by Douglas Miller

Upon review and board approval, final meeting minutes are posted to the Minutes page. Following are highlights of the unapproved minutes from the January 2023 CAS board meeting:

Committee Reports

Nature Areas

 John Besser reports that Bill Mees got information from the city of Columbia on the deer hunt at Bonnie View near CANS. The archery hunt yielded 8 bucks and 4 does.

• Bill and Allison are going to monitor deer impact on plants at CANS
• Several people helped to burn brush piles of removed invasive species (mostly autumn olive) at Wild Haven. The concentrated effort to remove invasives has improved the area around the picnic shelter.
• John reports they plan to focus on the outhouse at Wild Haven in February. Either they will put a top on the existing one or build a new one.
• This Spring they hope to fix the parking area so they don’t have to unlock the gate to get into the parking lot.
• No decision has been made yet on installing the owl box
• Lori and John sent a letter of support to the City for the new park area at the end of Vandiver Dr. to be established on a land donation from the Alspaugh family.
• Louise Flenner reported that progress is being made on the moss trail and it should be ready soon

 2022 CoMoGives Fundraiser

 Lori Turner sent out a report on the COMO Gives 2022 fundraiser:

• Funds raised were $11,712 – ranked 53/153 organizations.
• Number of donations was 108.
• Number of pledges: 1. Dean Ravenscraft pledged to provide 2023 mowing services at CANS
• Postcards mailed: 433
• Thank you letters sent: 108
• Donations in honor of or in memory of: Nancy Bedan (2), Thomas Charles Bacon, Bill Mees, Cynthia Diane Kerr, DD Rymph, Bill and Jan Mees, Paul Rexroad on what would be his 7th birthday, Carolyn Terry, Eleanor Stensby.

• Expenses: Budget was $1000 and we spent $1186.80. An excess of thank you cards and envelopes were purchased and can be saved for next year.

Old Business

 The club purchased a Microsoft Home and Student laptop.

• Jim Gast reports he had 10 people on the First Friday hike in January.

New Business

•  A group of amateur astronomers has asked CAS to help fund an observatory at the Nature School.
• Lori Turner will ask the membership if anyone would like to attend the Wetlands Summit being held at the Lake of the Ozarks Feb. 1–3. Allison Vaughn will be attending, but not as a representative of CAS.