The Conservation Alliance Kicks Off Its Volunteer Events with the Santa Barbara Backyard Collective

April 12, 2012 - PRLog -- Santa Barbara, Calif. — On Thursday, April 12th, the Conservation Alliance and member companies Deckers, Horny Toad, Patagonia, REI and Vapur, along with Channel Islands Outfitters, will partner with Channel Islands Restoration, to remove invasive weeds and plant more than 600 native species along Atascadero and Cieneguitas creeks on the San Marcos Foothills Preserve. This event will mark the first of eight Backyard Collective Events in 2012, providing Conservation Alliance member company’s employees an opportunity to take action in support of the non-profit and to get their hands dirty for the sake of conservation.

“Our annual gathering with Conservation Alliance and local like-minded outdoor companies for the Santa Barbara Backyard Collective is a highlight for our team. This year we are looking forward to the addition of our newest community members and special guests including Vapur and Channel Islands Outfitters,” said John Sterling, executive director for The Conservation Alliance.

The Backyard Collective will take place April 12, 2012 from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. An after party with refreshments and food, catered by the Goodland Kitchen, will follow 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.

“It should be a terrific day of planting and restoration work at the San Marcos Foothill Preserve, and the team at Horny Toad looks forward to getting directly involved in the conservation efforts,” says Gordon Seabury, CEO of Horny Toad.

“We’re excited to get a little dirty alongside these other community organizations to enhance and restore a local area that was devastated by the fires,” said Angel Martinez, President and CEO of Deckers Outdoor Corp.

“As an outdoor company, we rely on protected public lands and healthy natural areas for our business to thrive -- its good for our company and our employees to give back to the local community," says Hans Cole, Environmental Grants Manager at Patagonia.

“The Conservation Alliance’s Backyard Collective not only directly helps with conservation initiatives in our area, but it is also a great venue to share information about our organization and ways that we can collaborate to further our efforts in conservation,” says Ken Owen from Channel Restoration Islands.

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.

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About Channel Islands Restoration:
Channel Islands Restoration protects rare and endangered plants and animals by restoring habitat in sensitive and unique natural areas on the California Channel Islands and adjacent mainland. They educate a variety of groups about the value of native habitat and how to protect it. They recruit volunteers and identify and develop public and private funding sources for habitat restoration programs. They create collaborative relationships within the environmental community. CIR is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization