Nature play on the big screen. Let your inner child out at the third and final event in the
Our Common Ground Film Series next
Wednesday, Feb. 10, at the Mission Theater & Pub in Northwest Portland. Screenings of
"The Land" and a short version of the film
"Play AGAIN" will be introduced by "Play AGAIN" Producer Meg Merrill and followed by a panel discussion about children's nature play and risk-taking. Panelists will be Beth Hatfield, Harper's Playground in North Portland; Tom Doherty, Lewis & Clark College professor of eco-psychology; and Phil Wu, former Kaiser Permanente pediatrician and Intertwine Alliance board member. Doors open at 5 p.m.; the event starts at 6. Stick around after the panel discussion for a pint with friends old and new. The event is free and open to the public.
Howdy, partner! A big welcome to the newest Intertwine Alliance partner,
Explore Washington Park. A non-profit organization with a transportation management license with the City of Portland, Explore Washington Park helps people make decisions about how they get to and around the park, and ensures that they have what they need for an enjoyable visit.
Meet Lauren. We're tickled green to
welcome
Lauren Gottfredson to The Intertwine Alliance as our new projects and operations manager (replacing Kevin Le who left in late December). Lauren moved to Portland last year after graduating from the University of South Florida with a Master’s in Public Health and a Master’s in Applied Anthropology. As a student of anthropology, she loves people, learning about their histories and building relationships. Although her background is in maternal and child health, she believes that health is integrated into every aspect of our lives, and feels connected to the health & nature and equity work of The Alliance. She loves all things related to food, including eating, cooking, and talking about food. Along with handling administrative tasks around the office, Lauren will help with event logistics, program and project development, the equity strategy and much more. We've thoroughly enjoyed getting to know her -- and we know you will, too.
Meet Carlos. The Intertwine Alliance is honored to have Portland State University intern
Carlos Callava join our ranks. Carlos, who starts work this week, is a Master of Urban Planning student who will be with us through the end of the 2015-2016 academic year. Carlos, Cuban-American and from Miami, has been writing and recording music with bands and artists for nearly a decade. He's also a photographer with his own photo booth business. He enjoys traveling and aspires to live in a tiny home post- graduate school when he can loosen his collar. Please give Carlos a warm welcome when you spot him around The Intertwine.
Finding our common ground. The Intertwine Alliance's first gathering of about 30 current and prospective Intertwine Project leaders last month was such fun. We spent time describing -- and drawing -- our projects and project ideas, finding common ground between the projects, and visually connecting them to the Intertwine Alliance vision and focus areas. Hearty discussions and plan-making continued into lunch and well beyond. Stay tuned for meeting notes, to be published soon on The Alliance website, and the date of the next gathering. Interest piqued? Want to get involved? Find out more about Intertwine Projects and how to declare yours
here.
The buzz. The first
Intertwine Alliance Conservation Forum on Jan. 21 was a great success. Approximately 50 people from more than a dozen organizations swarmed around the topic POLLINATORS. Discussion groups brainstormed areas for future study, including monitoring protocols and habitat needs. Minutes and future work sessions will soon be published on The Alliance website and e-mailed to participants and others interested. The next forum, coming in the spring, will focus on WILDLIFE CORRIDORS. For more information, email Bruce Barbarasch at bbarbara@thprd.org.
Speak up for equity. Metro invites the public to weigh in on transportation, housing and equity in the Portland area through this online survey. Results from the nine-question, 10-minute survey will inform several ongoing regional efforts. Share your opinions on how $38 million of federal transportation dollars should be allocated. Weigh in also on issues that leaders should focus on as Metro begins a major update of the
Regional Transportation Plan. The survey is open through Monday, Feb. 15.
Introducing The Verde Paper. Since 2013, a group called Resource Media has been traveling the western United States, including the Portland metro area, to meet Latino conservationists creating parks, fighting for clean air and water, and more. Marce Gutiérrez-Graudiņš, an organizer and founder of the ocean conservation organization Azul, captured their insights as part of a project called
La Madre Tierra. Two years into it, the organizations have released what they've heard about the challenges and barriers Latino conservation leaders encounter in their work, as well as the opportunities for mainstream environmental funders and nonprofits to engage in more authentic and constructive ways. The result is
The Verde Paper: Latino Perspectives on Conservation Leadership. Please check it out.
Join the flock. The Audubon Society of Portland's TALON Program has begun recruitment for its 2016 season. Please direct potentially interested young people ages 16-20 to this excellent program providing training in conservation-related professions and summer employment
. Want inspiration?
