For the third year in succession, the European Outdoor Conservation Association (EOCA) has held two annual funding rounds, this time allocating a total of €300,000 of funding to projects conserving threatened habitats and having a link to outdoor enthusiasts around the world. During the latest autumn round, 131 conservation organisations applied for funding and five have now been selected through a public vote and a member’s vote to receive funding.
Following receipt of a record breaking number of applications, EOCA’s General Managers and Scientific Advisors used established criteria to rigorously assess all of the applications and produce a shortlist of 15 projects . These projects best fitted the Association’s funding criteria and were deemed the most worthwhile from a conservation point of view. All of these projects were then involved in a public vote hosted on the Association’s website. The projects were divided into three categories; projects addressing water based issues and habitats, those conserving or restoring forests, and those located in mountainous areas. The mountain category vote was also hosted by MountainBlog. Fierce competition lead to over 50,000 votes being cast to select three projects to be funded. These were:
Following the public vote, members of the Association then had a week to select two more projects to be funded via a private vote. The projects selected were:
Catherine Savidge, Joint General Manager of EOCA said ”The voting period is always an incredibly exciting time of year, with thousands of people getting involved to have their say. It is a valuable tool for all projects involved in helping to put their work and their environmental issues on an international platform. We are very excited to support these five new projects, in five different countries. We look forward to hearing about and sharing the progress they make with their vitally important projects.”
The European Outdoor Conservation Association is an initiative from the European outdoor industry with the objective of protecting the wild areas it cares so passionately about.
Designed to harness the incredible power of the outdoor industry and to raise money to donate to grassroots conservation groups, the European Outdoor Conservation Association is funded by membership and other fundraising activities within the outdoor industry. 100% of membership fees go to the support of projects. Membership is open to anyone that can demonstrate an involvement in the European outdoor industry.
From January 2015, a select group of ‘Sustaining Members’ pledged their support to EOCA by committing to fund the sustainable growth of the organisation with an extra €10,000 per year for the following three years, over and above their annual membership fee. This money finances the running of the Association and supports its sustainable growth.
The seven EOCA Sustaining Members are: OutDoor (Messe Friedrichshafen), Pertex, KEEN Footwear, Nikwax, ISPO (Messe München), Patagonia and the European Outdoor Group (EOG), which is also the Founder Member of the Association.
TheOutDoor Show at Friedrichshafen proved a successful one for the European Outdoor Conservation Association (EOCA) last month, raising funds of over €35,500 from various events run by members and the popular Conservation Fundraiser. Not only this, but the topic of trees was very much the subject of talks and discussions held by the Association at the show, in particular the benefits they bring to the outdoor industry and enthusiasts, through oxygen production, protection and providing space and room to enjoy outdoor landscapes.
In addition to the donations made by the ever-generous EOCA members for the Conservation Fundraiser on the Association’s stand, a number of members and associates got involved in organising their own EOCA fundraisers, some even producing limited edition items to raise money for a specific part of EOCA’s work. Klean Kanteen sold special edition 8oz insulated tumblers (complete with ice cream!). With the money raised from the sale of each one raising enough money to plant another 25 trees in EOCA’s public fundraiser in Nepal, Klean Kanteen sold enough tumblers to put towards the planting of another 6,375 trees! Stanley – a PMI brand produced a limited edition of its Mountain Vacuum Switchback, which was sold at both ISPO and OutDoor and in total raised enough to plant another 11,250 trees.
As EOCA’s newest Summit Member, KEEN chose to use its increasingly popular Sandal sale to raise funds for a mangrove replanting project in Great Aceh, an area still suffering from the effects of the devastating tsunami in 2004, to benefit wildlife and local communities. ENO (Eagle’s Nest Outfitters) produced the first ever product to be used to raise funds for EOCA through retail outlets across Europe. The EOCA hammock was also sold at the show and received a great welcome from visitors and exhibitors alike.
Further funds were raised via Camelbak which ran an engraving service on one of its mugs, very quickly running out due to their popularity. Marmot sold t-shirts made from recycled plastic bottles collected in Haiti, Ternua ran a jigsaw competition for its retailers and the Scandinavian Outdoor Group collected donations from its Scandinavian bar which ran the length of the show.
Marie-Noëlle Keijzer, CEO of WeForest which is running a project funded by EOCA this year, talked on behalf of the Association to members gathered for its Annual Assembly and also at the EOG Industry Breakfast the following morning about the vital importance of trees to the industry and the outdoor enthusiast.
Tanya Bascombe, Joint General Manager commented, “There was a real energy at the show this year with so many of our members coming up with exciting and innovative ideas for raising funds for EOCA. The idea of being able to donate €10 and plant 25 trees as a result really caught on, particularly as we could show the industry how trees really do impact in so many positive ways on the outdoor enthusiast, providing us all with the breathing space we need to enjoy our chosen outdoor sports and activities”.
