The Conservation Alliance Hosts Successful Backyard Collective Event in Santa Rosa, California

April 30, 2018

Santa Rosa, Calif. (April 30, 2018) – Over 220 volunteers from 10 member companies participated in The Conservation Alliance’s Backyard Collective stewardship event in Santa Rosa, California on Thursday, April 26, 2018.

The volunteers worked in support of the Sonoma County Regional Parks, Sonoma County Trails Council, and The Trust for Public Land. Volunteers restored more than one mile of trail, improved fire access routes, removed 2.5 acres of invasive plants, installed 18 drain dips to dewater the road and trail, constructed a rock wall, and removed burnt trees, stumps and brush.

Conservation Alliance member companies Arc’Teryx, Camelbak, Clif Bar, GU Energy, HydraPak, Marmot, Mountain Hardwear, Peak Design, REI, and The Forest Group participated in the event. Deschutes Brewery provided beer for the post trail work celebration.

“Conservation Alliance companies are very eager to get to work on local restoration efforts. This was evident in the massive volunteer turnout by Bay Area members who are deeply committed to improving access for our communities and repairing damage from last year Sonoma fires,” said Deven Clemens, Finance Director at Clif Bar & Company and Conservation Alliance Board member.

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 joined in a Grantee Fair to share current information and call-to-action about their programs. Grantees included California Wilderness Coalition and The Trust for Public Land. Local non-profits V-O-CAL and Bay Area Ridge Trail joined too.

“We were excited to bring our Backyard Collective program to Sonoma County to help restore some of the damage caused by last year’s fires,” said John Sterling, executive director of The Conservation Alliance. “Whether funding conservation projects, or coming together to steward the landscapes in their communities, our member companies consistently come together to make a difference.”

For more information about Backyard Collective events, please contact Abby Becker, Backyard Collective Outreach Coordinator at abby@conservationalliance.com.

About The Conservation Alliance
The Conservation Alliance is an organization of like-minded 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 all companies who care about protecting our most threatened wild places for habitat and outdoor recreation.  Since its inception in 1989, The Conservation Alliance has contributed more than $20 million, awarded 626 grants, helped to protect 51 million acres of wildlands; protect 3,102 miles of rivers; stop or remove 30 dams; designate five marine reserves; and purchase 13 climbing areas. For complete information on The Conservation Alliance, see: www.conservationalliance.com.