Media Contact:
Verde PR & Consulting
Julie Popp
970.259.3555
juliepopp@verdepr.com
The Conservation Alliance’s
Backyard Collective Volunteers Head to Seattle
The Backyard Collective represents hands-on conservation action
Seattle, Wash. (June 27, 2012) — On Thursday, June 28th, the Conservation
Alliance and member companies Brooks Sports, Nikwax, Filson, Patagonia, Teva,
Outdoor Research, Cascade Designs and Stanley, a brand of PMI will partner with
Forterra in a restoration effort at Seward Park, in south Seattle. Forterra is the
largest conservation and community-building organization in the Northwest and
this cross-organizational event, known as the Backyard Collective, brings together
local Conservation Alliance member companies, and their employees, for a day of
volunteer action.
“Our national parks, preserves and sanctuaries are in everyone’s ‘backyard’,” says
John Sterling, executive director for the Conservation Alliance. “It’s important
that we protect these pristine playgrounds for our future generations. We look
forward to each of the Backyard Collective events, and to working side-by-side
with our member partners.”
The Seattle Backyard Collective takes place Thursday, June 28, 2012 from 9:00
a.m. – 2 p.m. with plans to help restore urban forest habitat at Seward Park, one
of Seattle last remaining stands of old growth trees. Volunteers will be digging
out blackberry, removing ivy, and spreading mulch for future native plant
installation. Their efforts will be advancing the goals of the Green Seattle
Partnership, a public private venture working to restore 2500 acres across the
city by 2025. An after party with refreshments and food catered by the Husky
Deli follows the volunteer effort. The event also features a volunteer fair at which
Conservation Alliance grantees and local environmental organizations will share
information on their current conservation initiatives and share ways for
individuals to get involved.
“We are honored to partner with the Conservation Alliance and its member
companies to help restore Seattle’s backyard forests,” says Gene Duvernoy,
President of Forterra. “These forested parklands improve our quality of life as
well as our environment but they need help. It is great to have the outdoor
industry joining in the effort.”
Seattle will be the third Backyard Collective event in the 2012 season. Upcoming
locations include Vancouver, B.C. (July 12), Portland, Ore. (August 15) Boulder
(August 24), Bend, Ore. (September 13), and Peterborough, New Hampshire
(September 18). This is the fourth year of Backyard Collectives for the
Conservation Alliance and their members, grantees and partners.
For more information about this event please contact coordinator, Cassondra
Schindler at cassondra@conservationalliance.com or 541.222.9380
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 throughout North America.
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 $10 million to grassroots conservation
groups. Alliance funding has helped save more than 29 million acres of wildlands; protect 2,700 miles of
rivers; stop or remove 25 dams; designate five marine reserves; and purchase nine climbing areas.
For complete information on The Conservation Alliance, see: www.conservationalliance.com.
About Forterra
Forterra's mission is to act with immediacy to protect, enhance and steward our region's most precious
resources—its communities and its landscapes. Filling a unique niche as the largest conservation and
community building organization in Washington State, we are working to build the foundations for our
sustainable environmental and economic futures in the face of a rapidly growing population. For over
20 years, Forterra has led efforts to conserve more than 173,000 acres of forests, farms, shorelines,
parks and natural areas and restore critical landscapes.
The forest restoration project at Seward Park is in coordination with and supported by the City of
Seattle. The Green Seattle Partnership is a public private venture between the City of Seattle, Forterra
and its residents, dedicated to restoring 2500 acres of forested parkland by 2025.