Archives: Press Releases

Washington, D.C. (May 29, 2024) — Today, Outdoor Alliance announces the hire of Taylor Rogers as Outdoor Alliance’s new Grasstops Advocacy Director. Rogers will guide 20 members of the first cohort of its Grasstops Collective, a leadership and advocacy development program that trains grasstops advocates to build relationships with policymakers and advocate for conservation priorities.

The Grasstops Collective program will train these community leaders on conservation-based advocacy skills, such as building meaningful relationships with decision-makers, including policymakers and their staff; identifying opportunities for others in their community to advocate for public lands and outdoor recreation; and legislative terminology and process. Advocates who graduate from the program will go on to advocate for conservation and recreation policy for years to come.

“There are many engaged individuals committed to public land and outdoor recreation advocacy, and this program aims to help amplify their efforts through their larger networks,” said Adam Cramer, CEO of Outdoor Alliance. “We see this program as a means for generating a ripple effect in the outdoor community that inspires more people to pair their adventure pursuits with civic engagement.”

This cohort of 20 grasstops advocates come from across the country, with various backgrounds, outdoor recreation pursuits, and leadership roles. They include leaders of local climbing organizations, executive directors of mountain bike, recreation, and trail running organizations, Indigenous leaders, outdoor business leaders, and a 10th-generation West Virginian. View the 2024 Grasstops Collective cohort here.

Rogers has worked in policy and advocacy targeting decision-makers from local city councils to global leaders, most recently having worked as the Senior Legislative Aide for a Colorado state senator. She completed a master’s in development studies specializing in Power, Participation, and Social Change from the University of Sussex in England, centering her career around facilitation, community building, and volunteer engagement.

“Grasstops leaders are unique for their meaningful voices in their communities, whether in business, nonprofit, or local government. They are the unofficial mayors who know everyone at the crag, trailhead, or put-in,” said Rogers. “I’m very excited to help coordinate Outdoor Alliance’s first-ever Grasstops Collective cohort and help train these grasstops leaders on outdoor policy and advocacy, so they can move the needle on conservation, recreation, and climate policy.”

If you’re interested in Outdoor Alliance’s advocacy work and how to get more involved, you can sign up to learn more here.

To learn more about Outdoor Alliance, please visit www.outdooralliance.org.

About Outdoor Alliance

Outdoor Alliance is the only organization in the U.S. that unites the voices of outdoor enthusiasts to conserve public lands. A nonprofit coalition comprised of 10 national advocacy organizations, Outdoor Alliance’s members include American Whitewater, the American Canoe Association, Access Fund, the International Mountain Bicycling Association, Winter Wildlands Alliance, the Mountaineers, the American Alpine Club, the Mazamas, the Colorado Mountain Club, and the Surfrider Foundation. By working with its member coalitions and helping mobilize the involvement of individuals to protect public lands and waters, OA helps ensure public lands are managed in a way that embraces the human-powered experience. Outdoor Alliance — conservation powered by outdoor recreation. Learn more at OutdoorAlliance.org.

 

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AMHERST, Mass. (May  29, 2024) – OrthoLite®, the global leader of branded, high-performance, comfort footwear solutions, and its sustainable materials solutions subsidiary Cirql™ are proud to join The Conservation Alliance (TCA). In joining TCA, OrthoLite and Cirql support the organization’s grantmaking, corporate advocacy and communications programs that protect wild places and outdoor spaces in North America, shifting the landscape of conservation.

Through the partnership, OrthoLite and Cirql join more than 270 like-minded companies championing public lands conservation, and solutions that balance the best interests of the land, water, wildlife, and people. With the support of its members, The Conservation Alliance has awarded more than $32.6M through 972 grants for conservation projects across North America since 1989.

From the very first OrthoLite insole in 1997, every OrthoLite product has been engineered with a technology that repurposed rubber waste, which set the precedent for using recycled rubber in billions of OrthoLite insoles ever since. OrthoLite and Cirql are both vertically integrated, with seven manufacturing facilities located on four continents. OrthoLite and Cirql have a stalwart commitment for continual improvement with its sustainable manufacturing processes, products, and circular material solutions. Joining The Conservation Alliance enables both brands to extend a commitment to lessening impact on the environment to include place-based conservation.

