HUNTSVILLE –– On September 16, the Texas Forest Trail Region, in partnership with the City of Huntsville Department of Tourism and Cultural Services, will host a heritage tourism workshop titled “Strengthening Trail Corridors through Expanded Heritage Interpretation.” The workshop will be held at the Historic Wynne Home Arts Center with a board of directors meeting to follow. For the workshop session, speaker Roy Mann, landscape architect and principle at Rivers Studios, LLC in Austin will discuss traditional and innovative signage methods for heritage corridors, as well as cutting-edge distance interpretation, including cell and smart-phone tours, specialized kiosks, trail surface safety, wayfinding, and beneficial ways that urban areas can interface with cafes, shops, and civic spaces to support users. “East Texas is brimming with history and culture that is ripe for public consumption if appropriately presented, and we are eager to get our regional partners educated, excited, and involved in such projects,” says Barbara Parmley, Texas Forest Trail Region board president and Interpretation Specialist for Texas Parks and Wildlife Region 8 State Parks.

Following the education session, for which a catered lunch will be served, the Texas Forest Trail Region board of directors will hold their bi-monthly business meeting; this will be the first business meeting of the new fiscal year. All interested parties are encouraged to attend the optional board meeting and learn more about the activities throughout the heritage region.

Cost to attend the workshop is $25 and includes lunch. Because of limited space, only the first 45 registrations will be accepted. Online registration and additional information about the workshop can be found at www.TexasForestTrail.com/workshops.

“Strengthening Trail Corridors through Expanded Heritage Interpretation” is part of a quarterly series of lunch and learn workshops offered by the Texas Forest Trail Region that are open to the public and geared especially towards tourism and economic development professionals, historic and outdoor recreation site managers, and community-based, non-profit organizations.

The Texas Forest Trail Region is a regional tourism initiative developed by the Texas Historical Commission that fosters regional economic development by promoting heritage tourism through the preservation of cultural and historic resources and regional partnerships. The Texas Forest Trail Region encompasses 35 counties in East Texas including Anderson, Angelina, Bowie, Camp, Cass, Cherokee, Franklin, Gregg, Hardin, Harrison, Henderson, Houston, Jasper, Jefferson, Marion, Montgomery, Morris, Nacogdoches, Newton, Orange, Panola, Polk, Red River, Rusk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Shelby, Smith, Titus, Trinity, Tyler, Upshur, Walker and Wood.

For more information, contact Texas Forest Trail Region board member and Director of Tourism and Cultural Services for the City of Huntsville, Kimm Thomas at 936/291-3726 or kthomas@huntsvilletx.gov or visit www.texasforesttrail.com .