The Conservation Alliance said more than 160 volunteers turned out Sept. 19 for a day of flood debris removal and trail work at Golden Gate Canyon State Park and that it expects 50 more to show Friday in Bend, OR where it will hold it last Backyard Collective project of the year.
The Conservation Alliance and its Colorado area member companies teamed up with Colorado Mountain Club, and Colorado Parks & Wildlife Department of Natural Resources to organize the effort. The Conservation Alliance’s fifth Backyard Collective event of 2014 drew employees from American Rec, Backpackers Pantry, La Sportiva, Nite Ize, Osprey,Sea to Summit, Verde Brand Communications and other Conservation Alliance member companies. Conservation Alliance grantees, including Access Fund, Colorado Mountain Club, Conservation Colorado, and IMBA participated in a lunchtime volunteer fair along with 1% For The Planet and Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado (VOC).
The Conservation Alliance plays an integral role in protecting wild places where people recreate, which in turn helps the entire outdoor industry, said Jonathan Lantz, President of Boulder-based La Sportiva N.A., Inc. The Backyard Collective helps our employees connect with each other outside of the office and with other local businesses to help grow the camaraderie of the Outdoor Industry. By hosting these events, The Conservation Alliance helps us all reconnect with why we love to work in this industry.
The final Backyard Collective will be held this Friday, Sept. 26 in Bend, Oregon. The Conservation Alliance and its Central Oregon area member companies are teaming up with Central Oregon Trail Alliance (COTA) to organize a day of trail work.
More than 50 volunteers are expected to be present with employee representatives from Conservation Alliance member companies, including: Ruffwear, KEEN, Hydro Flask, Footzone of Bend, and QuickFeat International. Conservation Alliance grantees, including Deschutes River Conservancy, Oregon Wild,Deschutes Land Trust, Oregon Natural Desert Association and Central Oregon Land Watch willparticipate in a lunchtime volunteer fair alongside COTA.
The event will begin at 8:30 a.m. on Friday morning at the Conklin Road parking area in Bend. Volunteers will focus on the expanded trail network near the Welcome Center near the intersection of Conklin Road and Century Drive. Following the trail building activities, volunteers will gather at the Seventh Mountain Resort for lunch and the volunteer fair.
The Ruffwear Pack looks forward to the annual Backyard Collective event as a way to get our hands dirty and preserve and protect our local outdoor environment, said Susan Strible, Director of Marketing, Ruffwear. This year we are thrilled to be working on new trails with the Central Oregon Trail Alliance. To be able to give back and create new places to explore makes us, and our dogs, happy.
The Conservation Alliance is a group of outdoor industry companies that fund conservation organizations. The Alliance launched the Backyard Collective Program in 2008 to connect individuals in the outdoor industry with the work of organizations that receive financial support from the group. The Backyard Collective moves that action to the field, and gives people a venue to get their hands dirty for the sake of conservation.
We are thrilled with the success of our Colorado event last week, and we look forward to bringing our Bend-area members together this Friday for a day of stewardship and fun, said John Sterling, Executive Director of The Conservation Alliance. This has been a tremendous Backyard Collective season for The Conservation Alliance. The enthusiasm of our member companies is incredible.
In addition to Bend, The Conservation Alliance organized Backyard Collectives this year in Santa Barbara, the Bay Area, Seattle, Portland, and Colorado. For more information about this event, please contact events coordinator, Brook Hopper at brook@conservationalliance.com, or 805-340-5034.
About The Conservation Alliance:
The Conservation Alliance is an organization of outdoor businesses whose collective contributions support grassroots environmental organizations and their efforts to protect wild places where outdoor enthusiasts recreate. Alliance funds have played a key role in protecting rivers, trails, wildlands and climbing areas.
Membership in the Alliance is open to companies representing all aspects of the outdoor industry, including manufacturers, retailers, publishers, mills and sales representatives. The result is a diverse group of businesses whose livelihood depends on protecting our natural environment.
Since its inception in 1989, the Alliance has contributed more than $13 million to grassroots conservation groups throughout North America. The results of our funding have been remarkable. Alliance funding has helped save more than 42 million acres of wildlands; protect 2,825 miles of rivers; stop or remove 26 dams; designate five marine reserves; and purchase nine climbing areas.
