ConservationNEXT’s Backyard Collective Going South for next Event in San Diego, Cali.

May 18, 2010 - PRLog -- ConservationNEXT, a program of The Conservation Alliance, will organize its next Backyard Collective Friday, May 21 at the Elfin Forest Recreation Area in Escondido, CA. After successful events this year in Central and Northern California, ConservationNEXT is excited to head to San Diego to bring the area’s outdoor industry employees, eager volunteers and Conservation Alliance grantees together for a hands-on stewardship event.

The event, hosted by the Escondido Creek Conservancy and ConservationNEXT will be a day of trail maintenance and vegetation management in the park. The event will also feature a celebratory BBQ as well as a volunteer fair where many local environmental organizations will be present.

Eagle Creek and Ocean Minded are the key sponsors for the event this year. Additional volunteers from outdoor industry companies, including new Conservation Alliance member STM Bags, will also be joining in the environmental effort. Stone Brewing Company will be providing refreshments for the volunteers and non-profit organizations at the after party.

“The Backyard Collective is a home run event for us," said Steve Barker, founder of Eagle Creek and Conservation Alliance board member.  “The day of volunteering allows us to partner with other members in giving back to local organizations that create recreation opportunities for us and our customers."
The Conservation Alliance is a group of outdoor industry companies that fund conservation organizations. The Alliance launched ConservationNEXT in August 2008 to connect individuals in the outdoor industry with the work of organizations that receive financial support from the group.  ConservationNEXT.com provides people with opportunities to take online action in support of conservation. The Backyard Collective moves that action to the field, and gives people a venue to get their “hands dirty” for the sake of conservation.
“Ocean Minded is so pleased to sponsor this Backyard Collective event - it’s a great opportunity for people to come out and support environmental efforts - get their hands dirty and help us protect these places where we play,” said Andy Palmer, general manager, Ocean Minded.
For more information about this event please contact coordinator, Deanna Lloyd at Deanna@theforestgroup.com or 530.344.0100.
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 $8.3 million to grassroots environmental groups. Alliance funding has helped save over 49.5 million acres of wildlands; 27 dams have either been stopped or removed; and the group helped preserve access to more than 17,000 miles of waterways and several climbing areas.

For complete information on the Conservation Alliance, see www.conservationalliance.com.
About The ConservationNEXT Backyard Collectives
ConservationNEXT, a program of The Conservation Alliance, announced the launch of the Backyard Collective in 2008.  The initiatives goal is to connect individuals in the outdoor industry with the work of organizations that receive financial support from the Alliance through the online forum, www.ConservationNEXT.com.  This initiative provides people with opportunities to take online action in support of conservation. The Backyard Collective moves that action to the field, and gives people a venue to get involved at the grassroots level and help further the conservation efforts within their communities.
In 2009, The Conservation Alliance hosted seven Backyard Collectives with their 22 participating grantees, 34 participating member companies, and more than 400 volunteers.  These seven events allowed the volunteers to help clean up their communities’ recreational areas by removing trash, eradicating invasive species, restoring and building trails and re-planting marsh lands.  Learn more about these initiatives by visiting www.ConservationNEXT.com and join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.