Houston Gulf Coast Get Outdoors Website Proposal

✓ Will provide a one-stop shop for the general public to provide fresh, up-to-date information to help get them connected with the outdoors;

★ The website will include a search function connecting visitors to activities and places based on their location, interests, age, etc.

✓ Will begin initiating a rebranding (marketing) effort for the Greater Houston area as an active place with plenty of positive outdoor experiences, amenities, and services.

★ Key to this effort will be to build a website that effectively tells our biggest stories like the Bayou Greenway Initiative, Sam Houston Trail, new parks or preserves being acquired, nature tourism (particularly things like the coastal birding trail), etc.

GOALS OF A HOUSTON GULF COAST OUTDOORS WEBSITE

A Conceptual SketchPresented by Jaime González, Katy Prairie Conservancy

✓ Will provide a one-stop shop for the general public to provide fresh, up-to-date information to help get them connected with the outdoors; including a search function connecting visitors to activities and places based on their location, interests, age, etc.

✓ Will help tell big stories like Houston as an outdoors destination, Bayou Greenway Initiative, etc.

✓ Will provide the start of a rebranding campaign for Houston and southeast Texas as an outside activities related destination; for both Texans and out of region visitors

✓ Will provide the first ever map to find every hike, bike, jogging, kayak trails in southeast Texas

✓ Will provide first truly cooperatively developed website created by environmental nonprofits, governmental agencies, business community, medical community, and education community in working toward a more active, healthy population

✓ Will provide the first ever comprehensive clearing house for teachers seeking to teach about local ecosystems and animals

✓ Will provide broad coverage for Houston and southeast Texas

What the outdoors website will do

What the outdoors website will not do

✦ Will not be directed only toward one age, interest-related, or cultural group nor toward “nature nerds”

✦ Will not replace partnering institutions’ organizational websites

✦ Will not be a comprehensive website to explore environmental issues such as air pollution or sprawl; the goal is simply to have a website that will encourage visitors to get outside

✦ Will not favor one partnering institution over other partnering institutions

✦ Will not require membership or a sign-in to use

✦ Will not require a third-party to input institutional events or current activities information; groups will be trained to automatically feed information using an RSS type feed (information will be as current as the institution provides)

Houston-Gulf Coast Outdoors Website | A Conceptual SketchPresented by Mary Anne Piacentini and Jaime González, Katy Prairie Conservancy

TWO POTENTIAL SERVICES THAT THIS WEBSITE WILL PROVIDE(AS SEEN AT THE BOTTOM OF CONCEPTUAL SLIDES)

Google-based locations map to provide current and future hiking, biking, kayaking, equestrian trails as well as parks, nature centers, etc. The map function will allow us to add videos, special announcements, more interactive features, etc.

Events will be searchable in a variety of ways based on age, interests, etc.

Collaborative Outdoors Website | A Conceptual SketchPresented by Mary Anne Piacentini and Jaime González, Katy Prairie Conservancy

ABOUT THE FOLLOWING CONCEPTUAL SLIDES

✓ The following conceptual slides are based on the downtownhouston.org format. We believe that this format may be more advantageous than a conventional website format in that it will allow us to tell our big stories while also delivering useful information that will help folks get outside.

✓ We did not conceptualize a full webpage on each slide because of sizing limitations - objects would appear very small if the full page were sketched.

✓ Each conceptualization is a quick rendition and professional graphic artists and web design professions will produce something far superior. These slides are merely to provide food for thought and to encourage everyone to begin thinking about how to best create this website.

✓ This is merely one example of what the website could look like; there may be many more ideas along with a number of additional functions, search options, and other applications that the cooperating institutions may develop or formulate. Also, the website will most likely evolve over time as we gain experience as to what works and what does not.

Collaborative Outdoors Website | A Conceptual SketchPresented by Mary Anne Piacentini and Jaime González, Katy Prairie Conservancy

Connecting you to outdoors in the Greater Houston

PRAIRIE PRODUCE ! A SAMPLING

Big AdventuresGreater Houston is a great place to get outside. Hundreds of trails, parks, and other attractions await!

Click here to find out all that Greater Houston has to offer

Want to get outside in Houston?

Think big!

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Happy Trails!Be a part of Houston’s biggest trail initiative, ever! - the 243-mile Bayou Greenway Initiative

BAYOU GREENWAY INITIATIVE

Explore Greater Houston’s ambitious trail Plan


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Hit the RoadThe Texas Nature Challenge engages families on a summer-long adventure

Click here to see the missions

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Push YourselfGreater Houston has loads of outside challenges like triathlons, kayak races, biking trips, and marathons EXTREME ADVENTURES best outside challenges

in Greater Houston


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Nature’s CureNature can help us deal with stress, teach us life lessons, and get us in shape

GET UNPLUGGED!

How nature can make you healthier, happier, and smarter


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Documents

Houston Gulf Coast Get Outdoors Website Proposal