OrthoLite’s subsidiary Cirql is a sustainable materials solutions provider intent on introducing new products that are either fully recyclable or biodegradable to global footwear brands. The big picture goal of Cirql is to help move the footwear industry toward true circularity, by enabling footwear brands to reduce product carbon footprints by offering more sustainable materials solutions and eliminating the use of hazardous chemicals in the manufacturing process.

“The Conservation Alliance is doing important work to protect the outdoor places where our brand partners, end consumers, and our own OrthoLite team members recreate and enjoy the outdoors. We couldn’t be more proud to join the ranks of other like-minded businesses within The Conservation Alliance,” said Glenn Barrett, founder and CEO of OrthoLite.

“We are thrilled to welcome OrthoLite and Cirql as members of The Conservation Alliance,” said Conor McElyea, Senior Director of Membership and Partnerships at The Conservation Alliance. “Partnering with companies that share our dedication to conservation continues to drive efforts to protect our wild places. Together, we provide the much-needed funding to community-based campaigns working to protect the places we recreate.”

OrthoLite kicks off its partnership with The Conservation Alliance as the sponsor of the organization’s upcoming networking happy hour event at the Outside Summit on the eve of the inaugural Outside Festival. The OrthoLite-sponsored networking happy hour will take place at the Denver Art Museum (100 W 14th Ave Pkwy) on May 31 at 5:00 p.m.

To learn more about The Conservation Alliance and how it is protecting wild places and outdoor spaces, visit ConservationAlliance.com.

About OrthoLite®
OrthoLite® is the world’s leading supplier of open-cell foam technology, and the innovator and creator of Cirql™, the sustainable materials solutions provider that provides footwear brands and their factory partners with the most sustainable, circular choice in materials. OrthoLite is found in more than 550 footwear brands across all categories of footwear. The company also has a long-standing history of meaningful partnerships and sponsorships that demonstrate a dedicated commitment to supporting its customers, consumers, brand partners and the footwear industry. OrthoLite is a member of The Conservation Alliance, The European Outdoor Conservation Association, and is a founding supporter of the Two Ten Foundation. Stay up to date with company news by visiting OrthoLite.com and following OrthoLite on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn. To learn more about the benefits of OrthoLite, visit www.ortholite.com.

About The Conservation Alliance
The Conservation Alliance (TCA) is a coalition of over 270 like-minded member companies who pool resources to fund and advocate for the protection of North America’s cherished wild places and outdoor spaces. Through the collective power of their membership – companies from a range of industries – the outdoor industry to brewers, bankers, sportsmen, and renewable energy – TCA takes bold steps to conserve wild public lands and waters. Since 1989, they’ve awarded over $31.5 million in grants and helped protect over 81 million acres and 3,580 river miles, remove or halt 38 dams, purchase 22 climbing areas & designate five marine reserves. For complete information about The Conservation Alliance, visit www.conservationalliance.com.

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Birmingham, AL – MeatEater, one of America’s top brands in outdoor media and consumer products, today announced the Official MeatEater Partnership Program, designed to elevate the relationship between MeatEater and Moultrie Mobile while being aligned with MeatEater’s mission to bring Americans closer to nature. Moultrie Mobile will be integrated across MeatEater’s video, website, marketing, and events.

As the official trail camera partner of the MeatEater crew, Moultrie Mobile will offer a unique line of its innovative cellular trail cameras in collaboration with MeatEater, which will be available at themeateater.com and in MeatEater’s flagship retail store in Bozeman, MT. As a part of their participation in the Official MeatEater Partnership program, Moultrie Mobile will also serve as the presenting sponsor of future MeatEater content including a new Whitetail 101 series featuring Wired to Hunt’s Mark Keyon and Tony Peterson. Throughout the series, viewers will be able to learn tips, tricks and best practices for incorporating cellular trail cameras and the feature-rich Moultrie Mobile App into their scouting and hunting efforts.

