Following an exciting online vote in March, a member vote in April and EOCA members deciding to fund entire projects themselves, the European Outdoor Conservation Association (EOCA) is delighted to announce which projects will be receiving funding in 2014. Through the generosity of its members, EOCA is able to provide substantial support for conservation around the world. A huge increase in membership in the organisation over the last 18 months means that not only is €240,000 available for funding from EOCA this year, but a second funding round can take place during the early autumn.
EOCA, which officially launched the first 7 of this year’s funded projects at OutDoor last week, puts 100% of all the membership fees it receives from its members into conservation work, together with 100% of all monies it raises at OutDoor and other shows. Each project that EOCA funds can apply for up to €30,000 for their work.
The spring vote saw a flurry of on- and offline activity with over 53,000 votes being cast. The process reached over 10 million consumers and several organisations recorded their most successful online campaigns ever, with even those projects that did not gain funding from the public vote saying the process had been enormously helpful in raising their profile both locally and internationally.
Tanya Bascombe, Joint General Manager of EOCA added, “The spirit to which organisations enter the public vote is astonishing, Even those which do not eventually get the funding they were seeking are always taken aback by quite how much awareness raising and support they manage to generate”.
2014 EOCA Funded Projects:
Trossachs Gateway Project (Nominated by Messe Friedrichshafen), Scotland. Chosen in conjunction with The Great Outdoors, NORR and Hike&Trekking Magazines
The conservation of the Great Trossachs Forest, home to iconic Scottish wildlife including golden eagles, black grouse and red squirrels is a one of the most significant conservation projects to take place in the UK for a generation. It is a 200 year commitment to restore degraded habitats by planting nearly 41,000 trees, allowing native woodland to regenerate, and completing The Great Trossachs Path; a long distance trail connecting three of Scotland’s Great Trails.
Bla Bheinn Path Repair (Nominated by Berghaus), Scotland. Chosen in conjunction with Alpin Magazine
Breathtaking views and relatively easy access to one of Britain’s most stunning mountains, has resulted in high visitor numbers which, when combined with high rainfall, has caused serious erosion on Bla Bheinn. This has damaged fragile soil and plants, caused sedimentation of streams, and left a prominent scar visible for miles. The John Muir Trust plans to repair the 3.8km Bla Bheinn path, using methods to preserve the wild character of the area and protect the fragile mountain habitats.
Saving Armenia’s Leopards (Nominated by Nikwax), Armenia. Chosen in conjunction with National Geographic Germany.
The project aims to protect a vital leopard corridor by conserving threatened habitat and wildlife, which in turn will benefit other threatened species such as the Syrian Brown Bear, Grey Wolf and Caspian Red Deer. 4,000 trees will be planted, camera traps installed and field surveys carried out. Controlled access will be opened up for exploration on foot, bike and horseback.
Combatting Wildlife Crime in the Leuser Ecosystem (nominted by Marmot), Sumatra
Less than 500 Sumatran tigers individuals survive in the wild. The vast Leuser Ecosystem in northern Sumatra offers the best hope for the long term survival of this species yet it is threatened by poaching, depletion of key prey species and habitat fragmentation. This project aims to establish long-term anti-poaching patrols and a tiger strategy for the area
Kanchenjunga to Makalu – Conserving Landscapes in the Eastern Himalaya (nominated by Deuter), Nepal
The stunning landscape corridor between Kanchenjunga and Makalu is home to endangered species such as the snow leopard, red panda and Asiatic black bear. Extreme poverty forces local communities to overharvest commercially valuable medicinal plants, overgraze grasslands and illegally fell timber. This project will work with homestay families on the trekking route, train locals to cultivate medicinal plants, reforest degraded slopes and give families fuel efficient cook stoves
Sea Turtle Conservation, Costa Rica (funded entirely by Pacsafe)
Pacuare Beach, northern Costa Rica, is an important nesting site for Leatherback, Green and some rare Hawksbill turtles but they are threatened by unsustainable fishing practices, exploitation for food, habitat loss and pollution. This project will combat these threats by carrying out beach patrols, building hatcheries, monitoring nests, tagging females, discouraging poachers, replanting trees and creating a schools’ education and environmental outreach programme.
