Summer 2008 Northwest Passages
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Region 10 Newsletter Summer 2008 Northwest Passages Conservation Education through Environmental Design on Scenic Byways Robin Gyorgyfalvy, Landscape Architect and Scenic Byways Program Leader This summer, Cascade Lakes Highway will celebrate the 10th anniversary of its designation as a National Scenic Byway. Scenic Byways are travel routes through outstanding places. The National Scenic Byways Program (www.byways.org) is a way for byway travelers to connect with nature and to enjoy outstanding scenery, culture, history, recreation, archaeology, and geological wonders. The Cascade Lakes National Scenic Byway is a great example of conservation education through environmental design on scenic byways. The goals for this byway are to preserve the Scenic Byway as a major Pacific Northwest attraction and to provide learning opportunities at key locations. This can be accomplished through outdoor settings that are well designed to allow byway travelers enough space for exploration and self-discovery and opportunities to become engaged and interact directly with the environment. Delivering messages that create awareness for the area’s amazing natural resources and educating byway travelers on how they can preserve these precious resources can all be accomplished through environmental design that consid- ers the visitor experience. A successful scenic byway connects communities, businesses, and visitors with the spectacular resources along the way and provides a story or a message for protecting the scenic, geologic, recreational, natural, and cultural values identified as unique and important. Special places often have incredible stories to tell. Communicating this to the visitor can be done successfully through careful attention to site conditions, visitor needs, and providing opportunities for the visitor to interact directly with the environment. Last year, new interpretive and information features were completed at three key locations on the Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway through a grant from the Federal Highways Administration’s Oregon Forest Highways Program. At the North Portal, new improvements include a restored historic view to the surrounding volcanic landscape, an accessible trail to a viewpoint, and new interpretive signs providing conservation messages for scenery, wildlife, and native plants, and a story about the heritage of the area’s indigenous peoples. At the South Portal, improvements include a new wayside with interpretive signs echoing those at the North Portal. And finally, the Historic Elk Lake Guard Station had its historic road resurfaced, a new accessible restroom, and new picnic areas, native landscaping, and pavers. Conservation education through environmental design is based upon a comprehensive approach to developing natural and heritage resource sites through an interpretive theme and a connective graphics style, visitors easily recognize the use of native lava rock and heavy timber on interpretive kiosks and signs throughout the scenic byway. Each of the interpretive sites along the scenic byway is a connected and integral part of the interpretive theme and provides a wonderful learning opportunity in an incredible outdoor setting. Relying on local knowledge through cultural coalitions, consulting tribal communities, and including the work of local artists and writers creates a closer connection to the heart of conservation messages. Watch for new interpretive signs at the Elk Lake Guard Station and Elk Lake Viewpoint coming soon! 2 Northwest Passages Summer 2008 NAI 2008 - “Sustaining the Circle” Registration On-Line See green, learn “green,” BE “green.” Experience the Pacific Northwest this coming November. Registration is now available on-line for the NAI 2008 National Workshop in Portland, Oregon November 11-15. The rich cultural heritage and environmental diversity of the Pacific Northwest will be offered to everyone attending through a broad spectrum of preworkshop courses, exciting concurrent sessions, and engaging keynote speakers. This year’s workshop is titled “Sustaining the Circle” and efforts are underway to insure participants will experience what it means to “be green” in a city that truly is writing the book on “green” and learn ways to improve and sustain the world around them, wherever they may be. Friday’s off-site sessions offer a multitude of opportunities to experience the bounty of cultural and natural history in the greater Portland area. The cultural heritage of the Pacific Northwest is as varied as its climates and ecology. Native Americans have inhabited the Northwest for thousands of years and their stories can be seen from rock art in the Columbia River Gorge to eloquent displays of artwork and handcrafts at museums. Hiking through the Cascade Moun- tains or along the trails along the Oregon Coast will unveil the world of northwest fish, wildlife, and plants common – and some uncommon – to the area. Local vineyards will share their history and