More than 110 volunteers from 12 Conservation Alliance member companies participated in the organization’s 11th Annual Backyard Collective stewardship event near Boulder, CO, on Friday, September 28.
The volunteers worked in support of Wildlands Restoration Volunteers and The City of Westminster to plant over 300 native trees and remove several acres of invasive species throughout Standley Lake Regional Park and was the park’s largest volunteer effort.
Conservation Alliance member companies Backpacker’s Pantry, Fjallraven, Gregory, Kelty, La Sportiva, Last Exit Goods, Nite Ize, Notogroup, Outdoor Industry Association, Sierra Designs, Smartwool and Ultimate Direction participated in the event. Though they could not attend, member company’s Clif Bar contributed bars to the event and Big Agnes and Osprey contributed raffle prizes.
“On Friday we made a difference,” said Eric Greene, senior VP/general manager at Kelty and a Conservation Alliance Board member. “We had the ready, willing and able people that work for our member outdoor apparel and gear manufacturers work hand in hand with grassroots conservation organizations. Everybody did their part. And together on a local level, all of these efforts made a difference. What a rad day! And how inspiring to see our members continue to work together for the greater good!”
The mission of The Conservation Alliance is to engage businesses to fund and partner with organizations to protect wild places for their habitat and recreation values. The Conservation Alliance launched the Backyard Collective Program to give member company employees in the outdoor industry the opportunity to work together on a local stewardship project while learning more about organizations that receive funding from the group.
Conservation Alliance grantees Conservation Colorado and The Wilderness Society joined Conservation partners Wildlands Restoration Volunteers and the City of Westminster Park Rangers in a Grantee Fair to share current information and call-to-action about their program.
“Once again, our community of Boulder-area member companies rallied to take on important stewardship work in their community,” said John Sterling, executive director of The Conservation Alliance. “Our members understand that they have a responsibility to take care of the important landscapes in their backyards.”
