The first agenda item discussed was upcoming events for the conservancy. The 3rd annual spring clean up is scheduled for 3/31, 4/1 and 4/2. Having the clean up spread over three days will cater more to volunteers schedules and hopefully will create a bigger turnout. The cleanup will mostly take place on the meadow restoration site. Most of the trash will be bagged and put into piles for the county to remove from the park.

On April 22, the conservancy is going to be represented at the Verona Environmental Fair in Verona Park. The fair will be a good venue for us to promote our message and maybe gain a few more members/volunteers. The fair will run from 10-4 with a rain date of 4/23.

Phoebe, one of the conservancy’s bird experts, is willing to host a hike in May for those interested in learning about bird species on the Hilltop. Proposed dates are 5/7, 5/13 or 5/20. A birding list will be available the day of the hike so people can follow along as birds are viewed. Anyone interested please check out the web site for further instructions. It was suggested to publicize this walk at the County Environmental Center in Roseland. This could be a great way to partner with the county.

The second agenda item was finalizing our logo. A final sample of the logo was reviewed and a motion was made to accept the design. The motion was seconded. The Conservancy would like to thank all of those people who had a hand in creating and designing the logo. It has been a long process but the final outcome looks well worth the wait and the logo will start to be implemented immediately.

The trails update was the next discussion. A new trail has been marked from the ropes course(Hillwood Terrace) running north. The trail needs to be cleared and some areas need to be built up. A trail day has been set for May 14th from 9:00am to 11:00am. Anyone interested should meet at the Hillwood Terrace entrance(across from Verona High School) a few minutes before 9:00am. Work gloves, sturdy boots and water is recommended along with any hand tools you might want to bring. The trail system on the Hilltop gets better and better each time a trail is cleared and then used. Please take a hike and enjoy.

The last item on the agenda was access to the reservation on the western side. The current development plans do not include an access point on the west side. The current Courter Lane access is going to disappear with no replacement on the plans. The west side access point is a very serious issue because it is a much more gradual incline than the east side of the park(Fairview Ave access). Only having access on the eastern side of the reservation limits the visitors to the park. The reservation needs access from the west to accommodate children, the elderly or those with physical limitations. A letter on behalf of the conservancy has been drawn up and sent to the county executive and the North Caldwell Freeholders. We need to raise this issue with the county and the board of Freeholders. It was suggested to have representatives from the conservancy present at the next Freeholder meeting to answer any questions they may have on this issue. If no progress is made with the Freeholders the conservancy may have to collect signatures for extra support. The next step is to wait until the Freeholder meeting and then follow up to see where the access issue stands. The next meeting is scheduled for April 26th at 7:30pm. Dave Hall, conservancy member and bird expert, will be giving a presentation on migratory birds at the next meeting.

Minutes prepared by Secretary: Brian Glennon