:
Drosera brevifolia is our equivalent of the Australian tuberous sundews. This plant tends to die back during the summer since it's ecotone tends to be drier than spots occupied by Drosera capillaris. The plants typically resprount from the roots in late summer to fall. So.. your results are consistent with the behavior of this plant in the wild.
Sincerely,
Phil Sheridan Meadowview
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Post by meadowview on Oct 13, 2013 14:20:30 GMT
Hi Folks: We received notice from the Virginia Dept. of Environmental Quality that our loan application to purchase the 51 acre Schwartz tract as our education and biodiversity center is recommended for approval. A public meeting will be held in November and final decision made shortly thereafter. Full details of the plan can be read on our Joseph Pines link at www.pitcherplant.org. Click on the pdf prospectus to read the plan. The loan from DEQ would be for $449,000 and will require a foundation(s) or major donor(s) to support the note. We're working hard to make this happen so keep your fingers croseed and spread the word. If we get this property we will be able to crank up production of indigenous rare flora, on-site, to greatly accelerate the restoration program at Joseph Pines Preserve and produce a world-class pitcher plant preserve. We will also have facilities to accomodate those who want to volunteer, take an eco-vacation to help with the restoration process, or simply visit the preserve. Sincerely, Phil Sheridan, Ph.D. Director Meadowview Biological Research Station
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Post by meadowview on Sept 14, 2013 13:59:23 GMT
Hi Folks: Our fall 2013 newsletter is now available on our web site at www.pitcherplant.org. A feature lead-in letter is included in the "News" section on our main page. Enjoy the read. Sincerely, Phil Sheridan, Ph.D. Director and President Meadowview Biological Research Station
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Post by meadowview on Sept 12, 2013 13:03:08 GMT
Hi Folks:
We have updated the Joseph Pines Center for Biodiversity pdf on our website. I made a few improvements to the proposal (for example, some refinement of Why Pitcher Plants are Important) and focused the financials specifically on the 51 acre tract we have a contract on and are trying to acquire. Meadowview member John Mentis donated the $1000 earnest money for the contract. I'm continuing to submit big budget grant proposals to Virginia foundations(ranging from $224K to $448K) to fund the purchase of the property. The purchase price of the 51 acre Schwartz tract is $449K and includes a nice 4300 sq. ft. house, 1 acre stocked fish pond, 20 x 60 carport/garage, and more. Details about the house and center plans are in the proposal. I think our chances of foundation support are promising but won't really know until I hear back from all the foundations in January.
If we get this property we will more than likely move our headquaters there but retain our current Caroline County house and land for horticultural propagation and the National Sarracenia Collection (this is exclusive of the Central VA Preserve for native purple pitcher plant which we will continue to own and expand). The focus of the Center for Biodiversity at Joseph Pines Preserve is to concentrate operations for the propagation of indigenous rare flora on-site at the preserve. If we pull this off we will have a nationally recognized facility and be able to ramp up native Virginia Sarracenia propagation and reintroduction. The result will be a preserve that rivals some of the best southeastern pitcher plant wetlands.
Please let me know if you have any questions about the prospectus and let other folks and organizations know about it if they might be able to help.
Sincerely,
Phil Sheridan, Ph.D. Director and President Meadowview Biological Research Station
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Post by meadowview on Jun 23, 2013 13:42:50 GMT
Hi Folks: Welcome to Crossfestivus, a two week celebration of the stay of Adam Cross at Meadowview. Crossfestivus starts tomorrow, June 24 and runs through July 8. The high point of Crossfestivus is Crossfest on June 29, 2013 at Bowling Green Town Hall. Crossfest is free to the public and the program is now posted on our web site at www.pitcherplant.org. We hope to see you there. If you don't register, and just show up at the door, you will be charged a late registration fee of $5.00 (half-joking folks - please register if you are going to the event). Sincerely, Phil Sheridan, Ph.D. Director Meadowview Biological Research Station
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