“MeatEater is the pinnacle of outdoor media because they connect with their audience in a real and genuine way,” says Daniel Wilson, Moultrie Mobile’s General Manager. “They could have partnered with anyone, but they chose Moultrie Mobile because we are the leader in cellular trail camera innovation. Moultrie Mobile is excited to partner and grow with the MeatEater team.”

Moultrie is trailblazing the path in the hunt-connected ecosystem with its reliable and trusted cellular trail cameras, connected feeders, and powerful app. Moultrie Mobile doesn’t just deliver images, it delivers the intel hunters need.

“We couldn’t be more excited to welcome Moultrie Mobile to the MeatEater family,” says Andrew Barge, MeatEater’s Chief Content Officer. “The multitude of shared values between our organizations — product innovation, customer service, and commitment to conservation, to name a few — provide an excellent foundation for success. From content to commerce collaborations, we look forward to a strong partnership for years to come.”

About Moultrie Mobile:

Headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, Moultrie Mobile is the leader in cellular trail camera innovation, building products used by hunters, property owners, and others for real-time remote monitoring. Moultrie Mobile is a business unit of PRADCO Outdoor Brands. PRADCO’s hunting brands include Whitetail Institute, Texas Hunter, Summit, Knight & Hale, and Code Blue. PRADCO Fishing manufactures and markets products for freshwater and saltwater anglers under 20+ brands, including Rebel, YUM, Booyah, War Eagle Custom Lures, Lindy, and Bomber.

 

BOULDER, Colo. (May 28, 2024) – Astronaut Ice Cream, the original source for freeze-dried astronaut ice cream developed with NASA in 1974 is proud to announce that it has been awarded the prestigious STEM.org Authenticated™ trustmark. STEM.org is the leading and exclusive third-party validator of STEM toys, games, and other learning resources. This recognition not only validates the educational value of Astronaut Foods, but also opens up new opportunities in the rapidly growing educational and STEM markets. The timing for receiving the authentication this year also coincides with the brand’s 50th-anniversary celebration.

“We are excited by the opportunity to expand further into STEM, which is especially timely as we celebrate half a century of Astronaut Foods and three generations of family ownership,” said Soraya Smith, President of Astronaut Foods. “Astronaut Ice Cream has helped inspire millions to think big and this authentication aligning with our anniversary is not just about what we’ve accomplished over the past 50 years; it’s about the future and the next generation of space enthusiasts and ice cream lovers. We look forward to reigniting this spark for the next generation through creative and hands-on initiatives.”

With a mission to provide engaging educational experiences, Astronaut Foods is poised to explore the development of educational kits for both home and classroom environments. The STEM.org trustmark, which will be proudly displayed on Astronaut Foods products, enables the company to connect with new audiences, forge partnerships, and secure retail placements.

“Astronaut Foods isn’t just a delicious nostalgia-packed snack, their products have been helping push the boundaries of space exploration, discoveries, and sparking curiosity of planetary sciences amongst students for the past 50 years,” said Andrew Raupp, Founder, and CEO of STEM.org. “We are excited to issue Astronaut Foods with the STEM.org Authenticated™ trustmark for their commitment to helping nurture quality educational experiences through Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.”

Benefits of the STEM.org Authenticated™ trustmark for Astronaut Foods include:

• Retail Partner Fast-Tracking & SEO Optimization: The Authenticated™ trustmark facilitates faster integration with retail partners and enhances internal Search Engine Optimization, serving as an attribute filter on retailer
• Extensive Educational Network Access: Astronaut Foods gains access to a complimentary CAN-SPAM list with data on over 5,000 top-performing US K-12 STEM schools, reaching an audience of over 400,000
• Promotion through STEM.org Channels: The authentication brings promotional opportunities through @stemdotorg social media channels and daily/weekly newsletters, reaching tens of thousands of followers.
• Anti-Counterfeit Measures: The org Trustmark serves as an anti-counterfeit measure, ensuring the authenticity and quality of Astronaut Foods products in the market.

