Great Outdoor Blog

RALEIGH, NC – Customers of Great Outdoor Provision Co. got more than a great deal on outdoor gear this month – they helped preserve open space within North Carolina.

Customers voted for natural areas to save as a new recreation destination. The contest was a part of Great Outdoor Provision Co.’s celebration of Land Trust Day, an annual celebration in which local businesses and the state’s land trusts work together to save natural areas in the community. Patagonia, the manufacturer of outdoor clothing and equipment, provided underwriting for the contest with a $3,000 grant to help protect the chosen site which was the Piedmont Regional Greenway. To read about details of this project, visit: http://greatoutdoorprovision.com/culture/wesupport/patagonia-land-grant/

In addition to sponsoring the contest, Great Outdoor Provision Co. donates 10 percent of sales on Land Trust Day from each of its nine stores to land trusts that serve the stores’ regions. Volunteers from the local land trusts were on hand to share information with customers. The North Face, Royal Robbins and ExOfficio provided gifts for those who joined the land trust that day. Including the grant, Great Outdoor Provision Co. donated $13,000 to local land trusts this year.

“We wanted to use this year’s Land Trust Day to highlight the rapid rate at which North Carolina is losing – and will continue to lose – its beautiful open spaces to development.” said Tom Valone, Great Outdoor Provision Co. president. “The contest was a way for us to make our customers aware of the work land trusts are doing to save the places we all love.”

Land Trust Day was founded by Great Outdoor Provision Co. in 1992 as a way to celebrate National Trails Day, which is always the first Saturday of June. To read more about Land Trust Day, visit: http://greatoutdoorprovision.com/culture/wesupport/land-trust-day/

“We see Land Trust Day as a way for businesses to participate in a self-imposed ‘earth tax’,” said Valone. “Many people do not realize the important work land trusts are doing in their communities. We hope by supporting land trusts we are calling attention to their good work and contributing to it.”

Triangle Land Conservancy’s Green Jamboree is this SATURDAY, JUNE 21, 3 to 7 pm!!!

This year’s Green Jamboree celebrates 25 years TLC! How appropriate that Green Jamboree is being held at the Irvin Farm.

Logan Irvin was one of TLC’s founding board members in 1983 and a vocal proponent of the stewardship responsibilities of that new organization. When Logan died in 1984, TLC named the stewardship endowment in his honor: the Logan Irvin Fund. Before his death, Logan and his wife, Elinor, decided they would leave their 169-acre Orange County farm to TLC in their will. Elinor passed away in January 2007 after a long illness and TLC has been working steadily since to honor the memories of Logan and Elinor by bringing this once vibrant farm back to life.

Green Jamboree marks the first public opening of the Irvin Farm. Please come out and help us make it a special day.

Green Jamboree 2008 features:
* Music by The Bluegrass Experience
* Barbecue dinner with all the fixin’s and plentiful vegetarian options
* Soft drinks and Beer from the Carolina Brewery of Pittsboro
* Tours of the Irvin Farm
* TLC’s Volunteers of the Year presentation
* REI’s Promoting Environmental Awareness in Kids program (4 pm)
* Lawn games (some provided, but bring your own favorites, too!)
* Catch-and-release fishing in the small pond
* Mist tent and other cool activities
* For TLC members, voting for the board of directors

That’s all included in the $10 per person (kids under 12 free) advance ticket price!

Go to GreenJamboree.org to get your tickets.

Congratulations to Piedmont Regional Greenway, Winner of our 2008 “Vote for Land” sponsored by Patagonia and Great Outdoor Provision Co.

When the “polls” closed at 12 noon June 6th, Piedmont Regional Greenway was the winner of the $3000 grant from Patagonia. Thanks to everyone who participated in the 2008 “Vote for Land” event. We had nearly 13,000 people participate in the voting. Very exciting to see such a passionate response to preserve open space in our State. The votes cast produced the following results:

• The Piedmont Regional Greenway - 4003
• Rocky Fork - 3806
• Pond Mountain - 2750
• The Terra Nova Center - 879
• Town Creek Riparian Forest - 487
• Tar River Paddle Trail - 476
• First Island, Deep River - 324

Join us today, Saturday, June 7th for Land Trust Day as we donate 10% of our sales to local land trusts. Volunteer opportunities to work on area trails can be found HERE

Please support these Land Trust Day 2008 Business Partners in the the Triangle region by shopping with them this Saturday, June 7

Great Outdoor Provision Co, Raleigh (9 locations across NC) - donating 10% of sales
Anders Natural Soap Co., Raleigh - donating 5% of sales
Barnes Supply Company, Durham - donating 5% of sales
Bean Traders, Chapel Hill and Durham - donating 15% of sales
Cozy, Durham - donating 15% of sales
Flanders Art Gallery, Raleigh - donating 10% of sales
French Connections, Pittsboro - donating 10% of sales
Harmony Farms, Raleigh - Business Partner donation
Ornamentea, Raleigh - donating 5% of sales
The Play House Toy Store, Durham - donating 15% of sales
The Regulator Bookshop, Durham - donating 5% of sales
Townsend Bertram & Company, Carrboro - Business Partner donation
Twig, Chapel Hill - donating 10% of sales
Vaguely Reminiscent, Durham - donating 15% of sales
Wild Bird Center of Chapel Hill - donating 10% of sales

For more details, visit: landtrustday.com/partners

What is a Land Trust?

