The EUROPEAN OUTDOOR CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION (EOCA) launched its autumn online public vote this morning. The vote calls on anyone with an interest in nature and the great outdoors to help the association choose which projects it will fund this autumn.
In line with the association’s current two-year focus, Wild for Nature; EOCA’s Landscape Legacy Project, all projects on the shortlist are tackling biodiversity loss in extraordinary landscapes around the world.
Each year, EOCA runs two funding rounds, which include a thorough assessment process. This funding round saw EOCA receive nearly 250 applications for funding and the assessment process create a shortlist of 17 projects which best met the association’s criteria.
A high-profile online vote will now be held on the association’s website in which outdoor enthusiasts and nature lovers are asked to take part, in order to choose which of the shortlisted projects will receive funding.
The 17 projects have been divided into three categories: Forest, Water and Wild Places, depending on where the majority of the project work is located. All deal with the common issues of addressing biodiversity loss and the climate emergency.
Catherine Savidge, Joint General Manager, said, “The number of applications received during this funding round demonstrates just how important and needed the funding that EOCA members provide is. Right now, COP 15 is taking place in China, where governments are meeting to agree a new set of goals to address the deterioration of nature and biodiversity worldwide.
“With healthy habitats vital for the health of the planet, EOCA is calling for ambitious goals to be set at that conference through its partnership with Business for Nature. At the same time, it is also once again funding vital, on the ground conservation work around the world, to tackle this real threat of loss of biodiversity, thanks to the funding made available by its members. We encourage everyone to get involved, to support the 17 projects shortlisted by EOCA for funding.”
The vote will run until 29 October at 12 noon (BST) / 13.00 (CEST). Participants can vote once in each category per electronic device by going to EOCA’s WEBSITE and clicking on the green ‘Vote Now!’ button.
About EOCA
EOCA is an initiative from the European outdoor industry with the objective of protecting the wild areas it cares so passionately about, funded by membership and other fundraising activities. 100% of membership fees go to the support of projects.
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 over and above their annual membership fee. These funds are being used to finance the running of the Association and support its sustainable growth and enabled a move to 2 funding rounds per year.
The current EOCA Sustaining Members are: Pertex, KEEN Footwear, The North Face, Nikwax, ISPO and OutDoor by ISPO (Messe München), and the European Outdoor Group, which is also the Founder Member of the Association.