Designed to harness the incredible power of the outdoor industry and to raise money to donate to grassroots conservation groups, the European Outdoor Conservation Association is funded by membership and other fundraising activities within the outdoor industry. 100% of membership fees go to the support of projects. Membership is open to anyone that can demonstrate an involvement in the European outdoor industry.
From January 2015, a select group of ‘Sustaining Members’ have pledged their support to EOCA by committing to fund the sustainable growth of the organisation with an extra €10,000 per year for the next three years, over and above their annual membership fee. This money will be used to finance the running of the Association and support its sustainable growth, also enabling a move to 2 funding rounds per year.
The seven EOCA Sustaining Members are: OutDoor(Messe Friedrichshafen), Pertex, KEEN Footwear, Nikwax, ISPO (Messe München), Patagonia and the European Outdoor Group (EOG), which is also the Founder Member of the Association.
New EOCA update from OutDoor Show 2017. Watch the video interview with Tayna Bascombe and find out how the projects are going so far and how to keep on donating.
TMI is the organisation that was running the public fundraiser project. Thanks to this page you can check what had been achieved so far.
The European Outdoor Conservation Association (EOCA) is celebrating being able to support more projects than ever before during its 2017 Spring Funding Round. Three projects were chosen during a public vote which reached 60.4 million people worldwide, and a further three were chosen by EOCA members themselves. These are all to be funded from membership fees and fundraising monies raised from the European outdoor Industry. In addition, three further projects are being funded by three individual EOCA members.
During March, following a four month process of accepting, accessing and approving applications, EOCA held its annual spring public vote. A shortlist of projects was showcased by The Great Outdoors (UK), Alpin (Germany, Austria and Switzerland), and Norr Magazin (Germany), as well as on the English and German EOCA websites. Readers of the magazines, outdoor enthusiasts and supporters of the projects were all invited to vote for their favourite project in three categories and the project with the most votes in each category is now being funded. A private vote for members only was then held, with a further three projects being chosen for funding. In addition to the 6 projects funded by EOCA, members POMOCA , KEEN and Osprey Europe have also each chosen a specific conservation project to fund entirely themselves and ORTLIEB decided to make a donation towards a winning river conservation project in Germany which they were supportive of. The 9 projects are all in different countries, 5 being in Europe, and tackle issues as wide ranging as metal waste left in mountains, elephants being poached, rubbish in rivers, overuse of forest resources, the captive elephant tourist trade and restoration of peatland.(more…)
an update reminding you of your opportunity to vote for which projects EOCAfunds this spring:
PUBLIC VOTE The public vote remains open until noon GMT this Thursday, 23rd March. We would be very grateful if you would take the opportunity to vote, and to also ask your colleagues, customers, followers, fans and friends to get involved. It is a great opportunity to communicate that you are involved in EOCA. You can get involved here. You can vote once in each category (Nature, Outdoor and Alpine) per electronic device.
The bi-annual European Outdoor Conservation Association (EOCA) public conservation vote has started in earnest. Anyone with an interest in conserving threatened wild spaces, species and habitats is being asked to go online and have their say as to which of the proposed nature conservation projects should receive funding of up to €30,000.
The ever popular spring vote, which has taken place each year for the last 7 years, asks the public to help EOCA choose projects from three approved shortlists. The project in each category (Nature, Outdoor and Alpine) with the most votes will each gain funding of up to €30,000. Joint General Manager Catherine Savidge explained the importance of the process. “As well as raising awareness of what the European outdoor industry and EOCA’s member companies are doing to conserve and protect wild spaces, the voting process is also a hugely beneficial opportunity for all of the conservation organisations involved. They are on an international stage, raising awareness of important conservation issues and gaining new support for their work along the way. This is about the European outdoor industry giving back – conserving the great outdoors and its various habitats and species which the industry and its customers are so passionate about”.
The public vote has attracted huge interest internationally over the years, with national radio stations, newspapers, politicians, celebrities and many people on social media all getting involved in encouraging people to join in. The coverage acheived is staggering, with over 31.5 million people reached in the spring of 2015 making the process a valuable tool in raising awareness of critical conservation issues around the world. In ten years, EOCA has given over €2 million to conservation projects around the world, some chosen through the public vote, and others by the Association’s members.
Catherine added,”This is always an incredibly exciting time of year for us and for the projects involved. Thousands of people get involved to have their say on which of these vital projects should be supported by EOCA in the coming year. Each project has already undergone a rigorous assessment, which has then been reviewed by a panel of scientific advisors, before getting on to the shortlist, so we would be extremely happy to fund any one of those taking part.”
Voting in each of the three categories is now open and will close at 12.00 noon GMT on the 23rd March. You can read about all of the projects looking for funding and votes by visiting www.outdoorconservation.eu or www.eoca.de
Following fundraising, donations and events at last month’s ISPOtrade show, the European Outdoor Conservation Association (EOCA) is delighted to announce that the total amount raised has equated to another 18,000 trees which can be planted towards its 2 Million Tree target launched last year.