A land trust/conservancy is a nonprofit organization that actively works to conserve land by undertaking or assisting in direct land transactions. Primarily the purchase or acceptance of donations of land or conservation easements. There are 23 land trusts in North Carolina working to save the places you love by protecting our ecological diversity, water quality and open space.

» More Info

Yvon Chouinard (Founder of Patagonia) is a featured speaker on the Wall Street Journal’s “Forward Thinking”

“Mountain climber, environmental activist and owner of Patagonia, Yvon Chouinard is in business to change the way that business is done.”

» Wall Street Journal Feature

Join us June 7, 2008 for our Annual Land Trust Day

10% of Sales Donated to LOCAL LAND TRUSTS:

• Catawba Lands Conservancy
• Piedmont Land Conservancy
• Triangle Land Conservancy
• NC Coastal Land Trust

» National Trails Day events

» FMST Trail events across the state

Great Outdoor Provision Co. will present a $3000 Land Grant from Patagonia to the winning project.

» CAST YOUR VOTE HERE

Save the date - LAND TRUST DAY is June 7

Help protect open space by shopping with us on Sat, June 7. 10% of sales will be donated to local land trusts. Voting ends at noon on June 6. Land Grant winner will be announced on June 7.

It was great to see our good friends from Larry’s Beans yesterday. They stopped by the Raleigh Shop to brew up some tasty coffee samples during the Get Out More Tour.

Check out their website Sustainability School for “basic facts and the latest tips to blaze a bright future for the planet”

Earth Day (April 22) is a big part of our culture at Great Outdoor Provision Co. Stop by your local shop and check out earth friendly gear & clothing. Check out the Official US Earth Day Page

Great events going on across the state:

Walk/Bike/Run for Umstead - Sat. April 19

Choose between a 4 mile Walk/Run on a Park trail, a 3-mile beginner mountain bike tour, or a 7-mile intermediate mountain bike tour. Enjoy live music along the trail and on the main stage. A community event for the appreciation, use, and preservation of William B. Umstead State Park. Funds raised will be used for controlling invasive plants, protecting native wildflowers, environmental education, and land acquisition.

Piedmont Earth Day Fair - Sat, April 19

Come learn how you can make a difference, enjoy good food and entertainment, and be part of the movement to protect our earth. Presented by the Piedmont Environmental Alliance4055 Robinhood Road - Winston-Salem, 10 am - 5 pm

Burt’s Bees 1st Annual Planet Earth Celebration - Sat, April 19

Burt’s Bees is presenting a “fun-filled, interactive experience that will bring together our community to celebrate our planet while learning practical ways individuals can help make our local and global environment healthy.”

Museum of Natural Sciences - Downtown Raleigh

Charlotte Clean and Green - April 18-21

An annual community-wide event designed to inspire, educate, and help you practice living more Green in your everyday life.

Central Campus of Central Piedmont Community College

Reef’s new line of sandals aptly named, “The Redemption Series” uses renewable, recycled, and/or organic materials to produce unique Reef product. Check out their website at www.reefredemption.com or even better, stop by your local Great Outdoor Provision Co. and give a pair a try. Not available in all shops.

Remixed - $32

• INGEO FIBER WOVEN UPPER, TOE POST AND STITCHING THREAD
• CHROME FREE NUBUCK LOGO
• CUSTOM MOLDED 51% POST-INDUSTRIAL WASTE RECYCLED
• FOOTBED WITH WOVEN TEXTURE AND ANATOMICAL ARCH
• RECYCLED CAR TIRE RUBBER OUTSOLE
• WATER BASED CEMENT

Stash - $57

• CHROME FREE NUBUCK LEATHER AND HEMP UPPER
• WINSHOW ULTRA-SOFT 95% SOY FIBER LINING
• INGEO FIBER TOE POST AND STITCHING
• REDEMPTION FOAM UPPER PADDING
• CONTOURED COMPRESSION MOLDED 51% POST-INDUSTRIAL RECYCLED EVA FOOTBED
• 30% RECYCLED CONTENT RUBBER OUTSOLE
• WATER BASED CEMENT
• RECYCLED ALUMINUM PEN W/REFILLABLE INK CARTRIDGE
• SECRET STASH POCKET

Brink - $45

• NATURAL TEXTILE UPPER
• SHOCK ABSORBING LATEX RUBBER INSOLE
• MOLDED VULCANIZED MIDSOLE TAPE
• MOLDED INDO RUBBER OUTSOLE
• REDEMPTION COLORWAY OFFERED