Our Big Backyard

In the debut edition of Our Big Backyard, you can find out why Newell Creek Canyon might be the region’s next great natural area, get the scoop on geocaching and learn how Verde is empowering the Cully neighborhood with help from Metro grants. Enter a nature photo contest or snag a field guide to Smith and Bybee Wetlands. In short, Our Big Backyard gives you the inside scoop on Metro parks, trails and natural areas and inspires you to get outside.

But there’s one important story you won’t find: the tale of how – and why – Metro transformed its quarterly magazine for nature lovers.

We knew it was time to rethink our approach. Much has changed since 1998, when Metro launched a newsletter-style publication called GreenScene to publicize nature classes for the regional government and our partners. So, a year ago, we set out to examine Metro’s role in the region and the role of a magazine in our increasingly digital world.

A small and shrinking number of people read print publications because they can’t get information anywhere else. As a public agency, Metro needs to serve that group. But we also serve a much larger group of people who choose to read magazines, once in a while, because they want the experience of devouring lively, jump-off-the-page stories.

Meanwhile, The Intertwine Alliance blossomed into a vibrant regional network for governments, businesses, nonprofits and community groups that care about the outdoors. Metro’s role as a regional park provider expanded dramatically, fueled by two bond measures and a levy. Today, we’re responsible for engaging the region in the story of 17,000 acres of parks, natural areas and habitat preserves. Voters deserve to know how their money is being spent, and how they can see their investments firsthand – by hiking at Cooper Mountain Nature Park, biking along the Columbia Slough, helping restore Newell Creek Canyon and much more. And they deserve to understand how nature fits into Metro’s broader mission of making a great place.

As we reshaped Metro’s publication, we asked our audience for help. They responded, loud and clear: Survey participants most valued easy-to-find information, with quality storytelling and photography a close second. They clamored for field guides that allow them to explore on their own time. Trails, restoration, walking, biking, natural gardening and other sustainable living tools also ranked high.

Our Big Backyard is designed to give readers what they want. It got bigger. It got striking photography, rich storytelling and bold design. Event listings got a makeover, becoming more visual and fun. And a regular guest page from The Intertwine will serve as a portal into the region’s incredible outdoors.