47 Check In 02JUN2025

Date: June 2, 2025

47.1 Attendees

Nora B Pearson (Graduate Student)
Gen (Field Coordinator)
Patty Burns (NRCS Soil Specialist)
Nic Jelinski (PI)
Kylie Hughes (New Intern)
Brianna Hayward (Data Entry Specialist)
Adam Devlin (Team Member)
Kasia Ulanowski (Team Member)
Ava McCune (Lab Coordinator)

47.2 1. New Team Member Introductions

47.2.1 Kylie Hughes

New summer intern joining the Urban Soils Project
Recently completed field studies in soils, bringing relevant experience
Excited to continue working with soils through this project
Will focus on field work Tuesday-Thursday, with Monday/Friday availability for lab and data entry

47.2.2 Brianna Hayward

Data entry specialist for the Urban Soils Project
Background in soil conservation from previous semester
Planning to minor in soil science
Currently focused on data entry but interested in field experience
Will prioritize 2025 data entry over 2024 backlog

47.3 2. Field Review Planning for Wednesday

47.3.1 Site Selection

The team discussed selecting 2 residential sites for Wednesday’s field review with NRCS personnel:

Primary Site Option: - Artist residence site in South Minneapolis (Longfellow area) - Previously visited on Friday - House was moved, creating interesting soil history - Owners likely receptive to group visit - Good space for larger group - Gen will reach out to confirm availability

Secondary Site Option: - Northeast Minneapolis site - Built on former shanty town location - Complex soil description with questions about B horizons - Smaller front yard space may be limiting factor - Gen will contact to assess feasibility

Backup Option: - Nora’s house with known HTM (Human-Transported Material) in backyard

47.3.2 NRCS Attendance

Confirmed NRCS attendees: - Patty Burns - Joe - Betsy (temporarily covering Dan Wing’s duties) - Possible additional attendees: Stuart and Clayton (pending confirmation) - Estimated total group size: ~10 people

47.3.3 Logistics

Meeting format: Field work Wednesday, follow-up discussion Thursday
Randy’s availability: Wednesday all day except 12-2 PM Central for phone consultations
Transportation: NRCS personnel will drive themselves, UMN team can coordinate rides via Discord group
Equipment needs: Ava will bring additional auger, clinometer, and spray bottles from campus

47.4 3. Equipment and Field Preparation

47.4.1 Equipment Updates

Continuing with current open bucket auger as primary tool
Adding Dutch auger as secondary option
Ava coordinating equipment pickup from campus

47.4.2 Gopher One (GSOC) Tickets

Emphasis on obtaining proper permits before digging to avoid delays during group field work.

47.5 4. Data Management and Entry Protocols

47.5.1 2024 vs 2025 Data Priority

Decision: Brianna to focus on 2025 data entry rather than completing 2024 backlog
Stuart continuing direct entry of 2024 data into NASIS
47 sites remaining from 2024 data
2025 descriptions are more complete and better suited for newer team members

47.5.2 Site Numbering System

2025 sites starting fresh at numbering sequence 2025MNxxx001, 002, 003…
Caution needed when entering data to ensure correct year assignment
Survey123 auto-populates current year, requiring manual adjustment for 2024 data

47.5.3 Data Entry Technical Notes (from Patty)

Special character restrictions in NASIS field notes text box: - No dashes, carets (^), or ampersands (&) - Write out “caret” instead of using ^ symbol - Write “and” instead of & symbol - Don’t specify HCl type in effervescence descriptions - Stick to basic effervescence terms (slight, strong, etc.)

