Healthy Environment = Healthy People. Right? Right! The Intertwine Fall Health and Nature Forum will bring together healthcare professionals, environmental leaders and other people passionate about the connection between nature and health. Let's get everyone working on these issues, in all their diverse and exciting ways, to the same table. We'll share ideas aplenty, but we'll also make concrete plans for continuing work started at the spring forum. Join us Wednesday, Oct. 15, from 8 a.m. to noon at Portland State University’s Native American Student Community Center. Seating is limited, so register now.

We Love New Friends! A hearty welcome to Friends of Nob Hill Nature Park, the Intertwine Alliance's newest partner. A community group based in St. Helens, OR, the group holds twice-yearly volunteer work parties to remove invasive plants from the park, an oak woodland habitat near town center. The next work party is coming up on Saturday, Nov. 1, from 1 to 4 p.m. Pre-register by Oct. 31 by calling Scappoose Bay Watershed Council at 503-397-7904 or emailing info@scappoosebay-wc.org.
 
September Shutterbugs ... and Last Call. Congratulations to the September winners of The Intertwine's photo contest: Alita Alexander, Brian Smith, Dave Taube, Michael Barton and Mia Smith-Baldwin. Enjoy exploring the region's amazing parks and trails in your fancy new KEENS! You can admire their stunning contributions here. Also, October is the final month of the competition, with the theme "Faces in Nature." It's your last chance to dazzle us with your eye for beauty and detail. Contest details here.


Intertwine News

It's a Green Showdown. Two teams of local youth -- the Sugar Skulls representing the west side and the Green Team representing the east -- are holding planting extravaganzas Nov. 1 at Dirksen Nature Park (west) and Blue Lake Park (east). And they want all of you to come, because if they recruit at least 250 volunteers, each student will win a free pair of KEENs and a trip to see the Trail Blazers. The Plant Off, organized by partners Clean Water Services, Friends of Trees, Metro, the National Park Service, Moda Health, Groundwork Portland, KEEN, Frank Creative and Supa Fresh Youth Garden is all about high school and college students gaining real-life job experience while learning strategy, policy, marketing, conservation and promotions. Designers are putting final touches on the web site, but in the next couple of days you'll be able to register at www.intertwine.org/plantoff.

Alert, Alert, Conservation Funding Alert! The East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District wants all of you to know that it's launched its 2015 Partners in Conservation grant cycle. Grants support conservation and education projects within the district boundaries (all of Multnomah County east of the Willamette River). Projects should address soil health, water conservation/quality, habit restoration, watershed health and/or environmental education. Applications are due Dec. 15. Visit the EMSWCD website for more info.

All Trails Lead Here. Trail lovers unite for Metro's Quarterly Trails Forum on Wed, Oct. 22, from 1 to 3:15 p.m. Join a roundtable of state and regional park and trail providers, nonprofits, trail advocates, and local and regional governments to share ideas about trail projects, funding resources and opportunities. Agenda topics will be posted by Oct. 10.

More Happy Trails. The biennial Washington State Trails Conference convenes Oct. 16-18 in Bellingham, WA. "On the Trails of Change" will bring together hundreds of trail leaders from across the state and beyond. Special focus will be given to how trail organizations are adjusting to changing conditions, and the emerging youth voice in trail work. Register here.

Using Our Outside Voices. Today in Outside Voice, Jack McGowan's "A River Runs Through Us" explores the complex history of the Willamette River, and introduces a Port of Portland project that aims to engage the public in its restoration. In other recent posts, Cathy Turner of Friends of Terwilliger writes a letter to architect John Charles Olmsted about the Eagle Point addition to Terwilliger Parkway. Nastassja Pace of Travel Oregon sings the praises of Oregon's Scenic Bikeways, the only official state-run program of its kind in the country, and the colossal impact of bike tourism on Oregon's economy. And finally, the Intertwine Alliance's Ramona DeNies talks with British filmmaker David Bond, director of the documentary Project Wild Thing and self-proclaimed "Marketing Director for Nature."
 
Call for Ecology Research. The Urban Ecology Research Consortium of Portland/Vancouver (UERC) is prepping for its annual symposium, set for Feb. 9, 2015, with a call for abstracts for oral and poster presentations. Accepted through Nov. 24, abstracts can focus on biological, chemical, physical and social sciences; land use planning, habitat management and restoration; citizen science; or environmental education. More details and early conference registration here.

Share Your Climate Smarts. In 2009, the Oregon Legislature required the Portland metropolitan region to reduce per capita greenhouse gas emissions from cars and small trucks by 2035. After four years of collaboration with regional partners and the public, a draft of Metro's Climate Smart Strategy is ready for review. The public is invited to provide feedback from Sept. 15 through Oct. 30. Take a short survey at makeagreatplace.org, or download the document and give more in-depth feedback.


Partner Happenings

One Million Trees & Shrubs. A group of partners from around the Portland region have kicked off a campaign to plant one million native trees and shrubs in Washington County's Tualatin River Watershed in a single planting season. Part of the Tree for All community stream planting challenge, the campaign organized by Clean Water Services is a partnership of cities, nonprofits, farmers, volunteers, schools and public land managers. Click here for more info and a calendar of community events. View photos from the Sept. 19 kick-off.

No Orangutanin' Around, Oct. 3. The Oregon Zoo and the World Foresty Center are co-hosting a free lecture about wildlife conservation efforts in Sabah, a Malaysian state on the island of Borneo, on Oct. 3. Dr. Marc Ancrenaz will talk about his work there with orangutans, Asian Forest elephants and other unique species. The program starts at 7 p.m. at the Forestry Center's Cheatham Hall. No need to register; just show up. For more information, contact the Zoo Education Division at 503-220-5708.

Birdfest & Bluegrass, Oct. 4-5. Don's miss this 15th annual celebration of fall migratory birds, bluegrass music and Native American culture. Tours, walks, presentations, a film screening and more will take place throughout the town of Ridgefield and at the Cathlapotle Plankhouse on the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge. Here's the schedule of events.

Parke Diem, Y'all! Oct. 10-11. Registration has begun for the Portland Park Foundation's gigantic citywide work party and celebration. The two-day shindig boasts 70 projects, 60 sites, more than 30 groups and 1,500 energetic Parklandians. 

Trail Reopening, Oct. 11. SW Urban Trails celebrates the reopening of Portland's Iowa Street Trail after a four-year closure with a walk on Saturday, Oct. 11, at 9 a.m. The trail was modified to give unobstructed views of glorious Mt. Hood. Meet at Wilson High School for the four-mile stroll. For info, contact Sharon Fekety at fekety@hevanet.com

Changing Minds, Oct. 25-26. The Lewis & Clark Graduate School of Education and Counseling is offering a two-day Conservation Psychology course the weekend of Oct. 25. It's a training focused specifically on psychology and behavior change related to conservation and sustainability issues. For more details and to register, click here.

For more fabulous October events, see the Intertwine Alliance partner calendar.