Since 2015, a select group of forward-thinking companies have helped finance the core costs of the European Outdoor Conservation Association (EOCA), on behalf of the European outdoor leisure sector, benefitting conservation. This year, EOCA is delighted to announce that not only are there now eight Sustaining Members of EOCA, with a new member having just signed up this week, but four of them are supporting EOCA for the tenth year in a row, meaning they have each donated an additional €100,000 to the association since the programme started.
The Sustaining Membership category was launched at OutDoor in Friedrichshafen in 2015, as a way of supporting the core costs of EOCA. Companies donate €10,000 each year on top of their annual membership fee. Since then, this funding has enabled the association to grow and move to two funding rounds per year. Nikwax, KEEN, Pertex and the European Outdoor Group (which founded EOCA in 2006) have been Sustaining Members of EOCA since it was launched. Between them, this has contributed an extra €400,000 to EOCA over that time, ensuring it can continue its vital work, supporting hands-on conservation work protecting and restoring nature worldwide.
Polish lightweight outdoor gear manufacturer, Cumulus, is the group’s newest Sustaining Member, having just made the commitment to support EOCA in this way. Anna Wylęzek, Communications Officer for the brand commented, “Despite being a relatively small company, Cumulus takes its responsibility for looking after the environment very seriously. By becoming a Sustaining Member, we can ensure our contribution multiplies what EOCA can achieve, really making a difference in the right places”.
Tanya Bascombe, Joint General Manager of EOCA added, “The twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss must be tackled together. By putting money into protecting and restoring vital ecosystems, EOCA is doing just that. Thanks to our Sustaining Members, we are able to put so much of our membership and fundraising income directly into on the ground conservation projects. Without these companies, EOCA would not have been as effective as it is or achieved nearly so much. To have had the support of four companies in this way for a decade now, is an incredible testament to them and their priorities, investing in our collective future”.
The other Sustaining Members of EOCA this year are The North Face, Stanley and Osprey, each of which have supported EOCA in this way for a number of years, and the association is very grateful for their ongoing support.
There will be more detailed articles about each of these four members and why they continue to support EOCA in this way, over the coming months. To find out more about the Sustaining Membership programme, please go to this link.
INFO: EOCA
As part of an exciting step change in the work carried out by the European Outdoor Conservation Association (EOCA), the organisation is pleased to announce it is looking for a new Executive Director to help shape the direction of conservation and nature-based solutions for the outdoor leisure sector across Europe.
Possessing a passion for nature, as well as being in the outdoors, the role will inspire and enable the sector to take responsibility for giving back to the wild places that it values and depends on, leaving a lasting legacy of a thriving natural world for future generations. As EOCA looks to become the cornerstone of the sector’s nature-led leadership, bringing the industry together to take collective action at an unprecedented scale, it is looking for a leader to help navigate the development required in how EOCA works and delivers. (more…)
At the end of a nearly six month selection process, the European Outdoor Conservation Association (EOCA) is delighted to announce that €180,000 has just been committed to four new conservation projects in four different countries.
For the autumn funding round, non profit organisations could apply for funding from EOCA of up to €60,000 for specific nature conservation projects. Following receipt of over 250 applications, EOCA carried out a thorough selection process to shortlist those which best matched its funding criteria and which delivered the most impact on the ground. The association’s panel of Scientific Advisers were, as ever, on hand with their expertise in different areas of conservation to guide the decision making process. EOCA then held two votes on its new website to select which of the projects received funding. Firstly, following a tense online public vote, the general public selected two projects: (more…)
Much of what you read about Black Friday is about consumerism and grabbing a bargain or just getting more stuff. This year, a group of forward-thinking brands are turning that on its head to make sure that the event raises money for a worthwhile cause – the planet! The European Outdoor Conservation Association (EOCA ) is delighted to highlight a number of its members side-stepping the frantic consumerism associated with Black Friday by turning it green to raise money for the association’s work, enabling conservation, and a number of projects it is supporting.
Polish brand Cumulus is donating 20% of its online sales of the Green Friday weekend to EOCA project ‘Clean up Action for Vulnerable Natural Habitats’ in the Ukraine, as well as offering ‘Upcycle your Experience’ online tutorials to teach consumers how to turn old bits of outdoor kit into other useful items and reduce the amount going to landfill. HDWool is organising another bake sale at its HQ to raise funds for EOCA. Donating 10% of online sales for the whole of the Green Friday week, German member deuter is raising money for non-profit Patron and its work to clean up and reduce single use plastic pollution in the Alps. New Zealand born brand icebreaker has chosen to fund an entire new project through EOCA and will be donating €10,000 to the same organisation.
