Maine Nature Preserves arrive on the web

Portland Webworks is please to announce the launch of a new site in support of Maine’s conservation community that highlights publicly accessible nature preserves throughout the State of Maine.

The design and development of the site (www.mainenaturepreserves.org) was provided free of charge by Portland Webworks, working in partnership with The Nature Conservancy. The two groups came together to find ways that technology can help protect the state’s valuable natural resources.

The primary interface for the site is a simple Google Map that is intended to provide a user-friendly, one-stop shop of every “open to the public” nature preserve in Maine.

“As an organization with strong ties to Maine tourism, we recognize the appeal of nature preserves to Maine residents and visitors alike, so the project was a natural fit for us”, said, John Stoltenborg, the Project Manager who headed up the site’s development. “We are proud to partner with The Nature Conservancy in helping land trusts and other local preserve owners raise awareness of these sites, and the important conservation work that continues in Maine.”

Having just been launched, the site currently lists just a sample of the state’s many preserves. Now, The Nature Conservancy will begin an outreach campaign to Maine’s conservation community, to gather input and information on other appropriate preserves to include. Once the site has enough preserves listed, there are plans to explore how this information might be integrated with the Maine Office of Tourism website, VisitMaine.com.

“Maine’s natural areas and conservation legacy are a huge factor in the state’s tourism economy. This project is intended to build awareness of conservation’s contribution to the tourism sector, and to bring new potential supporters to Maine’s land trusts and other conservation groups.” added Sean Fitzpatrick, Associate Director of Communications for the Nature Conservancy. “Portland Webworks was an ideal interactive development partner for this project, because they know how to make user-friendly, effective web tools for tourism audiences. Plus, their deep roots within the Maine tourism community helped us bring a big idea to fruition.”.

About Portland Webworks: Portland Webworks is web application and software development company, located in Portland, Maine, specializing in the use of open-source technologies at the enterprise level. Services cover the complete application development cycle, from inception through business analysis, scoping, project management, development and quality assurance.

About The Nature Conservancy: The Nature Conservancy in Maine is one of Maine’s leading conservation organizations. Established more than 50 years ago, the Maine program has an impressive history of success. They have protected more than one million acres of Maine’s natural treasures, including vast tracks of mountain forests and more than 100 coastal islands. The Nature Conservancy in Maine is working to build on this conservation momentum by combining a proven scientific approach, a skilled staff of conservation specialists, a pool of impressive partner organizations and the support of committed members.