1. Arguments to Attract Visitors
With seven million visitors a year, Three Rivers Park District is one of the biggest and most
popular recreation programs in Minnesota. However, sustaining the parks growth and maintenance fees
requires a steady influx of guests during all seasons; because of this they host a very well designed and
appealing website to attract as many people as they can. The intended audience seems to be a wide
variety of people who can be broadly defined by having an interest in the outdoors, and are seeking
recreational land to engage in a range of activities. They use appeals of all types, meaning the website
contains pathos or emotional, ethos or ethical, and logos or logic type arguments.
Arguments are being made in all three of the argument types. Pathos arguments are made in
the layout and colors of the website, and would
inspire people to go to the park because of a way
the website makes them feel, be it invigorated for
an outdoor adventure or a calming walk through
the woods. The main slideshow is updated
seasonally to show the most popular activities
accommodated by the land. The colors of the website are very cool and fresh, which compliment the
outdoor photos in the slideshows. The overall theme seems very organic and “outdoorsy” which would
help to draw outdoor enthusiasts. Another emotional type argument is made towards parents living in
these areas who love the outdoors and want to spread their love and respect of nature into future
generations through their own children.
The website displays many pictures of kids being
active outdoors and having a good time enjoying
natural Minnesota. The website’s main page has a

2. big button to learn more about camps and programs that get
children involved in nature. This is a very strong argument
because there is a lot of concern in our country about both
obesity and the environment. The website offers parents a way
to get their kids to learn to enjoy the outdoors, instead of just being absorbed by T.V. and videogames. It
also teaches them how to care for the environment and have a love and respect for our earth.
Logos arguments are made in a few different ways, one of which being that the parks can
provide cheap and wholesome entertainment for a huge variety of interests. Each separate park shows a
list of what recreation is accommodates which is suitable for people looking for any new outdoor hobby.
Another logical argument that the site makes is describing the Three Rivers Park District’s own “mission
statement” of restoring and protecting the
beauty of Minnesota’s natural
environments. This is logically appealing
because it shows your money is going to a
good and important cause in your local area. The name, Three Rivers Park District, comes from the fact
that all of the parks naturally flow water into the Mississippi, Minnesota, and Crow rivers, and by
spending money at one of the Three Rivers locations, you are paying to protect the marshes that help
filter and keep those rivers clean. For these reasons, it is logical to spend money and time at a Three
Rivers Park District park.
Also, because we learn that the Park District isn’t a big company just looking to make a buck, but
is a locally supported and nature oriented “cause”, it gains our trust that we aren’t paying money to a
group of investors who are buying up our land just for a buck. We can be assured the land is being used
in what I would argue is morally and ethically upright. The people in charge of the park elected by the

3. people in the community, and all the money made goes back into Minnesota’s beauty. Another reason
why the website earns trust is through the history page, where the beginnings and the Park District over
50 years ago and big developments or land purchases are all outlined. They talk about the initiatives to
restore the land and protect it, but also to make it publically available so that anybody can enjoy it.
These are a few ways that the website appeals to a reader’s ethics.
The Three Rivers Park District clearly makes several arguments, all trying to attract visitors to
their parks. They make many pathos arguments with the site design and photos. They also use logos
appeals because the entrance and activity fees go to protecting Minnesota’s wildlife and terrain. Lastly,
they also use a few ethos arguments by having a section describing their history of good acts and making
the people in charge of the park appear knowledgeable and trustworthy. Overall, they make a very good
case for visiting the website, and have many different arguments to appeal to a large group of people
looking to get something different out of the parks.
http://www.threeriversparks.org/