On February 4, The Intertwine Alliance convened members of the Metropolitan Greenspaces Alliance, which includes regionally-focused conservation coalitions from six other cities across America. The group welcomed the addition of the Bay Area Open Space Council to the MGA, and discussed opportunities to expand membership of the MGA to other metropolitan-based groups across the country. Retreat discussions focussed on how MGA organizations can better partner with conservation-based departments at a federal level, an upcoming meeting with the Arabella Philanthropic Investment Advisors firm, and the aspirations for the Alliance. The MGA retreat concluded a busy weekend of activities for the Intertwine's out of town guests, which included a visit with Metro Councilors and federal representatives on Thursday afternoon and a tour of Portland's successful natural spaces conserved in the urban core Friday morning - seen at right: MGA members on the Oaks Bottom Mausoleum.
MGA member organizations — Chicago Wilderness, Houston Wilderness, the Lake Erie Allegheny Partnership, Los Angeles' Amigos De Los Rios, Milwaukee's Sweet Water, and The Intertwine Alliance — represent more than 500 private, nonprofit and public organizations and serve a total of twenty-three million people. The MGA is working together to coordinate initiatives that bring nature and conservation principles into America's urban areas.