Posts Tagged ‘birding’

Create Your Own Adventures With New Interactive Videos

March 23rd, 2010 by Sylke Neal-Finnegan

Video Series is First of its Kind to be Used to Promote Tourism

With an innovative, bold new Web video campaign, Washington County, Oregon, is now allowing visitors to create their own vacation adventures with an unprecedented series of videos on the popular video sharing website YouTube.

These “Create Your Adventure” videos allow viewers to discover the many gems of Washington County. Adventurers are given the choice of three tracks, which viewers can tailor to their own interests. Each series ends with a scenic drive along the Vineyard & Valley Scenic Tour Route, which highlights Washington County’s rolling backcountry roads, farm stands and wineries.

Golf is one of several relaxing pursuits on the Create Your Adventure journey.

Golf is one of several relaxing pursuits on the Create Your Adventure journey.

Each track offers nine adventures, with a total of 27 possible vacation itineraries:

  • Relax: highlighting attractions such as shopping, golf, hiking, a day at the spa, and a night out on the town, among other activities
  • Escape: highlighting pursuits such as disc golf, hot air balloon rides, a visit to a farmers’ market and saké tasting, among other activities
  • Explore: highlighting outdoorsy attractions, such as bird watching, hiking, biking and kayaking, among other activities

“Washington County truly is a hidden gem,” said Ruthie Reinert, president and CEO of the Washington County Visitors Association (WCVA). “As a destination marketing organization, we saw a need to create a tool that provided a sample of all the ways a visitor can have an authentic travel experience in Washington County.”

Birding is one of the adventures explorers can choose

Birding is one of the adventures explorers can choose

The videos were modeled after the popular “Choose Your Own Adventure” books, which were popular among school-aged children in the 1980s and ‘90s, and allowed readers to choose what happened next in the story.

“Destinations typically tell you what to do and where to go,” said Martin Stoll, CEO of Portland-based GoSeeTell Network, the production company behind the interactive “Create Your Adventure” videos.  “Washington County is letting its visitors choose their own destiny. Visitors drive the story and decide where they’ll go and what they’ll do. It’s an exciting breakthrough in the often pre-packaged tourism marketing industry.”

The interactive video project, which was a joint partnership between the WCVA and the GoSeeTell Network, is the first of its kind in the tourism industry. It uses a YouTube technology, which links multiple video clips with an interactivity button that causes the next video to play. This is the first time this Web video technology is being used for tourism.

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Winners of the 2009 WCVA Vacation Photo Contest

June 16th, 2009 by Sunyi

The results are in! The Washington County Visitors Association proudly announces the results of the inaugural photography contest. It was a difficult decision, as the WCVA staff reviewed submissions based on the following criteria:

  1. Originality
  2. Technical Excellence
  3. Composition
  4. Overall Impact
  5. Artistic Merit
  6. Relevance to Tourism

Thanks to all those who submited photos to our contest. And keep an eye out…you may just see one of YOUR Washington County photos in an advertisement or in our next Visitors Guide.

And the winners are (drum roll, please):

Grand prize: Swallow Squabble

Grand prize winner ($1,000) by ‘bescoles’, Barbara Scoles

Grand Prize Winner ($1,000) by ‘bescoles’, Barbara Scoles

Second Prize (x2): Henry Hagg Lake, Winter Sunrise

Second Prize ($500) by ‘moontan2008’, BobStreicher

Second Prize ($500) by ‘moontan2008’, Bob Streicher

Second Prize: Springhill Rd, Harvest, Gaston

Third Prize ($250) by ‘mlaphoto’, Mary Lane Anderson

Second Prize ($500) by ‘mlaphoto’, Mary Lane Anderson

Third Prize (x4): Red Carpet

Third Prize ($250) by ‘Bobshots’, Larry Andreasen

Third Prize ($250) by ‘Bobshots’, Larry Andreasen

Third Prize: Train Bridge

Third Prize ($250) by ‘kevinpastores’, Kevin Pastores

Third Prize ($250) by ‘kevinpastores’, Kevin Pastores

Third Prize: Jenkins-Estate, Cooper Mtn.

Third Prize ($250) by ‘yankeecam’, Robert Wayt

Third Prize ($250) by ‘yankeecam’, Bob Wayt

Third Prize: Scotch Church

Third Prize - ($250) 'scott.mcdonald1962', Scott McDonald

Third Prize - ($250) 'scott.mcdonald1962', Scott McDonald

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Tualatin River Migratory Songbird Festival

April 28th, 2009 by Julia Adam

Original art by Andy Everson produced for International Migratory Bird Day

Original art by Andy Everson produced for International Migratory Bird Day

Get ready to celebrate International Migratory Bird Day! On Saturday, May 16th, the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge will host its Migratory Songbird Festival for its 13th year. The full slate of events commences with early morning bird walks at 6:30am and 8:30am, each of which will last approximately 2 hours and cover 2 miles; meet at the Wildlife Center for these complimentary perambulations. If you would rather sleep in on your Saturday morning, then you can choose to arrive for the Guided Nature Walks at 10:30am, 12pm, 12:30pm or 1pm; these walks will also begin from the Wildlife Center and will last one hour. Live music, presentations, arts, crafts and photography exhibits, and a native plant sale will round out the schedule. Continuous activities will run from 10am to 2:30pm. Parking will be available at Home Depot, with a free shuttle running from 9:45am to 3pm.

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Posted in Arts & Culture, Events, Family Fun, Nature, Seasonal Fun | No Comments »

“Tweet of Dweams” at Jackson Bottom

April 15th, 2009 by Julia Adam

tweet-logo-2009

The Tweet of Dweams is Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve’s annual birdhouse building contest and fundraising auction. The auction will be held on Saturday, May 2 at the Preserve beginning at 6:30pm. If you have an item to donate or would like to reserve a ticket ($35.00 pp), please contact Karen Newton via email at karenn@ci.hillsboro.or.us. All proceeds support activities for children, families, individuals, and wildlife habitat improvements.

2008 Grand Prize Winner; photo by Jason Kinch Photographic

2008 Grand Prize Winner; photo by Jason Kinch Photographic

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Posted in Arts & Culture, Events, Seasonal Fun | No Comments »

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