During the first day of the OutDoor trade fair in Friedrichshafen, the European OutDoor Conservation Association (EOCA) will be unveiling the 8 conservation projects it will be funding this year.  In total, €181,000 is being committed to conservation by the association this year, ensuring that vital conservation work can take place around the world.

EOCA, which will also be celebrating signing up its 100th member at the fair, 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.

This year, 57,000 votes cast by consumers chose 3 projects to be funded by EOCA.  These projects will carry out work to conserve snow leopards in the Indian Himalaya, orangutans in Borneo and high value landscapes in Romania.  Following this, members of EOCA voted to support projects to conserve bears in Spain, snow leopards in the Altai Republic and woodlands in Mali.  Two members of EOCA have also decided to fund projects entirely themselves this year.  Original Buff, S.A. will be enabling 9 weeks of volunteer work in the Catalonian mountain forests to restore habitats, and improve access to walkers. The North Face will be enabling Respect the Mountains to run an EPIC – Exploring (& Education about) Peaks, Inspiring Conservation- day for 50 young people in the Massif Central in France.  More details on all of these projects can be seen below.

Catherine Savidge, Joint General Manager of EOCA said ‘Through the generosity of our forward-thinking members, all from the European outdoor industry, we are able to provide substantial support for conservation work around the world. All of the projects EOCA supports will benefit threatened species and habitats, and all have a clear link to the outdoor enthusiast, enhancing their outdoor experience or reducing their impact on the environment.

2013 EOCA Funded Projects:

Protection and Restoration of Critical Orangutan Habitat, Southern Borneo (Nominating member Fusion Clothing. Chosen in conjunction with National Geographic Germany)

The Sabangau tropical peat-swamp forest is one of the most important rainforests found on Borneo, due to its carbon storage ability and high levels of biodiversity.   It is under massive threat from conversion, swamp drainage, fires, illegal logging and wildlife hunting. This project will restore areas of peat swamp, replant burnt forest areas, and enable community patrol teams to protect the forest and its orangutans from the threats they face.

Restoring High Altitude Habitats for the Snow Leopard, Indian Himalaya (Nominating member Dynafit. Chosen in conjunction with readers of Alpin Magazin)

Snow leopards are one of the most endangered big cats, with only about 3500-7000 left in the world.  The Upper Spiti Valley’s underdeveloped alpine habitat has been identified as one of the most important snow leopard habitats in India. The goal of this project is to help communities safeguard the delicate Upper Spiti ecosystem and its wildlife while continuing their traditional way of life. This will be achieved by keeping 25 square km of steppe grasslands free from livestock to allow snow leopard prey to recover, an insurance scheme requiring farmers to safeguard the snow leopards and compensating them for livestock lost to leopard predation, and conservation education for local school children.

Discover Târnava Mare, Romania (Nominating member Vaude. Chosen in conjunction with The Great Outdoors, NORR Magazin, Bike & Trekking, Sport Partner, and LIFT)

The Târnava Mare landscape is one of the last great high-nature landscapes surviving in lowland Europe. Its many valuable habitats have evolved in association with traditional low-impact agriculture, but the region is under great pressure from poverty and abandonment due to lack of economic prospects in the area. ADEPT will work with locals to build 15km of mountain bike trail, linking 3 villages and involving 70 green tourism providers, 5 schools and 1000 small-scale farming families. The project will develop and promote a tourism strategy for the area so that results are sustainable in the future, enabling people to stay in the area and to maintain the landscape.

Snow Leopard Conservation in the Altai Mountains (Nominating member Vaude. Chosen by EOCA Members)

Snow leopards are listed by the IUCN as ‘Endangered’. Threats they face in the Altai area are poaching, subsistence pastoralism and retribution killings, as well as loss of prey base. Through this project, Biosphere

Expeditions aims to make them more valuable to the local communities alive rather than dead, by engaging, training and paying locals to be involved in their conservation together with scientists and volunteers, and by developing sustainable tourism in the area.

Fruits for Bears, Northern Spain (Nominating member Patagonia. Chosen by EOCA members)

The Cantabrian mountains in Northern Spain do not produce enough food to support a healthy population of bears, meaning that they move into urban areas looking for food.  This project will improve bear habitat by planting fruit trees, including cherry, chestnut and rowan, and by installing 7.5 million bees in hives as pollinators, to ensure there is enough fruit to support the bears.  The honey produced will help raise awareness of bear conservation with the many outdoor enthusiasts and locals who hike, bike and climb in the area.

Regreening Ségou, Mali (Nominating member Ferrino. Chosen by EOCA members)

Ségou is part of Mali’s arid Sahelian zone which has suffered dramatic deforestation due to agricultural land clearance, fuelwood use and fodder collection. This has led to soil erosion and desertification. Nearly 42,000 people in 70 villages will benefit from this project, which will establish 11 new tree nurseries, and plant over 320,000 trees to protect the environment and provide food, training and income to the local community. It will also provide an attractive area for travellers to visit and experience.

Mountain Forests Catalonia (Nominating member Petzl Foundation. Funded entirely by Original Buff, S.A.)

This forest management project will enable the outdoor user to get involved in conservation during 9 individual weeks of voluntary work, involving forest path restoration, forest thinning, habitat restoration, and bio-engineering work to mitigate erosion. This work will, amongst other things, enhance the habitat for the Capercaille and improve access to outdoor users by restoring and maintaining forest tracks.

EPIC – Exploring (& Education About) Peaks, Inspiring Conservation (Funded entirely by The North Face)

Funding from The North Face Explore Fund via EOCA will enable Respect the Mountains to develop and implement an EPIC day for 50 young people in Le Grand Massif area of France. During the day, the young people will be educated in respecting mountains, engaged in hands-on conservation work, inspired by Ambassadors and athletes from both organisations, and will have the opportunity to try a winter mountain activity

To find out more about the Association please go to: www.outdoorconservation.eu