The Conservation Alliance Hosts Successful Backyard Collective Event in Crockett, California

May 7, 2019

BEND, Ore. (May 7, 2019) – The Conservation Alliance held its Backyard Collective event in Crockett, California on Thursday, May 2. The stewardship project drew 130 volunteers from 11 member companies, three conservation partners, and four local non-profits.

The volunteers worked in support of East Bay Regional Park District and Volunteers for Outdoor California (V-O-Cal) on projects in Crockett Hills Regional Park. The day’s efforts were focused on the Sugar City Trail that was recently re-graded by a trail dozer to allow for better emergency and maintenance access along the trail. Volunteers split into seven crews and spread out along the 1.6 miles long trail with hand tools such as Pulaskis, McLeods, and pick mattocks to remove trailside berm, open drainage features and re-establish the trail tread.

Conservation Alliance member companies Arc’teryx, CamelBak, CLIF Bar, GU Energy Labs, Helinox, HydraPak, Merrell, Mountain Hardwear, Peak Design, REI, and The Forest Group participated in the event. CLIF Bar generously donated energy bars for all attendees and Deschutes Brewery donated beers to celebrate The Conservation Alliance’s 30th anniversary.

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 local stewardship projects while learning more about organizations that receive funding from the group.

Conservation Alliance grantees joined in a grantee fair to share current information and calls-to-action related to their programs. Grantees included CalWild, Outdoor Alliance, and Save the Redwoods League. Local non-profits included California Outdoor Recreation Partnership (CORP), East Bay Regional Park District, Regional Parks Foundation, and V-O-Cal.

“We have a great cluster of members in the Bay Area, which results in spectacular turnout for our Backyard Collective in the area,” said John Sterling, executive director of The Conservation Alliance. “We are grateful to our members and conservation partners for coming together to improve Crockett Hill Regional Park. Conservation starts at home, and these events represent a strong commitment to preserving these companies’ backyard.”

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 $22 million, helped to protect more than 51 million acres of wildlands; protect 3,107 miles of rivers; stop or remove 34 dams; designate five marine reserves; and purchase 14 climbing areas. For complete information on The Conservation Alliance, see www.conservationalliance.com.

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