The ISPO After Work, hosted by KEEN and EOCA saw large numbers of visitors braving the cold night air to meet together, drink beer or Glühwein and dance the night away, as well as raise money for EOCA’s 2 Million Tree Project. The Scandinavian Outdoor Group collected donations during their happy hours at the Scandinavian Village bar throughout the show and Stanley – A Brand of PMI and Original Buff, S.A. both created limited edition products specifically to help raise funds for the target, which has so far raised enough to enable over 1,174,000 trees to be planted.
The 2 Million Tree Project is a goal set by EOCA itself in celebration of the fact that the organisation has raised and put over €2 million into conservation projects since it started 10 years ago. These trees will leave a lasting legacy from the outdoor industry worldwide. Catherine Savidge, Joint General Manager of EOCA explained that “Trees are massively relevant and important to the outdoor community and all of our projects have a clear link to the outdoor enthusiast. Some trees are being planted which will improve habitats and experiences in areas that people love to explore, be it on foot, by bike or kayak, improving areas for wildlife which people enjoy seeking out and observing. Trees are being planted in the mountains as well as along coastlines and rivers, protecting against avalanche, landslide, flooding and tsunami , providing alternative resources for local communities, establishing ecotourism ventures or protecting exisiting threatened species and forests – all of which will benefit a threatened habitat, a local community and ultimately, the world’s climate.”
In addition to fundraising for the Tree Project, other EOCA members got involved by donating products for the ever popular conservation fundraiser, held on the Association’s stand in the West Entrance Foyer. Products donated ranged from hammocks to climbing helmets and head torches to hats and jackets. Two new members also joined the Association during the 4 day show: premiun insole producer Superfeet Worldwide Ltd and mountaineering apparel and gear producer BLACKYAKCo Ltd were keen to get involved with EOCA. Frits Kuper, European Sales Director for Superfeet said, “This is the perfect way for the outdoor industry to work together to give back to our stunning and fragile wild places and we are proud to become a part of such a vital initiative”. Joint General Manager Tanya Bascombe added,”We are thrilled to welcome our 2 newest members to EOCA, as well as being able to celebrate the great steps forward we have made towards our 2 Million Tree goal which is edging ever closer!”
Travel and Adventure clothing company prAna, Czech distributor WarmPeace and adventure product company Eagles Nest Outfitters Inc(ENO) all joined the organisation at the show or immediately afterwards, showing their commitment to looking after the wild places their customers love to visit. Joe Jansen, International Sales Manager for prAna was thrilled to join EOCA, saying “This is a logical and natural partnership for prAna, tying in closely with our own company ethos and we cannot wait to get more involved”. Pavel Habētín, Manager of WarmPeace was so excited about its new membership that he took managers Tanya and Catherine to meet several colleagues in the hope of encouraging their companies to join up as well! Finally Adam Cohen, International Sales Manager from ENO was keen that the company join EOCA before it officially launches its products in Europe in 2017 – to show its solid commitment to the environment and the European market from Day One. He said,” We are extremely proud of our “Giving Back” programme in the US. Our products have allowed individuals to adventure and sleep lightly all over the world and by supporting their efforts in the conservation of wild spaces, EOCA is the perfect partner to help us continue our mission further afield”. (more…)
2016 is EOCA’s 10 year anniversary, and this summer, the Association and its members are celebrating having raised and given €2 million to conservation projects around the world in that time – by launching an ambitious project to plant 2 million trees, leaving a lasting legacy from the European outdoor industry.
Watch the video interviews with Anna Maria Rugarli (President of EOCA) and Dr Nick Brown (Linacre College – University of Oxford) during the Tree Planting Ceremony at OutDoor Show 2016.
Our Vision: The outdoor sector and the millions of people who enjoy the great outdoors are active champions for the conservation of nature and wild places*
* EOCA defines 'wild places' as non-urban environments and ecosystems occurring in as natural a state as possible, given the area's location and use. This may include for example moorland, hills, mountains, coasts, rivers, forest, grassland, peatland, lake and ocean areas.
There are currently over 150 members of this not-for profit Association, stretching from Norway to Italy, and Spain to Poland. As a charitable organisation directly funding specific conservation projects with money raised from the European outdoor industry, EOCA enables the industry to work together to make a real difference. ( more.. )
INFO-CONTACTS
European Outdoor Conservation Association
Registered as a not-for-profit association in Kanton Zug, Switzerland
Registration no. CH-170.6.000.188-3
For the third year in succession, the European Outdoor Conservation Association (EOCA) has held two annual funding rounds, this time allocating a total of €300,000 of funding to projects conserving threatened habitats and having a link to outdoor enthusiasts around the world. During the latest autumn round, 131 conservation organisations applied for funding and five have now been selected through a public vote and a member’s vote to receive funding.