Batumi Raptor Trail Development, Georgia (funded entirely by Osprey Europe)
During the autumn and spring migration season, over one million birds including 35 species of raptors pass through the foothills of the Lesser Caucasus. Illegal and indiscriminate hunting kills 7-9,000 raptors annually, including endangered eagles and harriers. This project will reduce hunting by giving greater value to the raptors alive rather than dead through increasing visitors (hikers and bird watchers) to the area, creating a raptor trail, connecting villages and observation points and providing an alternative means of income for locals. www.birdlife.gewww.batumiraptorcount.org
INFO: European Outdoor Conservation Association (EOCA)
Every year, the European Outdoor Conservation Association (EOCA) gives the ‘Conservation Champion’ award to members that have gone ‘the extra mile’ to support conservation through the Association. It is about members taking the initiative to raise money and awareness of the Association, in order to make a positive difference for conservation. EOCA is delighted to name Maruba Sports Publishers, Klean Kanteen and Roc Noir as its Conservation Champions for 2014.
Not only an original member of the Association, but a very active and positive Media Partner, Maruba Sports Publishers has published every press release that EOCA has issued. It highlights EOCA in every edition of Hike & Trekking, Bike & Trekking and SPORT PARTNER and has hosted the Association’s public vote for conservation in each of the last 3 years, giving double page spreads in its magazines and full coverage online.
Klean Kanteen joined EOCA on 1st January 2014, and by February, they had donated branded EOCA insulated, stainless steel Kanteens for a happy hour fundraiser at ISPO, helping to raise an impressive €2,300! Klean Kanteen has also been involved in helping raise further funds for the Association at OutDoor 2014, through the production of a ‘Conservation Pint Mug’ specifically for the Saturday night OutDoor party.
As a new start up UK Skiwear company, before it had even sold its first product, Roc Noir decided it would join EOCA and donate 2% of its sales to the Association. This is a huge commitment for a small company to make, and has shown great faith in and support of the work that EOCA and the outdoor industry are undertaking.
Herman Broekhof, an editor at Maruba Sports Publishers said “Shortly after the birth of EOCA, Mark Held asked us to support this young initiative from the outdoor industry by publishing an editorial in our trade magazine SPORT PARTNER. We decided not only to be the first publisher to support EOCA in this way, but also decided to become a member of the organisation. As a publisher of trade and consumer magazines in the field of outdoor and travel, we felt that we had the same obligation to nature and the environment as our partners in the business, the outdoor brands and outdoor retailers. We are very pleased to be part of this great movement and to have been named as Conservation Champions.”
Catherine Savidge, Joint General Manager of EOCA said, “the Conservation Champion award is about recognising member companies large and small, who take the initiative to benefit conservation through EOCA in ways other than simply paying their membership fees. We are proud to work with these three companies, all of whom are passionate about the great outdoors and their responsibility to it.”
INFO: European Outdoor Conservation Association (EOCA)
A select number of members of the European Outdoor Conservation Association (EOCA) have underlined their increasing commitment to the growth of the Association by becoming its first ‘Sustaining Members’. Seven member companies have signed a declaration at the OutDoor international press conference pledging to support the Association from January 2015 to the tune of 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.
This huge commitment will benefit not only EOCA, but also the entire industry in several ways. EOCA’s enormous growth of over 53% over the last 18 months will be managed in order that it can be continued sustainably. EOCA will be able to continue to promise that 100% of all membership fees will be put directly into conservation projects. Finally, and perhaps most excitingly, is the move to 2 funding rounds per year, increasing the amount of money put back into the environment each year.