development and invite visitors to enjoy sample fare from host wineries. Learn how an urban wildlife refuge enables local communities to experience wildlife through a newly developed education program and state-of-the-art technology. Travel back in time at the Evergreen Aviation Museum and experience the history of modern flight in the newly opened space museum. Embrace the area of your interest or explore new horizons through these and more off-site sessions during the 2008 National Workshop, November 11-15, in Portland, Oregon. Sub-Committee focuses on the theme; Sustaining the Circle Did you know that the Portland Oregon Convention Center was the first conven- tion center in the nation to receive a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environ- mental Design) Certification, or that the Portland Double Tree Hotel – one of the two NAI host hotels - is the “green” model for the entire hotel chain? Over the last several months, the Sustainability Sub-Committee has been thinking “green”. We have been working hard to assist the national office in ways to incorporate sustainability at the 2008 NAI National Workshop in Portland, Oregon. Some of the areas we are focusing on include: researching alternative fuels for buses during the off-site sessions, encouraging concurrent session presenters to discuss sustainability, creating a “green” contest and much more. If you have any ideas, or would like to be on the committee, please contact Denise Berkshire at [email protected] Planning on driving to the National Workshop? Want to carpool? Visit the NAI Member Forum to post your information including where you will be leaving from and the date of your departure. Summer 2008 Northwest Passages 3 Travel Lightly As November nears, many of us will begin planning for the trip to Portland. Have you considered a sustainable method of transportation? Several options will get you to Portland and around the city while you are here. Getting to the City of Roses o Ride public transit to the airport or train station or carpool if driving to Portland. A positive attribute is the elimination of parking fees at an airport or railroad station and the necessary two round trips if a spouse or friend drives the member for departure and pickup. o Substituting airline travel for rail travel. Rail travel is measurably less consumptive of fuel and emits less green- house gases. A positive attribute is seeing picture postcards through the windows along your journey. Amtrak is offering a 10 % discount from November 8th – 18th. While in Portland, Oregon o You can access the MAX line (surface light rail) from the Portland Airport or train station. Arrive at your hotel in minutes for only a couple of dollars! While at the workshop, consider using MAX to reach the Oregon Convention Center and explore the city. Did you know that it is free to ride the MAX anywhere within “Fareless Square?” This area covers most of downtown! o If you want to rent a car during your stay consider Zipcar or Flexcar (note: Flexcar and Zipcar are merging). These programs (www.zipcar.com and www.flexcar.com) are a positive way to have personal transportation while attending the workshop. There are many positive attributes with these short, limited car use programs. o One other way is a personal carbon-offset purchase. (Carbon Offset Review offers a good selection, their website: www.carbonoffsetreview.com. For more details on MAX and Amtrak discounts visit www.interpnet.com. Watch for more sustainable ideas coming your way soon! Make sure to save all your tickets and receipts to participate in a Green Contest during the workshop and become eligible to win a basket of sustainable goods. ~It’s easy being green. Denise Berkshire 2008 National Workshop Sustainability Chair Region 10 Secretary [email protected] 4 NorthwestNorthwest Passages Passages SummerWinter 20072008 Portland 2008 Logo Tee Shirts for Sale! One of the more popular items in Wichita was the Region 10 produced Portland 2008 black and red logo tee shirt. We have these shirts still available for purchase. It is a great looking tee and a great keepsake for what promises to be one of the most memorable NAI workshops ever! All proceeds support the Region 10 scholarship fund. Shirts are available in small, medium, large, XL and XXL; your choice of long or short sleeve. To order simply send a check or money order to: Roger Riolo 1036 NW Harmon Blvd. Bend, OR. 97701 Make your check out to: NAI, Region 10 All prices include shipping: Short sleeve $22 Long sleeve $27 Support your Region and Portland 2008! Talkin’ Interp with OPRD Recently, I had the pleasure to attend Oregon State Park and Recreation Department’s annual Interpretive Core Training for the second year straight year. The OPRD Core Training is special for me in several ways. Number one, it is a testament to our profession and the NAI mission statement in its quality and content. Almost all its trainers, leaders and guest speakers are NAI certified CITs, CIPs or CIGs. I was asked to deliver the opening keynote and lead a couple of training modules.