We are pleased to announce The Intertwine website is the recipient of the 2012 Coalition for Recreational Trails award in the Education and Communication Category, which aims to honor an organization enhancing trail use and enjoyment through increased environmental awareness, promotion of trail-related safety, and encouragement of trail-related outdoor recreation.
This award could not have been possible without support from Metro, the City of Gresham, Portland Parks & Recreation, the Urban Greenspaces Institute, Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, Congressmen Earl Blumenauer and Kurt Schrader and Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici.
Metro Councilor Shirley Craddick had this to say: "I see the potential for the Intertwine Alliance's website to serve as a major vehicle for educating residents about our natural surroundings and engaging more people in conservation and active lifestyles. It's a lovely platform that is fun to explore."
This single portal to nature around the region — from Clark County in SW Washington and across the Columbia River to Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington Counties in NW Oregon — is a “one-stop shop” that provides comprehensive information on the region's trails and outdoor destinations. The site was produced by the Intertwine Alliance in partnership with the National Park Service - Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program; Oregon State Parks; Metro; Vancouver-Clark Parks & Recreation; KEEN Footwear; and the Urban Greenspaces Institute.
The website's three major features serve to help residents find new outdoor places to explore through an interactive map that includes all of the publicly accessible trails, parks and natural areas in the four-county Intertwine region; find great starting points to getting outside through a collection of seasonal adventure itineraries; and an educational section where residents can learn about the region's unique outdoor places and the many groups working to preserve, restore and grow the regional network of trails and parklands.
The website ties together the park and trail information of 28 cities, providing information on the region’s more than 300 miles of recreational trails and nearly one thousand parks and natural areas. Residents can now go to one website, rather than 30+ sites, to find information about where to hike, walk, recreate, camp, fish, boat and to access nature.
The website’s interactive map uses a sophisticated database of landscape information and uses LIDAR data to provide a unique level of accessibility information about each trail. With this powerful online tool, residents can find information on every trail and park in the region, and can search them by activities such as hiking, road biking, horseback riding, and bird-watching.
Learn more about the Coalition for Recreational Trails.
In addition, the website received a Presidential Award in Tourism & Hospitality from Travel Portland, which recognizes valued contributions to the visitor industry made by individuals, organizations or businesses.
Intertwine Alliance Executive Director accepting the award from Travel Portland at the 33rd Annual Tourism & Hospitality Industry Awards Celebration
Very special thanks to Substance, OpenPlans and ThinkShout for their brilliant work creating the site!