The seven EOCA Sustaining Members are: OutDoor (Messe Friedrichshafen), Pertex, KEEN Footwear, Nikwax, ISPO (Messe München), Patagonia and the European Outdoor Group (EOG).
Mark Held, General Secretary of the EOG said “As the organisation that founded EOCA, we are immensely proud to have seen the idea grow so successfully, proud of the work that is being done and proud of the team who have made it all happen. We are no longer involved in the day to day running of the organisation as it is fully independent of the EOG, but we are firmly committed to supporting its development wherever we can and are delighted to become a Sustaining Member”
Steve Laycock, General Manager of Pertex added, ”Pertex is bound by directives, its owners and brand partners to adopt clean(er) manufacturing processes and best practices in traceability etc. As a key ingredient in the outdoor world, we believe that Pertex should also demonstrate its commitment to the protection of the environment by becoming a Sustaining Member of EOCA, so we can support the great work it does on behalf of the industry”.
Stefan Reisinger, Head of OutDoor and Eurobike stated “As a friend and partner of the outdoor industry, we are delighted to be able to support an organisation that makes a real difference and ensures that conservation remains a priority for the great wild places of the world.”
Over the last 8 years, EOCA has raised and funded conservation projects to the tune of €1.5 million. Tanya Bascombe, Joint General Manager of the Association commented, “With this new category of membership, our aim is that EOCA can continue to grow: in membership, in outputs and ultimately in the level of funds we can to put into on-the-ground conservation to look after the wild spaces we all depend on. As a substantial industry working together, so much more can be achieved and we are absolutely thrilled with the support these members have shown us.”.
(Attached to this press release is the declaration the Sustaining Members have signed up to).
To find out more about the Association please go to: www.outdoorconservation.eu
As interest in the European Outdoor Conservation Association (EOCA) continues to grow, the Association is delighted to welcome 3 new members and an additional Scientific Advisor into the fold. This brings to 13 the number of new members that have joined the organisation since January 1st meaning there are currently 120 organisations in the outdoor industry engaging with conservation in this way.
Peaxz, an executive search and advisory consulting firm dedicated to the outdoor, sports and fitness sectors, Thule, the sports and outdoor company with the tagline ‘Bring your Life’ and Chrissy Dorn Business Development Outdoor & Sports, a PR agency, are the most recent organisations to join EOCA and are thrilled to be part of EOCA’s growing numbers. Pontus Alexandersson, Environmental Manager for Thule Group said, “Thule is very keen to conduct its business with as little impact on the environment as possible, seeing it not only as the right thing to do, but that the company’s entire success depends on its employees, customers, and consumers being able to enjoy an active lifestyle in a healthy outdoor environment. Many employees at Thule Group have a deep environmental engagement and the company itself is involved in a number of environmental initiatives. As a member of the Conservation Alliance in the US, we felt it was a great opportunity to also be involved in EOCA’s environmental work”.
In addition to the members, EOCA has also grown its Scientific Advisory Panel. This panel called upon during each funding round to provide advice to the association on the most worthwhile projects from a conservation point of view. Following the growing number of project applications containing sustainable tourism measures, Dr Kathy Velander, Director of the Centre for Ecotourism and Wildlife Management of Edinburgh Napier University has agreed join the Panel. An expert in many different areas of biodiversity, Kathy has also been involved in the writing of a specific European standard by which to assess the impact of proposed ecotourism plans.
EOCA intends to build on this growth at OutDoor, with lots of activities planned for the show. The Association will launch a new type of membership and host a daily Conservation Fundraiser in its stand in the East Entrance. There will also be a Sandal Sale on the KEEN Footwear stand; a pint mug sale on the Stanley (a brand of PMI) stand, a Smartwool sock vending machine, Scandinavian Sustenance at the Scandinavian bar and the Outdoor Party supported by Polartec and with the sale of Klean Kanteen Pints – all joining in to raise money for EOCA. Tanya Bascombe, Join General Manager of the Association commented, “EOCA is on track to have raised more and spent more on conservation in 2014 than at any time in the last 8 years. It looks like it could be a good year for conservation!”