La Sportiva was the first EOCA member to raise money for the association through Green Friday and has continued to support EOCA in this way every year since 2017. This year is no exception and the Italian brand is donating a massive 40% of its sales over the Green Friday weekend to EOCA. If you need to repair your favourite jacket or your sleeping bag needs a good wash, Equip Technologies Ltd, the company that owns Rab and Lowe Alpine, will be donating 25% of the sales from their European Service Centre over the whole month of December, to EOCA!
Aftercare brand Nikwax Germany is not only giving customers a 25% discount on products over the Green Friday weekend, but also donating all profits from those sales to EOCA. Backpack brand Osprey is offering customers 20% discount off selected lines from 23-28 November, and donating 20% of net profit to be split between two EOCA projects which have been selected by its online fan base over the last few weeks. Finally tent brand Terra Nova, which only became an EOCA member earlier this year is once again getting involved in online fundraising for EOCA by offering a 30% discount to its customers over the Green Friday weekend, and donating 5% of its profits to EOCA.
Tanya Bascombe, Joint General Manager of EOCA commented, ”It is incredible to see how involved our members are getting to help raise funds for the association and its conservation work. Customers benefit by knowing that their purchases are enabling urgent conservation to take place around the world, and our planet benefits from vital work to protect and restore our wild places”.
More information on all the offers can be found on www.eocaconservation.org
INFO: EOCA
To mark both Earth Day 2023, and the annual fundraiser held on the association’s stand during OutDoor by ISPO, the European Outdoor Conservation Association (EOCA) was delighted that a large number of its members used the opportunities to show their support to the association and to nature conservation by raising additional funds. In total, EOCA member companies generously raised around €70,000 of vitally needed funding.
Earth Day has been celebrated annually on 22 April since 1970, to demonstrate support for environmental protection. The theme for this year’s Earth Day was ‘Invest in Our Planet’. Participating companies raised funds to support EOCA and to invest in conservation projects. Cumulus, Jack Wolfskin, Osprey, Terra Nova, and Ternua, all generously donated a percentage of their online sales during the fundraising period. To mark Earth Day and to support EOCA, Marmot sold a range of special T-shirts and hoodies, HD Wool held a bake sale, Lesovik sold ‘No Planet B’ patches, and OUTTRA made a generous donation. The North Face provided funding to a number of not-for-profits across Europe via EOCA to run Clean Up Hikes to mark the event.
Jack Wolfskin CEO Richard Collier said ‘EOCA’s commitment to the environment is fantastic. That’s why we are happy that we could support them by contributing to Earth Day. Together you consistently achieve more.’
From packs, pillows and jackets, to harnesses, hammocks, and footwear there was an array of outdoor kit available in EOCA’s Fundraiser held on its stand at the MOC in Munich throughout OutDoor by ISPO. In addition, Klean Kanteen held a coffee initiative on its stand whereby visitors purchasing a mug with the donation being given to EOCA received a free coffee. In total, 29 EOCA members offered product donations to help raise funds for the association.
In total, over both events, members’ generous support has enabled EOCA to raise around €70,000, which is a phenomenal achievement for the first half of the year.
Catherine Savidge, Joint General Manager of EOCA said, “Earth Day is an important opportunity to recognise and encourage positive actions we can and must all take to protect and conserve our planet. We are very grateful to our members who have this year helped raise additional, much needed funds during Earth Day, and also during the OutDoor by ISPO tradeshow, one of the most important annual events for EOCA. Thank you also to Messe München which generously provides our stand and artwork at the show free of charge.
INFO: European Outdoor Conservation Association (EOCA)
Following the support of a number of its members, and the generosity of consumers, the European Outdoor Conservation Association (EOCA) is delighted to announce that nearly €50,000 has been raised for conservation as a result of events leading up to and around the Green (black) Friday weekend at the end of last year. Not only this, but the fundraising event held on the association’s stand at the ISPO tradeshow which followed immediately afterwards helped raise another €10,000.
