The Conservation Alliance’s Backyard Collective Event Draws Six Member Companies to Asheville, North Carolina

September 25, 2017

ASHEVILLE, North Carolina (September 25, 2017) – More than 20 volunteers from six member companies participated in The Conservation Alliance’s Backyard Collective stewardship event in Asheville, North Carolina on September 15.

The volunteers worked in support of Asheville’s RiverLink to clean up the riparian area of the Swannanoa River, removing 1,000 pounds of invasive kudzu.

Conservation Alliance member companies Eagles Nest Outfitters, Farm to Feet, Grassroots Outdoor Alliance, Mountain Khakis, Merrell, and Great Outdoor Provision Company participated in the event.

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 Wild South and Conserving Carolina.

“We’re very excited to have held our first Backyard Collective event in Asheville,” said John Sterling, executive director of The Conservation Alliance. “Over the past decade, our members have pulled together for some impressive stewardship work on the local level, and we’re glad to have brought that opportunity to Asheville. Conservation starts at home, and these events represent a strong commitment to preserving these companies’ backyard.”

The Backyard Collective moves that action to their local community, and gives these employees a venue to get their hands dirty for the sake of conservation.

For more information about this event, 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 $19 million, awarded 552 grants, helped to protect more than 50 million acres of wildlands; protect 2,991 miles of rivers; stop or remove 29 dams; designate five marine reserves; and purchase 12 climbing areas. For complete information on The Conservation Alliance, see: www.conservationalliance.com.