INFO:
European Outdoor Conservation Association (EOCA)
The European Outdoor Conservation Association (EOCA ) is delighted to announce that both Osprey Europe and Pacsafe have each committed to sponsor a conservation project through EOCA, and so become Summit Members. Through tailor-‐made environmental giving programmes provided by the Association, they will be providing invaluable funding for hands-‐on conservation of species of particular relevance to their organisations.
Pacsafe, whose logo incorporates a turtle, has committed $20,000 to a project that will address the threats to the Leatherback, Green and Hawksbill turtles on the remote Pacuare beach in Costa Rica. Measures will include habitat restoration, beach patrols, an egg hatchery and education.
Osprey Europe, leaders in innovative backpacks, have committed €28,800 to support Bird Conservation Georgia’s project to address the threat of hunting to over one million raptors which migrate through the foothills of the Lesser Caucasus in Georgia each migration season. This innovative project aims to make it easier to access and enjoy the spectacle of the birds’ migration, and support and educate local people in how to promote bird watching and eco-‐tourism as an alternative to hunting.
Rob Wylie, Managing Director of Osprey Europe said “Having made the decision to put a significant amount of money into the conservation of threatened species and habitats, we were delighted to be presented with a project so appropriate to our brand and of such importance. EOCA’s expertise in researching and vetting projects has been key for us in deciding to fund a project through them.”
Magnus McGlashan, Managing Director of Pacsafe added ‘ Having recently established The Pacsafe® Turtle Fund for the benefit of turtle conservation, we were excited when EOCA suggested the Latin American Sea Turtle (LAST) project to us as a worthwhile project looking for funding. As well as financing the project, we were very active in significantly raising the profile of the project when it first took part in the EOCA public vote. Our efforts amongst other things, resulted in a letter of support being received by the project from the then President of Costa Rica
” Catherine Savidge, Joint General Manager of EOCA said “We are delighted that Pacsafe and Osprey Europe have both decided to sponsor a project through the Association. We get many requests for funding of vitally important conservation projects each year and it is very rewarding to be able to match worthwhile projects with forward-‐ thinking companies committed to putting something back into outdoor environments. We are proud to reward their tremendous commitments and contributions with Summit Membership status of EOCA.”
EOCA provides a service free of charge, to research, assess and approve projects on behalf of individual members interested in funding entire projects. The Association then manages the project and its payments to ensure all agreed-‐upon objectives are delivered. Progress made by the project is reported back to the funding member. This service enables members to support projects which are checked and closely monitored on their behalf, and match their company ethos, without needing to invest time or expertise in-‐ house.
INFO: EOCA
Following an exciting couple of weeks during the annual European Outdoor Conservation Association (EOCA) public conservation vote, 53,000 votes were cast, over 10 million consumers were reached and support from unlikely places was registered – even from the President of Costa Rica!
Every year, EOCA invites members of the public to help choose 3 conservation projects from its shortlist for funding. Working in conjunction with several magazines across Europe, the projects are divided up into 3 separate categories (Nature, Outdoor and Alpine) and the public are invited to get involved by voting once in each category for their favourite project. The project receiving the most votes in each category will receive funding from EOCA of up to €30,000.
Working with National Geographic (Germany), The Great Outdoors (UK), NORR Magazine (Germany), Hike & Trekking, Bike & Trekking, SPORT PARTNER (The Netherlands) and Alpin (Germany), a huge flurry of on- and offline activity was created. This culminated in ‘Thunderclaps’ reaching 225,000 people, a letter of support from the Costa Rican President, interviews held on prime time Chilean national radio and support in the main national newspaper given by the Chilean Minister for the Environment, and tweets from the Chairman of one of the 3 main political parties in the UK. In total, the process reached over 10 million consumers. Not only this but several organisations recorded their most successful online campaigns ever with even those projects that did not gain funding from the public vote saying the process had been enormously helpful in raising their profile both locally and internationally.
