Activism Stories
Author Eric Blehm is a longtime friend and field-report contributor of ours. His latest book, The Last Season, has just been released as a paperback version with a new cover and 16 new pages of text/photos, including an interview with the author, a tribute to mountaineer Patty Ramber, and an essay by Randy Morgenson (the…
A Letter From Bill McKibben Dear Friends— This is an invitation to help start a movement—to take one spring day and use it to reshape the future. Those of us who know that climate change is the greatest threat civilization now faces have science on our side; we have economists and policy specialists, courageous mayors…
Patagonia surf ambassador Mary Osborne just sent word that she’s going to be helping surf legend Robert August and Free Wheelchair Mission distribute 10,000 wheelchairs in Costa Rica. The project will be documented in a series of short videos narrated by Mary, Robert and Robert’s son, Sam August. We’ll try and wrangle a firsthand report…
Doug Tompkins is coming under fire once again in Argentina for his efforts to protect the environment. As most of you know, Doug and his wife, Kris Tomkins (former CEO of Patagonia), are buying large pieces of undeveloped land in Argentina and Chile in hopes of preserving the wild landscapes and ecosystems for future generations…
I was driving along the P.C.H. looking for an empty peak when I happened upon a surfer catching a lumpy right. I pulled over to see if there was anything consistent rolling through when, out of the corner of my eye, I saw it. A man stepped out of the van parked in front of me, looked around, and tossed his kitchen sized bag of garbage into the rocks. As I processed what I had just witnessed, his compatriot climbed out of the driver’s seat. Dirty rag in hand, the man started walking towards the rocks, while making a series of “any witnesses around” glances over his shoulder.
Can’t say I’ve ever heard of the CRO (Corporate Responsibility Officer), but they have graciously awarded Patagonia a 2006 Business Ethics Award. We won’t bore you with a long acceptance speech, but we’re grateful for the recognition. Thanks CRO! Business Ethics 18th Annual Awards [via Jackson Library Blog]
Can a Sierra Club activist and an oil platform designer be the first to install a wind farm off the coast of the United States? According to a recent article in Wired magazine they just might, and they’re planning to do it by recycling old oil rigs. I just love the mixture of irony and…
From the press release:VENTURA, Calif., March 5 /PRNewswire/ — Patagonia, the outdoor apparel manufacturer, announced today that the company’s Reno Service Center, was recently honored with the GOLD level Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). With this esteemed certification, Patagonia’s distribution center becomes only the second…
Editor’s note: Whenever Patagoina ambassador Ron Kauk visits the office I always try to track him down and say hello. I have great respect for Ron even though I’m not much of a climber. His love for Nature is deep and he seems to carry the spirit of Yosemite with him wherever he goes. Here’s…
The self-professed ‘Great Irritant’, Doug Peacock, stopped by the Patagonia campus today. Doug was kind enough to share some of his archival footage of the Grizzly bear (AKA “the Grizz”) filmed in and around the Rocky Mountains during the 70’s. He also read some journal passages from those times, as well as some excerpts from his books. Most importantly though, Doug spoke passionately about his relationship with the Grizzly bears and the tragic consequences that the de-listing of the Yellowstone population from the Endangered Species List will cause.
