Jim Desmond has devoted the past two decades to taking Metro's natural areas program from zero to more than 14,000 glorious acres spread throughout The Intertwine. As he steps into a new leadership role with The Nature Conservancy's Oregon chapter, he remembers the natural area program's ''startup"-like origins, shares some of his favorite projects, and puts forth a big vision for the future. 

Outdoor school was historically available to almost every Oregon child. Yet today, only about 45 percent of  youth have the opportunity to attend, and the number is dropping every year. A new group, the Oregon Outdoor Education Coalition, is kicking off a campaign on Jan. 30 to save this Oregon tradition. 

Changes to the City of Portland tree code went into effect Jan. 1. Find out what the rules are, and what they mean for the average Portland homeowner. 

The Intertwine Alliance's fearless leader wraps up 2014 with thoughts about passing the podium from the "geezers" to the region's youth leaders. 

Imagine a food belt around the edge of The Intertwine providing small plots of land that families or small cooperative groups can cycle, bus or drive to. Imagine families leaving their homes for the weekend to learn about soil, the sun, and the seasonal nature of planting and tending food...

80+ people gathered in Tualatin last week for the region's first summit dedicated specifically to city tree policy. Urban forestry can be complicated and contentious -- but here in The Intertwine, we're finding innovative ways to work things out. 

The Intertwine Alliance's new office assistant chronicles her conversion to bugs, birds, plants and all things nature, including the central role played by Audubon's TALON program for 16- to 22-year-olds.