Determined to counter the consumerism associated with Black Friday and make it a force for good, the figures that have come in since the November event have underlined the fact that customers are keen to make sure that the ‘reach’ of their purchases goes further than simply acquiring more material possessions. This could also be seen in the creative way that brands who got involved raised money. As well as raising money through its website, deuter used the date to stage the last event of its Promise Tour at the company’s HQ in Gersthofen to repair outdoor gear free of charge and make it fit again for its next adventure! McKinley made a donation to one of 3 charities (one of which was EOCA) every day during December based on the most creative Winter Wishlist submitted by customers. Other brands which got involved in raising money through online events were Adventure.ie, AKU, La Sportiva, Nikwax Germany, Osprey and Pajak. Added to this was the many items donated to EOCA’s fundraiser on its stand during the ISPO tradeshow, which followed Green Friday, and included Camelbak, whose coffee promotion on its stand to raise funds for EOCA was so popular it sold out of mugs and coffee midway through the show. (more…)
Thanks to the generous ongoing support of its members, the European Outdoor Conservation Association (EOCA) is delighted to be in a position to provide its largest grants ever, to fund conservation projects in important wild landscapes around the world. The association’s annual autumn public vote will run over the next two weeks, and everyone is invited to help choose projects to be funded. In line with the association’s two year focus Wild for Nature: EOCA’s Landscape Legacy Project, all projects on the shortlist will tackle the issues of biodiversity loss and the climate emergency.
Following the rigorous assessment of over 200 funding applications, eight projects that best fit EOCA’s funding criteria, and which the association would be pleased to fund, have been selected. EOCA is now asking outdoor enthusiasts and nature lovers to get involved to help chose which projects receive funding. (more…)
The European Outdoor Conservation Association (EOCA) is one step closer with its application for the 2022 Earthshot Prize. After applying to nominating institutions, positive responses and confirmations of support have been received from two. The Centre for Global Eco-Innovation at Lancaster University and the University of Leeds have both put EOCA’s application forward to the Earthshot assessment panel.
First launched at the end of 2019, The Earthshot Prize will award five, one million-pound prizes each year for ten years. Created by Prince William and The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the environmental competition is described as the ‘most ambitious and prestigious of its kind’. By 2030, the Prize aims to have found at least 50 solutions to the world’s greatest environmental problems. It will bring together funders, businesses and individuals alongside the environmental world to maximise impact, take solutions to scale and inspire people all over the world to work together, delivering a decade of action to repair the planet.
Catherine Savidge, General Manager at EOCA, said ‘We are delighted to receive the support of our application from the Centre for Global Eco-Innovation at Lancaster University and the University of Leeds. To receive recognition of the work already carried out by EOCA with its members and projects over the last 16 years, and to have confidence shown in the association’s future potential by highly regarded institutions outside of our industry is a great accolade.’ (more…)
Thanks to the generosity of its members, the European Outdoor Conservation Association (EOCA) raised nearly €24,000 during its recent online fundraiser, held over Earth Day 2022. As well as raising funds, a number of members also called on people to get involved in protecting their local environments.
Earth Day has been celebrated annually on 22 April since 1970, to demonstrate support for environmental protection. The theme for this year’s Earth Day was ‘Invest in Our Planet’. Through EOCA, participating companies and outdoor enthusiasts purchasing gear they need for their next adventure, did just that by enabling EOCA to support and invest in a range of conservation projects around the world.
Black Diamond, Cumulus, KEEN, Lesovik, Schöffel, Smartwool, Stanley and Vaude, all generously donated a percentage of their online sales to EOCA during the fundraiser. Original Buff, S.A. donated items to be sold via Outdoor Gear For Good, a community interest (not-for-profit) company, with profits being sent to EOCA. Finally, Leadership and Sustainability made a generous donation to EOCA to mark Earth Day. In total, €23,948 was raised to benefit EOCA and its supported projects. (more…)
Once again The North Face (TNF) is getting actively involved in conservation; using the European Outdoor Conservation Association (EOCA) to help locate relevant conservation projects tackling habitat clean-ups. The North Face Explore Fund will support five projects in four countries across Europe to the tune of €218,000 and EOCA is delighted that, for the third year running, TNF has chosen the Association to find, assess and manage the projects on their behalf. All projects have a primary aim of restoring wild spaces by actively reducing the plastic pollution that is endangering them.
The projects to be funded are as follows:
Zero Waste Mountain, with Mountain Riders, France: will provide 100 cleaning to resorts in the Alps, Pyrenees and Jura mountains and undertake 180 clean-up events during 2022 and 2023, engaging 6-8,000 volunteers.
The Plasticfree Peaks CleanUP Tour 2022, with Patron, Germany & Austria: will organise 10 x 3-5 day clean-up events across the German and Austrian alps, aiming to 5,000 participants in its clean-up actions.
CleanALP – Protect and clean our mountains, with The European Research Institute, Italy: will hold 40 clean-up events, involving 2,000 people on trails, alpine lake shores, creeks, grasslands, and screes, engaging Alpine huts to build a strategy to reduce of plastic in alpine environments.
(more…)