Patagonia’s environmental commitment extends to its extensive support of the Conservacion Patagonica program. Each year, employees have the opportunity to participate in one of three separate service trips designed to tackle the mountainous work required to transform retired ranches into a stunning new national park. This report comes to us from recent trip participant Andy Mitchell, of Patagonia’s…
Just got word from a tipster in the edit department about an opportunity for Patagoniacs in the Northeast to affect the climate change discussion. Sorry for the late notice on this one. I’m sure you can join up with the walk at any point. Action Now on Global Warming: Join Bill McKibben on the Interfaith…
Back in ’01-’02, well before Oceans as Wilderness, our environmental focus was on genetic engineering. While there were some victories associated with that campaign, the issue has not gone away. The following action alert came from one of our environmental grantees in California. Hopefully, more states will follow suit. Support New Legislation Protecting Communities and…
For those who don’t know about the Ojai Raptor Center, run by long-time Patagonia employee Kim Stroud, you should check it out in person or online at www.ojairaptorcenter.org I recently visited the center behind Kim’s home and was amazed at the work she’s doing for orphaned and injured birds of prey.When I first heard mention…
Bend, Oregon – The American Alpine Club presented its prestigious David R. Brower Award for conservation to Yvon Chouinard this Saturday, March 31. A quote from the American Alpine Club’s announcement: The Brower Award, created in 1991, recognizes leadership and commitmentto preserving mountain regions worldwide. The awardee, whose activepersonal role deserves public recognition, has made…
Check out this recent article in the LA Times – Ethanol Market, USDA Policies Shrink Conservation Reserve by Tim Reiterman – about how the government’s plan to boost corn production to meet rising ethanol demands could adversely affect our conservation areas.It’s a great article because it shows how switching to less environmentally harmful practices on…
Following up on his recent talk at Patagonia HQ, Doug Peacock just sent us the following letter on behalf of Yellowstone Grizzlies. Make sure and click the "Continue reading" link for details on how you can help. Your support is greatly encouraged and appreciated. Dear Friends: On March 29, 2007, the Department of the Interior…
Ever since Bend to Baja took the Interwebs by storm in late 2005, we’ve received a pretty steady flow of inquiries from friends and customers about how they can convert their own diesel rigs to run on straight vegetable oil. A recent article from the Santa Barbara Independent serves as a nice primer for anyone…
Thank you for all you do on behalf of our beautiful home. Smell the flowers, hug a tree, thank a bee and enjoy this special Earth Day episode of the Risky Biscuit Hayseed Hoot. Listen to "Songs and tunes for the Earth, about the Earth and forearthlings" [Photo: Apollo 17 Crew & NASA. With thanks…
The following report is brought to us by Ken Larussa, from our Reno Distribution Center, home of Patagonia’s Customer Service. If you’re a long-time customer, chances are good you’ve spoken to Ken at least once. After hearing about Ken’s trip and seeing his pictures, we’re lucky he came back. Wool. We all know it comes…
There are few pristine places left in the ocean, and our understanding of what is natural has shifted dramatically over time. But in the Line Islands there is an atoll where the corals are healthy and sharks are king. Last month, in support of our Oceans as Wilderness campaign, marine ecologist Dr. Enric Sala visited…
If you live in the Reno area or happen to be there on May 17, please join Rick Ridgeway for this special event at the Patagonia Service Center. Those not in the area can read about Rick’s journey in his book The Big Open: On Foot Across Tibet’s Chang Tang. THE BIG OPEN On Foot…
Several years ago I ran across the howies site. I felt they had a similar vibe, a focus on the environment and sports but with a stronger focus on cycling than we did, so I got hooked. I wrote to see if I could place an overseas order and a nice guy named Ade helped…
There was a somewhat quiet challenge issued deep in the comments of the "Support Human Power" post about who could saddle up more of their crew for Bike to Work Week: our Ventura HQ or the Reno Distribution Center. Not that it’s a contest or anything . . . BUT, well, we are feeling a…
What to do when you want to participate in Bike to Work Week but your commute’s a beefy one? Follow Team Bacon Strip. If the ride’s a long one, these guys aren’t afraid to start the night before. If you’re in the Reno area and want to punctuate your Bike to Work Week in fine…
An impressive-enough commute by car, 2 states and 3 counties are exactly what some of the folks who work in our Reno Distribution Center pedaled through to get to work Thursday morning. Undaunted by distance and mountain passes, Nate Hanson (Pro Sales), Tim Kipp (Customer Service), Anne Cahill (Account Manager), Rob Flesher (Call Center Mgr.)…
