The Conservation Alliance is proud to announce the second Backyard Collective of 2011. On Friday, May 6th, The Conservation Alliance and employees from The North Face, CamelBak, REI, Mountain Hardwear, Clif Bar, Jansport, and Ahnu Footwear will partner with the California Wilderness Coalition and the East Bay Regional Park District to host a day of park restoration at Tilden Park in Berkeley, Calif.
Were excited that our third annual Bay Area Backyard Collective will bring dozens of outdoor industry employees out for a day of hands-on conservation, said John Sterling, Conservation Alliance executive director. Our members in the area are dedicated to preserving our wild places.
The Conservation Alliance is a non-profit organization whose members consist of outdoor industry companies that fund conservation organizations working to proctect North Americas last wild spaces. The Backyard Collective Program offers on-the-ground opportunities for outdoor industry employees to get their hands dirty in the name of conservation and connect with Conservation Alliance grantees. Each participating member company provides sponsorship dollars to the Backyard Collective event and encourages employees to volunteer time to clean-up and restore trails in their backyard.
The volunteer clean-up will take place on May 6 from 9 a.m. 1 p.m. An after party with refreshments provided by New Belgium Brewing Company and a catered lunch will follow the volunteer effort. The event will also feature a volunteer fair at which Conservation Alliance grantees and local environmental organizations will share information on their current conservation initiatives.
The California Wilderness Coalition is the only organization dedicated to protecting and restoring California’s wild places and native biodiversity on a statewide level. Since 1976, the coalition has empowered local communities and conservationists to be the voice for wild California.
“Here at the California Wilderness Coalition we find inspiration in our states wild landscapes and we seek to inspire others. We believe our relationship with The Conservation Alliance helps us develop our voice and advance our mission. We welcome the opportunity to partner with The Conservation Alliance to host the Bay Area Backyard Collective. As the only statewide entity that focuses solely on wilderness designation, protection, and restoration here in California, The Backyard Collective provides outdoor businesses an opportunity to collectively work together in protecting and restoring California’s wild places and natural landscapes,” said Kristi Davis, executive director for the California Wilderness Coalition.
The East Bay Regional Park District spans Alameda and Contra Costa counties east of San Francisco with 108,000+ acres in 65 parks including over 1,200 miles of trails for hiking, biking, horseback riding and nature study. The Park District offers lakes, shorelines, campgrounds, visitor centers, interpretive and recreation programs, picnic areas, indoor/outdoor rental facilities, golf courses and much more.
