The Boise River winds its way through the Treasure Valley, carrying stories of the plants and animals that inhabit the natural environment from the river to the riparian areas along its shores. If the river could speak, it would tell tales of the people who have depended on its water for thousands of years. It might also share stories of the many ways people have impacted this environment and of the work of many dedicated conservationists, past and present, to ensure that the health of the river is restored and protected for generations to come. This web site contains just a few of these river stories.
There are several ways you can access the map and interpretive stories:
- From your smart phone (or 3G/4G network enabled tablet), visit the River Map Page and download the 3D Google Earth KMZ file for the most immersive viewing experience. If you don't already have it, you will need to download the free Google Earth Android or iOS app on your mobile device. If your GPS location is enabled you will be able to see a blue moving dot showing your current location relative to the interpretive stories along the Greenbelt.
- Don't have a mobile device? From your personal computer, you can print the interpretive messages, and a map with a User's Guide to take to the Greenbelt with you. You'll need the free Adobe Reader to download these PDF files.
- View the User's Guide with a printable map for more detailed instructions.
- Print PDF versions of the interpretive messages from the links on the Natural History, Cultural History, or Conservation pages, or download the PDF files linked to these pages onto your tablet in advance to view along the Greenbelt without phone access. You can download this PDF file and print all 22 stories together.
- On your computer with high speed internet access you can view the River Map page and click on a map icon to read the story for each location. Note: You can also download this additional automated 3D Google Earth file which provides a "Play This Tour First" option that will fly down to a sequential perspective view of each of the story locations on the map using the free Google Earth Browser.