The results are in from the retail store Bike-to-Work challenge. Nick from Patagonia Seattle — the store that instigated the friendly competition — gives us the lowdown: The final numbers are in and we have the results for the Retail Cycling Challenge. First, I would like to say thank you to all the stores that…
This post comes from Patagoniac Kristin Jaeger, a PhD graduate student at Colorado State University who’s studying fluvial geomorphology. Kristin originally submitted this as an environmental essay for our catalog, but since it didn’t fit our current theme of Oceans as Wilderness we’re gladly presenting it here. If you have a story about invasive species…
We now turn our attention from the eradication of invasive species to the reintroduction of native species. Kris Tompkins, head of Conservacion Patagonica, sends word of a celebration on behalf of the giant anteater. Dear Family and Friends, After over two years of acquiring permissions from numerous national governmental agencies and four provinces, months spent…
I just received word this morning from my friends up at the Buffalo Field Campaign in West Yellowstone. Montana’s Department of Livestock is planning on trapping and slaughtering 300 wild buffalo – including calves as young as a few weeks, and their mothers. The agency plans to begin the roundup on Thursday, May 31. It’s…
Just last week, Montana’s Department of Livestock had plans to round up 300 wild buffalo (including babies) and ship them off this morning, June 4, to slaughter, because they’d wandered outside the boundaries of Yellowstone National Park. Thanks to the efforts of the Buffalo Field Campaign, their supporters and all of the media that picked…
Plastic bags make me cringe. They’re given away excessively at grocery stores and markets with barely a thought as to how they’ll be disposed or where they might end up. One gallon of milk? Two plastic bags. Greeting card? Plastic bag. Fresh produce? One plastic bag for each variety please. Plastic, plastic, everywhere. And none…
They say it takes about 30 days to form a new habit. It’s been about 30 days since we got rollingwith our Bike to Work Week festivities, so it’s time to check in: How y’all doing with that new habit of rolling through the sunny summer mornings on your way to the daily grind? Having…
Doug and Kris Tompkins were interviewed and Parque Pumalin toured last night on ABC’s Nightline. You can read a nice written recap of the story, with plenty of choice quotes from Doug and Kris, at the ABC News website. There’s also a streaming video about Parque Pumalin as a vacation destination. Millionaires With a Mission…
On May 11, Patagonia Ventura employees were treated to an hour-long presentation from Hunter Lovins. Hunter is the president and founder of Natural Capitalism Solutions and co- creator of the Natural Capitalism concept – a whole-system framework that promotes the economic advantages of sustainability. She was also noted by Time magazine as a "Hero for…
Last week, word came out from our friends at the Buffalo Field Campaign in West Yellowstone, Montana, that the state Dept. of Livestock decided not to round up and exterminate 300 wild buffalo (including calves less than a month old). Well, their compassion appears to have been short lived. We received word from the BFC…
"Wilderness," by both popular and political definition, is a large physical space devoid of the artifacts of human interference—no occupied permanent structures, no motors, no roads. To be something eligible for protection under the law, Wilderness must be a concrete thing, something that can be measured and documented. But in the wide-open stretches of Eastern…
[Lupines give definition to the "blue" in Blue Mass Canyon, Kern Mountains. White Pine County, NV. Photo: David Smoyer. Map: Proposed boundary for Blue Mass Wilderness. Survey work compared on-the-ground realities with this mapped proposal. Remote Nevada dirt roads are often little more than twin shadowy lines of heavily rutted singletrack. Hiking some of these…
sweep of velvet green meadow ringed with aspens, leaves manicured to an even height by the elk, deer, and few free-range cattle that move through these mountains each season. I’ll be leaving the car here, and setting out by bike as soon as I can organize my gear… [Morning blues in the Kerns. Photos: localcrew]…
Navigation of the washout is far from easy, the only reasonablechoice is to completely unload the bike and ferry it and my gear downthe embankment, across the stream, and up the steep and sandy oppositebank. The entire process takes 40 minutes. I cover 30 yards. Theroad on the far side of the creek steepens sharply…
We’ll get your weekend started with a post from Patagoniac and Sociology professor from Kalamazoo College, Dr. Mark A. Ritchie. Dr. Ritchie lives in Thailand and runs a study abroad program for American college students that focuses on the study of ecology and culture, specifically with activist communities in Thailand — groups fighting the damming…
