Patrick Lynch

Email: Patrick@DiscoverKlamath.com
Organization: Discover Klamath
Serves: Klamath County

Meet Patrick Lynch:

Patrick double majored in Geography and International Relations at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Geneseo. Patrick comes to the RARE Program after serving with the Peace Corps in Benin as an Agricultural Extension Advisor for the past two years, prior to which he worked as the Cooking Matters Program Coordinator at Foodlink, Inc. in Rochester, New York. Coming from the small towns of the Finger Lakes in Upstate New York, Patrick is excited to return to the United States with an opportunity to serve in Rural Oregon.

Community and Organization:

This region of South-Central Oregon serves as a gateway to some of Oregon’s most spectacular natural destinations. With Crater Lake National Park, Lava Beds National Monument, and Mountain Lakes Wilderness Area, to name just a few, the Klamath Basin provides opportunities for hiking, biking, backpacking, and camping. The small (pop. 23, 456) yet bustling city of Klamath Falls has 13 sites on the National Historic Register, two college campuses, museums, restaurants, shops, and breweries, so there are local opportunities for everyone. Discover Klamath is the official tourism agency of this unique area and Klamath County as a whole.

Project:

The RARE participant, Patrick Lynch, will work with the Klamath Basin Rural Tourism Studio for the Outdoor Recreation. Patrick’s primary role will be to work closely with the cooperative network of downtown revitalization groups that make up the Rural Klamath Connects Communities. He will work with them to develop and promote marketing materials on cycling in the Klamath Basin, create cultural heritage audio tours and brochures, and work with Oregon Agritourism Network, OSU Extension, and US Farm Stay Association to create a plan for agritourism in the Klamath Basin. He will also look to develop a water trail map, a plan for community engagement in developing a winter tourism market, and will continue developing wayfinding signage and improvements for outdoor recreation, cultural heritage, and agritourism.