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Dear partners and friends,
 With staff and board busy planning two big events — the Health & Nature Forum this week and the Intertwine Summit coming up in April (see below!)— the idea and nature of convenings is very much on our minds.
One major takeaway from stakeholder and community surveys conducted last summer was this: The Intertwine Alliance’s role as convener is valued by you. Through convening opportunities like the Intertwine Summit, there is opportunity to celebrate successes, collaborate on complex issues, and learn about how partnerships can lead to thriving communities. As we create a pathway to strengthen our work through a strategic planning process over the next few months, we will hold central the role as convener, looking for ways to gather in ever more meaningful and inclusive ways.
A coalition is only as strong as its members. Summits and forums would be nothing without your contributions of time, talent and strategic thinking. Let’s keep coming together; let’s keep striving to create an equitable and inclusive system while encouraging and inspiring one another for our future generations.
See you at the Summit!
Warren Jimenez
Executive Director
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 WINTER 2019 NEWSLETTER
Here comes the Summit! We're super excited to announce that the Intertwine Summit 2019: Investing in Nature will take place Monday, April 29, at the World Forestry Center in SW Portland. Please save the date! Here's a preview of the afternoon:
- Executive Director Warren Jimenez will share his vision for The Intertwine Alliance’s focus over the next few years.
- Local elected officials will talk about creative possibilities for investments in parks, trails and natural areas.
- We’ll explore using an equity lens to ensure that future investments serve intended communities.
- Leaders from conservation, health, housing and transportation will facilitate a conversation about building a shared agenda across sectors to create thriving communities.
The event will be from 1 to 5 p.m., followed by a reception. We'll share details about speakers, panelists, tickets and more by email over the next couple of weeks. We can't wait to bring together our big, broad community and find inspiration for the future. Questions about the Summit, or interested in sponsoring the event? Please contact Executive Director Warren Jimenez at warren@theintertwine.org or 503-445-0991.
 A perfect match. Signed up for the Health & Nature Forum this Thursday, Feb. 14, from 9 a.m. to noon? What sweeter way to spend Valentine's Day than strategizing about health equity, the creation of accessible pathways to health resources and benefits for everyone in the community. Presenters include Juan Carlos Ocaña-Chíu, Metro Parks & Nature Department; Zeenia Junkeer, Oregon Health Equity Alliance; Rujuta Gaonkar, Kaiser Permanente; Dr. Minot Cleveland, Legacy Health; and Duncan Hwang, APANO. The event is free, and tickets are going fast. We hope to see you there.
 The Green Schoolyards Collective is launching! After a few years of planning, we're finally lifting this idea off the ground with a kick-off event rescheduled for Tuesday, March 12, from 9 a.m. to noon. This will be the first time we bring together members and those who want to find out more. The collective aims to creates a more formal connection between organizations involved in various aspects of greening schoolyards. With 46 members to date, we'll soon begin crafting strategies for placing more gardens, nature play spaces, outdoor classrooms and green infrastructure projects on school properties. Membership is free. Just fill out this form, and you’re in. Want more info? Contact Program Director David Cohen at david@theintertwine.org.
 Celebrating a new partner. The Intertwine Alliance is excited to welcome a new partner to our coalition: Please give a warm hello to 1000 Friends of Oregon. In existence since 1975, 1000 Friends of Oregon works with Oregonians to enhance quality of life by building livable urban and rural communities, protecting family farms and forests, and conserving natural areas.
See and be seen. Partners, don't forget to add your organization's upcoming public events to The Intertwine Alliance calendar using this quick-and-easy submission form.
PARK, TRAIL & NATURAL AREA NEWS
 New at Oxbow. In mid-January, Metro opened a welcome center at Oxbow Regional Park. A first stop for visitors to pick up maps and other information, the 2600-square-foot facility is the first of its kind on a Metro property and will serve as a hub for the park. The center’s educational elements are designed to spark curiosity about nature. Here are five cool things you'll find at the center.
Free fun outdoors. Speaking of Metro, the next two free parking days at Oxbow and Blue Lake regional parks, Broughton Beach, M. James Gleason Memorial Boat Ramp and Chinook Landing Marine Park are coming up on Monday, Feb. 18 (Presidents' Day), and Thursday, Feb. 21.
OTHER HAPPENINGS AROUND THE INTERTWINE
Weigh in, Clark County. The Southwest Washington Regional Transportation Council has updated Clark County's 20-year Regional Transportation Plan. Planners are seeking public input on the existing and future transportation system through Monday, Feb. 25. Learn more and comment here.
 Get going with GPSEN. Registration is open for the Greater Portland Sustainability Education Network's symposium, Building Bridges to Sustainability, set for Friday, March 8, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the PCC Cascade Campus in North Portland. Keynote speakers are Judy BlueHorse Skelton, Assistant Professor, Indigenous Nations Studies Program, Portland State University; and Suvira Chaturvedi, a United Nations Adviser on international development and women’s empowerment. Tickets are $75 general admission, $25 students.
Walk, peddle, roll to OATS. Hundreds of people from around the state will convene to discuss cutting-edge transportation and recreation policy, funding and design at The Street Trust's Oregon Active Transportation Summit, scheduled for April 25-26. Please save the date; registration will open soon.
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
Lay of the land. The Gray Family Foundation's Geography Education grant program promotes integration of geographic concepts into K-12 curriculum and instruction. Up to $330,000 is available for projects that align with the foundation's commitment to equity and inclusion. Requests from $5,000 to $30,000 per year for one- to three-year projects are due by Friday, Feb. 15.
Safety first. Beginning this year, Metro’s Regional Travel Options program will provide $500,000 a year for Safe Routes to School programs in the greater Portland region. Apply by Sunday, March 31, for three-year grants that support travel options for K-12 Title 1 schools. Learn more about eligible projects here.
One to watch. The Network for Landscape Conservation is launching a five-year national grant program to accelerate collaborative conservation at the landscape scale. The Landscape Conservation Catalyst Fund will distribute at least $1 million to partnerships across the United States over the first three-year period, while providing supplemental trainings and mentoring. The RFP will be announced Friday, March 1, with webinar and opportunities to talk to staff to follow. Join this email list for news and updates. |
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