The Conservation Alliance Backyard Collective Returns to Bay Area

Oakland, Calif. (April 16, 2014) — The Conservation Alliance will hold its second Backyard Collective event of 2014 on Thursday, April 24, in Oakland, Calif. The Conservation Alliance and its Bay Area member companies are teaming up with East Bay Regional Parks District to organize a day of invasive species removal and trail restoration at Redwood Regional Park.

More than 150 volunteers are expected to be present with employee representatives from Conservation Alliance member companies, including: Ahnu, Camelbak, Clif Bar, Jansport, Marmot, Mountain Hardwear, The North Face, and REI. Conservation Alliance grantees, including California Wilderness Coalition will participate in a lunchtime volunteer fair along with other local organizations: East Bay Regional Parks District, Bay Area Ridge Trail Council, Volunteers for Outdoor California, and more.

“The San Francisco Bay Area is an outdoor enthusiast’s paradise with the more than 200 parks, preserves, and other protected areas,” said Topher Gaylord, President of Mountain Hardwear and Conservation Alliance board member. “It is an honor to spend a day with our employees and other local outdoor companies to restore and improve Redwood Regional Park so everyone has the opportunity to appreciate the park’s great coast redwoods, trails and wildlife.”

The Bay Area Backyard Collective will begin on Thursday, April 24 at 8:30 a.m. at the Canyon Meadow Staging Area and continue throughout the afternoon. Following the stewardship activities, volunteers will return for a catered lunch and the volunteer fair.

“We are thrilled to be joining so many of our member companies together for a day of stewardship in the great Redwood Park,” said John Sterling, Executive Director of The Conservation Alliance. “The Bay Area has long been home to many iconic outdoor brands and we are excited to bring them together in the name of conservation.”

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 so value the volunteerism of the employees from the Outdoor Industry and the Conservation Alliance member companies, especially as we celebrate our 80th anniversary,” said Carol Johnson, Assistant General Manager for the East Bay Regional Parks District. “Over the years, this hard working group of volunteers has helped remove invasive plants, maintain wildlife habitat and clean up and maintain many park trails. Activities like these are what connecting parks to people is all about.” 

The Conservation Alliance plans to organize additional Backyard Collectives this year in Seattle, Bend, Portland, and Boulder, Colo.

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.

For complete information on The Conservation Alliance, see: www.conservationalliance.com.

Media Contact:
Verde Brand Communications
Julie Evans
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Julie@verdepr.com