Oil extraction and global warming are today’s hot environmental topics, and for good reason. But if you’re into looking ahead at the next big environmental fight look no further than life’s most basic resource: water. Thankfully there are already some grassroots environmental groups working hard to keep water rights in the hands of the people.…
There was a great interview on Democracy Now the other day with science journalist Chris Mooney, who has a new book called Storm World: Hurricanes, Politics and the Battle Over Global Warming. He looks at how the administration of George W. Bush has meddled with government scientists working on hurricane forecasting, global warming and other…
Brett Millar from Great Pacific Iron Works, sends us this report about some honored guests who visited recently: Great Pacific Iron Works, the original headquarters for the retail division of Patagonia in Ventura, California had an extremely unusual visitor this past week. Save Our Wild Salmon and their “Extinction Stops Here” road show stopped by…
by Lynn Hill I've been reading and hearing a lot of talk recently about the ominous phenomenon of bees dying all over the world. Most of what I've read on the subject points to pesticides as a possible reason why the bees are dying. Apparently, many farmers are spraying pesticides on their crops at the…
After speaking with my friends, Mike Lechlinski and Mari Gingery about their experiences in Yosemite and climbing on El Capitan this summer, I learned that many climbers are not doing their part in keeping the big walls clean. Apparently many people “accidentally” or even intentionally drop their garbage and poop off El Capitan and don’t…
In the same way we can’t drill our way to oil independence nor can we buy our way to a sustainable future. So was the gist of recent New York Times article on Sunday July 1st. Appropriately placed in the Sunday Styles section of the Times, the article (subscription required) goes on to point out…
Adrienne, one of my co-workers on the Web team, just sent this wonderful report from Japan where she’s halfway through a two-month long environmental internship with Umigame-kan Organization (translated) on Yakushima Island. On July 26, 2007 I saw my first baby sea turtle emerge from its nest. One minute there was nothing and in the next…
As an expert navigator of a craft that’s designed to run strictly on wind power, Patagoniac and US Sailing Team member Andrew Campbell brings us an interesting perspective on the environmental impact of organized competition. Andrew has been a member of the US Sailing Team since 2001 and is currently training and racing his Olympic-class…
I made a big mistake. It involves garlic. Buying organic is good, right? I tend to think so, especially when my guilt-free organic garlic is now only $0.25 more expensive than its non-certified shelf-mates over at the local eco-chic shop n’ strut. I’m a sucker for getting my values at a bargain, so I took…
The time has come for Patagonia to shift its environmental activism focus from Oceans as Wilderness to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The goal of our new campaign is to help secure permanent protection for the Coastal Plain of the Arctic Refuge through designation as Wilderness. To commemorate the Oceans as Wilderness campaign, we enjoyed…
This just in from some of the folks in our Reno Distribution Center. These people like to ride, which is why they pitch in every year to make sure one of their favorite trails stays in good shape. On Tuesday August 8/7, eight Patagonia employees from Reno worked on the multi-use Hole-in-the-Ground trail near Donner…
Back in June, Charlotte, Annette and Alyssa from the Creative Services department volunteered on Patagonia time for Growing Solutions, a great non-profit doing native plant work on the Channel Islands just off the coast of Ventura. Charlotte sent us this story about their day away from the office. Karen Flagg wrapped her hand around a…
While some Patagonia employee internships take place in remote locations around the world, others happen closer to home in front of a computer screen. It all depends on the skills each of us possess and how best we can help the group we choose to volunteer for. Drew from Patagonia’s I.T. department here in Ventura…
Some members of our European offices in Annecy, France recently participated in a volunteer program aimed at reintroduction of the previously extinct Bearded Vulture to the Alps. Their hands-on contributions to these efforts got them up close and personal with these amazing birds. Birds and colleagues alike enjoyed a spectacular day in a remarkably beautiful…
Farming is an issue of great concern for us. We staked our business on switching to organic cotton in 1996 and we ran a series of environmental essays on the dangers and uncertainties of genetic engineering in 2001-2002. Unfortunately, GE crops are still being grown and organic farming remains a quaint alternative. Fortunately, there are…
Not too long ago we told you about this year's Dirtbag Grant winners, the second recipients of the award. But who were the first? Today we're happy to share the story of the first Dirtbag Grantees, Vermont residents Brian Mohr and Emily Johnson, and their trip to "Endangered Patagonia." Here's a recap from Brian and…