Astronaut Foods is excited about the possibilities that the STEM.org authentication brings, solidifying its commitment to education and creating a lasting impact on the future of STEM learning. To read more about this authentication, check out the blog post here.

For more information on Astronaut Foods, please visit: https://astronautfoods.com/

About Astronaut Foods

Founded in 1974 in conjunction with NASA and based in Boulder, Colorado, Astronaut Foods is the original source for freeze-dried ice cream — an out of this world treat. Today, the company sells freeze-dried ice cream sandwiches and freeze-dried fruit. Astronaut Foods can be found in museums, toy shops, amusement parks, and outdoor stores all across North America, Europe, and Asia. Additionally, Astronaut Foods is dedicated to supporting people and organizations whose goal is to push the boundaries of space exploration and discovery. For more information and a complete list of products, visit astronautfoods.com.

About American Outdoor Products

American Outdoor Products (AOP) is a food manufacturer located in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Boulder, CO. Established in 1951, American Outdoor Products remains an independent, privately held, family-owned, and operated company distributing products throughout the world. Inspired by a passion for unique cuisine and exciting adventures, the company produces Backpacker’s Pantry, adventure food for the outdoors; Astronaut Foods,

out-of-this-world novelty treats; Chef Soraya grab-and-go plant-based meals; and Colorado Spice, all-natural and organic artisan spice blends. To learn more, visit: https://backpackerspantry.com

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BEND, Ore. (May 28, 2024) — Metolius Climbing, a leading manufacturer and designer of innovative climbing gear, won Climbing Magazine’s prestigious Editor’s Choice award for its new Roll Up Stick Clip Kit. Climbing’s editors put the newest and most innovative climbing hardware through rigorous testing over the course of several months before deciding on their favorites. The Roll Up Stick Clip Kit came out on top, and was lauded for its durability and versatility, amongst other accolades.

The Roll Up Stick Clip Kit is a unique addition to Metolius’ lineup of climbing products, with a revolutionary technology that allows a lightweight, rigid, 3m (9.8’) pole to roll up into a 95mm x 115mm (3.75” x 4.5”) package. It’s the most compact and portable stick clip on the market, making it incredibly easy to travel with despite its long length when unrolled and in use. The full kit weighs 28 oz., and includes:

• 3m (9.8’) composite stick clip pole with universal end-fitting
• US painter’s pole thread adaptor – accepts Superclip™ attachment (Standard and Rescue) or a wide variety of brushes, broom heads, etc.
• ¼-20 camera mount adapter – which allows users to turn their stick clip into a camera extension pole that works with GoPro and other similar camera mounts
• The Superclip™ – the original and best option for clipping bolts and retrieving carabiners/quickdraws. Works with any non-locking carabiner from the FS Mini, to ovals
• Carry bag

“Its compact design comes courtesy of a space-age composite material that comes tightly rolled into a cylinder,” said Climbing. “Like a Fruit Roll-Up, it unfurls and refolds into a tube that you can click the end fitting into. I was initially skeptical about durability, but after unrolling and re-rolling it dozens of times and banging the stick around at the crags, it’s remained as solid as day one, with no cracking or deformation…if you’re flying to your climbing destination, there’s no better option than this innovative option from Metolius.”

For more information on the Roll Up Stick Clip Kit and the rest of Metolius’ offerings, please visit metoliusclimbing.com.

About Metolius

Founded in 1983 near the headwaters of the Metolius River, Metolius equipment was born out of respect for rock climbing. Metolius has since built a solid reputation as a leading designer and manufacturer of performance rock climbing equipment that is Safer by Design. Metolius has always focused on new and innovative rock climbing gear while ensuring the highest quality available. They’ve built a strong reputation as an innovator in the design of cutting-edge rock climbing gear. Metolius is proud to be able to claim innovations in just about every category of rock climbing gear from traditional, sport, bouldering and big wall/technical alpine. Metolius also works to educate others to preserve the environment and the climbing lifestyle. For more information, visit www.metoliusclimbing.com.