47.5.4 Concept Assignment

Team members should assign soil concepts during field work
Concept information to be recorded in pedon tracker spreadsheet
Nora will print hard copy of concept list for field reference

47.6 5. Staffing and Schedule Coordination

47.6.1 Weekly Schedule Framework

Field Days: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday (primary) - Gen, Kylie, Adam, Kasia as core field team - Gen coordinating site scheduling and logistics

Office Days: Monday, Friday - Data entry, lab work, administrative tasks - Kylie and Brianna available for office work - Adam offering additional support for 2024 data entry

47.6.2 Personnel Allocation

Brianna: Lead data entry specialist, periodic field work
Ava: Lab coordinator, periodic field support
Kylie: Primary field work with Monday/Friday office support
Adam/Kasia: Tuesday-Thursday field focus, Monday/Friday office availability

47.6.3 Field Team Flexibility

Minimum 4-person field teams preferred
Possibility of splitting into 2-person teams when 4+ people available
Patty and Joe available as backup field support with advance notice

47.7 6. Site Development and Outreach

47.7.1 Current Site Status

Sufficient metro area sites scheduled through June
Beginning to schedule sites in Roseville and Minnetonka for late June
Need for expanded outreach in priority areas

47.7.2 Priority Areas for Expansion

Anoka County (sand plain areas)
Western Hennepin County
Dakota County (old till plain)

47.7.3 Municipal Partnerships

Prior Lake Parks: Nora and Gen to coordinate permit applications
St. Paul Parks: Complete coordinate point submissions for additional sites
Review potential for soil pits vs. augering only

47.7.4 Community Engagement Opportunities

UFGA (Urban Farm and Garden Alliance): Continuing soil delivery partnership
JK Movement: Follow-up needed on soil testing interest
Urban Roots: Nora to assess current capacity and interest
Youth Farm: Explore opportunities following organizational changes

Maps Urban Soil Tour Partnership: - Collaborate with UFGA to identify demonstration sites - Pilgrim Baptist Church site would be an excellent option for educational demonstrations - Potential for monolith creation at select sites, especially residential sites

47.8 7. Laboratory Operations

47.8.1 Current Lab Needs

Extensive backlog of laser particle size analysis and sample processing
Multiple new team members requiring lab training
Sufficient work to support full 40-hour weeks for interested personnel

47.8.2 Training Requirements

University Safety Training: - Safety Tracker system assignments for all lab personnel - Respiratory protection training (voluntary use) - Lab-specific training session planned for next week

Lab Orientation: - Ava coordinating hands-on training for new personnel - Basic techniques including scale operation and sample preparation - Safety protocols and equipment orientation

47.9 8. Budget and Administrative Items

47.9.1 Successful Activities

Soil delivery program: $600 expenditure within budget
Positive community feedback and relationship building

47.9.2 Upcoming Needs

Business card printing for field outreach
Fedex on Snelling recommended for University printing needs
Tax-exempt status and P-card acceptance confirmed

47.9.3 Presentation Preparation

Nora completing NCSS presentation for review
Patty available for feedback and comments

47.10 9. Action Items

47.10.1 Immediate (This Week)

Gen: Contact artist residence and Northeast Minneapolis sites for Wednesday availability
Ava: Retrieve auger and planimeter from campus
Nora: Upload scanned field sheets to shared drive by afternoon
Nora: Send site ID numbers to Patty for tracking
Nora: Print concept list for field reference

47.10.2 Short-term (Next 1-2 Weeks)

Nora & Gen: Submit Prior Lake Parks permit applications
Nora: Complete Saint Paul Parks coordinate point submissions
Nora: Follow up with community partners (JK Movement, Urban Roots)
Nic: Conduct lab-specific safety training session
Nora: Print business cards for field outreach and concept list for field work

47.10.3 Medium-term (Next Month)

Nic and Nora: Complete machine learning prioritization for sampling locations
Outreach: Contact master gardener networks in Anoka and West Hennepin counties
Partnership development: Coordinate Maps Urban Soil Tour with UFGA
Data management: Assess additional personnel needs for potential student hire

47.11 10. Next Meeting

Regular weekly meetings to continue with focus on: - Wednesday field review outcomes and lessons learned - Site scheduling and permit status updates - Data entry progress and quality control - Community partnership development