Check out this
video of program highlights by TALON member Seajay McConville.
Learn more and apply
here by Feb. 13.
Let's fund this thing! Outdoor School for All is holding a campaign signature launch party on
Saturday, Feb. 20, from 2 to 4 p.m. at the North Star Ballroom in North Portland. Following the 2015 legislative session, the Oregon Outdoor Education Coalition determined that the best route to full, stable funding for the Outdoor School law (
SB 439), passed in spring 2015, is to approach Oregon voters directly. The Outdoor for School Campaign submitted
Initiative 67 for inclusion on the November 2016 ballot, asking voters to support funding with Oregon Lottery economic development funds. If the measure passes, funding to qualified programs could be available as early as mid-2017. Please RSVP to the campaign kick-off
here.
Don't miss UERC 2016. The 14th Annual Urban Ecology and Conservation Symposium is right around the corner. It's next
Monday, Feb. 8, at Portland State University, and this year's focus is on urban environmental issues and the practical application of related ecological and social science research in the Portland/Vancouver region. It's a great platform for inspiration, networking and the exchange of ideas. Learn more and register
here.
Hike on over. All foot and bike paths lead to the next
Metro Quarterly Trails Forum, set for
Wednesday, Feb. 10, from 1 to 3:15 p.m.
at Metro Council Chambers, 600 NE Grand, Portland.
Smart growth. The 15th Annual
New Partners for Smart Growth Conference, the nation's largest smart growth and sustainability event, is
Feb. 11-13 in downtown Portland. The theme "Practical Tools and Innovative Strategies for Creating Great Communities" underscores this year's stronger emphasis on implementation.
Register.
Hitting the streets. Registration is now open for the
2016 Oregon Active Transportation Summit: Our Healthy Streets, hosted by the Bicycle Transportation Alliance, taking place March 14-15 at the Sentinel Hotel in downtown Portland. Discounted
early-bird registration is available through Feb. 15.
Fireside reading. A group of Intertwine Alliance representatives visited the East Bay Regional Park District in California last October. Will the experience prove as transformative as previous trips to the area? Last month in
Outside Voice, Urban Greenspaces Institute Executive Director and Intertwine Alliance Board Member
Mike Houck shared the history and lessons learned. Also,
Access Recreation's Georgena Moran brought to life Universal Design, an approach that keeps users of all abilities in mind, and doesn't skimp on aesthetics. We welcome blog contributions from all Intertwine Alliance partners, and strive to publish twice a month. Email tara@theintertwine.org with story ideas, or sign up to receive
email notifications.
Funding Opportunities
AmeriCorps positions. Confluence Environmental Center has opened its
Request for Proposals for 2016-2017 AmeriCorps placements. The
program catalyzes environmental justice in the Portland area by working with community partners to develop 11-month AmeriCorps positions that address critical environmental needs in low-income communities and communities of color. Curious if your organization is a good fit? Stop by an information session at Tabor Space in Southeast Portland on
Wednesday, Feb. 10, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. or
Thursday, Feb. 18, from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Proposals due March 17.
Getting children outside. The Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office is accepting
No Child Left Inside grant applications through
Feb. 16. The program provides money for outdoor environmental, ecological, agricultural, or other natural resource-based education and recreation programs serving youth.
Improving schools. Friends and partners in Clark County
: Healthy Kids-Healthy Schools proposals are due
Feb. 19. Supporting Washington’s
Healthiest Next Generation Initiative, grants fund renovations to existing buildings, site improvements, and the purchase and installation of equipment. Applications are submitted by school district, with a minimum request of $2,500. Awards are limited to $200,000 per district. Learn more and apply
here.
Mark your Calendar
Highlights of the month ahead. See the event calendar for more.
Into the garden. Upstream Public Health, along with a slew of partners, invites The Intertwine community to the
Oregon School Garden Summit on
Thursday, Feb. 4, and the
Oregon Farm to School Summit on
Friday, Feb. 5. Both events are at the beautiful Oregon Garden in Silverton. Get more info and register
here.
Secrets of the forest. Rewild Portland is partnering with Seed & Thistle Apothecary to offer a series of herbalism classes for young women, teens and adults during the months of February and March. Cost ranges from $120 to $220. Read class descriptions and register
here.
Make new PALS. Join Portland Parks & Recreation for the second installment of the
Portland Arborist Lecture Series (PALS), a new quarterly program in partnership with Oregon Community Trees and Schools Uniting Neighborhoods. The topic on
Thursday, Feb. 11, at 6 p.m. is tree protection during construction. It's at Tubman School in North Portland. Sign up
here.