Jesús Ortiz from CEN (Associació per a la Conservació dels Ecosistemes Naturals), one of the unsuccessful projects said, “It was a privilege to be able to compete against all those interesting projects.This [was a] great opportunity [that] allowed us to find many new friends and awaken an increasing interest for the conservation of the Glorieta stream. Furthermore, this huge dissemination campaign became a powerful tool to promote our organisation and has given us an international scope. Definitely, we feel like winners as well!”
A private member vote has also been held and further EOCA members are now choosing individual projects they would like to fund entirely themselves in 2014. All the projects will be officially unveiled at the OutDoor Show in Friedrichshafen in July.
The three project chosen by the public vote are:
Trossachs Gateway Project (Nominated by Messe Friedrichshafen), Scotland
The conservation of the Great Trossachs Forest, home to iconic Scottish wildlife including golden eagles, black grouse and red squirrels is a one of the most significant conservation projects to take place in the UK for a generation. It is a 200 year commitment to restore degraded habitats by planting thousands of trees, allowing native woodland to regenerate, and completing The Great Trossachs Path; a long distance trail connecting three of Scotland’s Great Trails. www.woodlandtrust.org.uk
Bla Bheinn Path Repair (Nominated by Berghais), Scotland
Breathtaking views and relatively easy access to one of Britain’s most stunning mountains, combined with high visitor numbers and high rainfall have caused serious erosion on Bla Bheinn. This has damaged fragile soil and plants, caused sedimentation of streams, and left a prominent scar visible for miles. The John Muir Trust plans to repair the 3.8km Bla Bheinn path, using methods to preserve the wild character of the area and protect the fragile mountain habitats. www.jmt.org
Saving Armenia’s Leopards (Nominated by Nikwax), Armenia
The project aims to protect a vital leopard corridor by conserving threatened habitat and wildlife, benefitting other threatened species such as the Syrian Brown Bear, Grey Wolf and Caspian Red Deer. 4,000 trees will be planted, camera traps installed and field surveys carried out. Controlled access will be opened up for exploration on foot, bike and horseback. www.worldlandtrust.org
To find out more about the Association please go to: www.outdoorconservation.eu
Picture: credit (Ken Paterson / John Muir Trust)
Today, Monday, the 17th March, voting is open on EOCA website! This is a public vote, which EOCA is running with the help of magazine partners, so everyone is invited to take part. Last year over 57,000 votes were cast! Have a look at all of the worthwhile and valuable projects which have passed EOCA’s criteria and got onto the shortlist this year, and vote for your favourites HERE. There are three categories of projects, and you can vote once in each category. The project with the most votes in each category will receive funding from EOCA of up to €30,000 to carry out the project.
Following the public vote, members of EOCA will be able to take part in a private vote to select further projects for funding. The results of the members vote will be announced in the summer.
The projects are put into 3 categories depending on their focus:
Nature projects are those projects concerned with the conservation of a specific species or habitat. Please choose your favourite from this category either on this website, or on the website of our partner National Geographic Germany.
Outdoor projects are those projects which are located in places where people go to walk, bike or enjoy water activities. Please choose your favourite from this category either on this website, or on one of the websites of our partners The Great Outdoors, NORR, Bike&Trekking, Hike&Trekking, or Sport Partner.
Alpine projects are those projects located at high altitudes. Please choose your favourite from this category either on this website, or on the website of our partner Alpin magazine
PLEASE NOTE: You can vote in each of the categories for your favourite project. You can however vote only once in each category – either on our website OR on the websites of our magazine partners.
VOTING FOR THE 2014 PROJECTS WILL TAKE PLACE FROM 17-31 MARCH.
INFO: EOCA
Dear All, Well here is the first update for the EOCA voting and we very please to tell you that it has got off to a great start across all the categories! We have had over 4,000 votes so far in the first 2 days!
