ConservationNEXT Backyard Collective Kicks off 2010 Schedule with Even

Bend, Ore. — ConservationNEXT, a program of The Conservation Alliance, will organize the first in a series of 2010 stewardship events – called Backyard Collectives – on Friday, February 26 at East Bay State Park in Berkeley, Calif. After successfully launching the Backyard Collective program in 2009, ConservationNEXT is excited for the second year of events that will bring together outdoor industry employees and Conservation Alliance grantees for hands-on events that demonstrate environmental stewardship.

The February 26 event will support a three-phase restoration of East Shore State Park, a project organized by the California Wilderness Coalition and the East Bay Regional Park District. Volunteers will participate in vegetation management, invasive species removal, trail maintenance and litter removal. The event will also feature a volunteer fair at which Conservation Alliance grantees will share information on their current conservation initiatives. California Wilderness Coalition, Friends of the River and The Wilderness Society will participate in the volunteer fair.

This specific park location is expected attract many volunteers due to the strong Conservation Alliance member presence in the region. In addition to employees of outdoor industry companies, other guests are invited to participate. Due to the late winter/early spring conditions long pants, warm layers, and rain gear are recommended for volunteers. Companies sponsoring the event include The North Face, Camelbak, Mountain Hardwear, REI, Clif Bar, Wilderness Press, Ahnu Footwear, and Patagonia.
The Conservation Alliance is a group of outdoor industry companies that fund conservation organizations. The Alliance launched ConservationNEXT in August 2008 to connect individuals in the outdoor industry with the work of organizations that receive financial support from the group. ConservationNEXT.com provides people with opportunities to take online action in support of conservation. The Backyard Collective moves that action to the field, and gives people a venue to get their “hands dirty” for the sake of conservation.
For more information about this specific event please contact group coordinator, Deanna Lloyd at Deanna@theforestgroup.com or 530.344.0100.
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 nearly $8 million to grassroots environmental groups. Alliance funding has helped save over 49 million acres of wildlands; 27 dams have either been stopped or removed; and the group helped preserve access to more than 16,000 miles of waterways and several climbing areas.

For complete information on the Conservation Alliance, see www.conservationalliance.com.
About The ConservationNEXT Backyard Collectives
ConservationNEXT, a program of The Conservation Alliance, announced the launch of the Backyard Collective in 2008. The initiatives goal is to connect individuals in the outdoor industry with the work of organizations that receive financial support from the Alliance through the online forum, www.ConservationNEXT.com. This initiative provides people with opportunities to take online action in support of conservation. The Backyard Collective moves that action to the field, and gives people a venue to get involved at the grassroots level and help further the conservation efforts within their communities.
In 2009, The Conservation Alliance hosted seven Backyard Collectives with their 22 participating grantees, 34 participating member companies, and more than 400 volunteers. These seven events allowed the volunteers to help clean up their communities’ recreational areas by removing trash, eradicating invasive species, restoring and building trails and re-planting marsh lands. Learn more about these initiatives by visiting www.ConservationNEXT.com and join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.