This was submitted by Todd Tanner, the author of the field report "Balance" that appears in our Fall 2007 Catalog. Here’s our problem. We walk around the edges. We bar the gates. We bulldog those inconvenient – yeah, that is the word, isn’t it; inconvenient – truths to the ground and brand them Trouble With…
In the spirit of our Common Threads Garment Recycling program, Sterling Rope Company is launching a climbing rope recycling program in partnership with Rock/Creek Outfitters, ClimbingGear.com, and the Triple Crown Bouldering Series. Old ropes will be sent to a recycling facility where they’ll be melted into nylon pellets and remade into common household items. Read…
In the last six months, I’ve been to two sushi bars on the east and west coasts, one in Brooklyn, New York, on Smith Street, and one in Santa Barbara, on State Street (you know who you are) that have bluefin tuna on the menu. Here is what Blue Ocean Institute, a highly respected organization,…
The outdoor bowl in beautiful Ojai, CA was the perfect setting on October 7 for Jackson Browne, The Household Gods, and many other friends to pledge their musical support for the Ojai Raptor Center. The sun shone, volunteers worked the crowd with a raptor on their arm, and the music flowed over the packed house.…
You may have already taken a peek at our Footprint Chronicles. We launched it a couple of weeks ago and put an announcement up here on TCL. The Footprint Chronicles is a window of sorts. We’re hoping that through it, our customers can see how we’re analyzing our environmental and social impacts and what we’re…
We recently received a request to post a list of Y.C.’s favorite books on The Cleanest Line. We’ll do our best to make that happen, but in the meantime there is one book Patagonia has been recommending since the launch of our Common Threads Garment Recycling program. The book is Plan B 2.0: Rescuing a…
[Ed note: This is the first of a three-part post from former Patagonia employee Matt Hunt. Matt was kind enough to share the details of his conversion of a Toyota Land Cruiser using Patagonia’s alternative transportation incentive plan. Read on for an inside look at one man’s eco-fueled automotive quest.] The Parking-Lot Culture Working for…
Back in January, Patagonia paid me to go to Chile for two weeks to volunteer with ForestEthics, a North American-based environmental group working to preserve and protect native forest. My name is Jim Little. I’m an editor here at Patagonia, and one of 21 employees last year who took advantage of one of the coolest…
In case you’ve been missing it, Democrat-sponsored Clean Energy legislation is up for a vote soon. Late Thursday night, word came down that Congressional leaders are considering dropping the mandates for clean energy alternatives. It’s a matter of days before the votes are cast, so time is running out to let your Senators and Representatives…
Rare to see YC holding a fish out of water for even a second but this 26 pound Zolotaya River chromer required closer inspection. This Russian beauty had been caught on the nearby Rynda two summers ago and blue-tagged to identify it as a product of Rynda waters — proof of salmo salar’s wandering capabilities,…
If you receive Patagonia email alerts – or as I like to call them "e-nugs" (sign-up today, you won’t regret it) – your Inbox is more than likely housing our latest email encouraging action on behalf of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Back in September, the Alaska Wilderness League’s Executive Director, Cindy Shogan, and writer/photographer,…
Patagonia catalog subscribers should be seeing the Holiday 2007 issue in their mailboxes now. Entitled "Conservacion Patagonica," the catalog showcases both gift ideas from our winter clothing line and the story surrounding the creation of Patagonia National Park in Chile. Founded by former Patagonia, Inc. CEO, Kristine Tompkins, Conservacion Patagonica is a non-profit organization dedicated…
After my Long Trail thru-hike, I made a commitment to get involved with the GreenMountain Club (a non-profit organization that works to protect and maintain trails in Vermont) and give back to the Long Trail. Fulfilling this promise, I become a “summit steward” and “ridge runner” in the fall of 2003. One of my assignments…
You might not be organic, sustainable, fair trade, or free range, but you try to make sure your shopping is. When it comes to fish, you know it’s a healthy choice, but are also aware of the impact of industrial fishing practices. Perhaps you’re even aware of Blue Ocean Institute’s unique Guide to Ocean-Friendly Seafood.…
For those who haven’t been paying attention to the ongoing climatetalks on the island of Bali, Indonesia, representatives from the US,Japan and a few other countries have been dragging theirfeet again in negotiations on a sucessor to the Kyoto Protocol when itexpires in 2012. Right now they’re refusing to sign an agreement calling forindustrialized nations…
