2% for Conservation

If you are new to following 2%, you might not know that we have referral programs - Both for individuals and B2B! Here’s the hook: • Individuals - If you refer a business, we will buy you a membership or make a donation for the conservation cause of your choosing… and it scales. Way up to life memberships and beyond. • Current 2% Businesses - If you refer another business, you get a massive discount on your dues… and it scales, too. Up to 100%. A couple of our business members already do this every year. Want to learn more? Heck yeah, you do! https://lnkd.in/gWA_27tB

"Orange-washing" is taking over the hunting industry. #orangewashing is a deceptive marketing and PR practice in which hunting brands spend substantial resources to claim that they support conservation and hunting but in reality give very little of their time or money to conservation or hunter education and ethics programs. Learn how to recognize orange-washing, the damage it is doing to both conservation and the future of hunting, what is driving its expansion and acceptance, and what hunters can do about it. https://lnkd.in/gYrrd54M #huntingindustry #conservation

We (the collective Outdoor/Hunting/Conservation Industries) need to talk about what I am calling "orange-washing". #orangewashing is when a hunting brand claims to be all about supporting hunting and conservation but gives very little to hunter education, hunting ethics, or wildlife conservation programs. If big hunting brands were doing all they say they were, we wouldn't have the massive hunter educator and wildlife habitat funding shortages that we are seeing across the landscape today. And #privateequity is currently a major culprit behind this. As someone who has seen the books of dozens of the biggest hunting brands in N. America before, during, and after corporate/private buyouts, I can tell you - they are robbing from the future for a short-term payday. 2% for Conservation exists to put an end to this dishonest and nefarious practice that is eating conservation groups and their programs alive. Oh, and for those wondering, this waterhole sit ended in some #conservationkarma via a 286" bull elk running off with one my arrows. 🤘

You cannot buy authenticity. You have to earn it. When we talk about small intentional efforts to use your 2% Certification to build brand trust in your community, this is what we mean! The folks at Okayest Hunter®️ could have just done what everyone else does with an event press release: "We are giving money to XYZ org at this event. [Please like us for it.]" But, the addition of "verified by 2% for Conservation" changes the entire tone. That half-sentence shows their brand is accountable to more than making a buck. That they are not just using the conservation group's name as a marketing asset. They are authentic. Great job, guys! https://lnkd.in/g5_yYzNa

With Q3 coming to a close, how is your team's health? The science around the relationship between time outdoors and employee health is heavily studied and conclusive: They need it. As you go into Q4, consider our tips for improving your team dynamics and employee quality of life (while also supporting conservation): https://lnkd.in/gFcEk5Ge

Our most successful members use their recertification to enhance their businesses - not just to report their charitable giving to conservation. This morning, our business members received our three tips to get the most out of their annual recertification with us, and we are sharing the piece with you as well! https://lnkd.in/ghZesz9u

Volunteer burnout is coming for your team. Thankfully, the actions you take now can cut it off at the pass -- before it burns through your crew and your life. We are the only independent non-profit certification organization that certifies businesses for volunteering their time to wildlife conservation. Trust us when we tell you -- NO ONE is immune to volunteer burnout. Back from the archives, but with an important 2024 update from our Exec. Dir., is our "Burnout: Fighting the #1 Enemy of Volunteer Time" guide. Even if you read it way back "in the before times" of 2019, the principles remain true. We are seeing a new big wave of volunteer burnout across the wildlife conservation space - especially in the volunteer boards of non-profit groups and their chapters. Together, we can get out ahead of this wave and continue giving our full and productive lives for future generations... without destroying the current one. https://lnkd.in/ej35mrTN

We just certified a new ultralight gear manufacturer: Mountain Minimal! "Here at Mountain Minimal®, a conservation ethic is at the core of our moral compass. Those who came before us upheld our hunting heritage by conserving wild places and wildlife. Conservation allows us to feed our families, engage in growth-inspiring experiences, and forge lasting memories. Mountain Minimal® supports conservation so that we can continue to do what we do as hunters, as a company, and out of a deep reverence for wild places and wildlife. Every product has its impact. Mountain Minimal® is doing what we can to mitigate this. First, we prioritize the longevity of our products. Second, we consider the materials we use. Currently our tripods and packaging are constructed of a high percentage of recycled material and are 100% recyclable. Certified by 2% for Conservation, we commit at least 1% of sales and 1% of staff time to conservation, and we don't stop here. Mountain Minimal® partners with, and supports conservation non-profits in creative ways, and offers a pro-discount to conservation professionals." - Mountain Minimal Founder, Braden Hourigan To earn their 2% Certification, Mountain Minimal has committed in their inaugural year to support the conservation work of the Rocky Mountain Goat Alliance and The Nature Conservancy. Learn more about this awesome new gear company from the North Cascades on their 2% Profile, here: https://lnkd.in/gnh2UDv8

Colorado-based Davis Tent is helping wildlife by fighting “ballot biology.” Learn how “ballot biology” undermines science-based conservation and what 2% Certified Davis Tent is doing to fight it in their home state. https://lnkd.in/guZjNzWU

The first professional forestry services company to earn our certification is from the great state of Washington!⁠ ⁠ Pacific Ghost Forestry Services is owned and operated by Ryan Ferrill, based out of Stevenson, WA - right on the Washington / Oregon border.⁠ ⁠ "As a member of various conservation organizations, Pacific Ghost Forestry Services, Inc. provides a voice and monetary support to continue protecting habitat throughout North America. Locally, we participate in conservation projects both, through volunteer hours with conservation groups, and through our business dealings." says Ferrill.⁠ ⁠ "As experts in forest management and the various States’ forest practices, we go above and beyond in our effort to protect habitat in forested landscapes. Additionally, we regularly plan, implement and monitor land management activities that create better habitat, with the ultimate goal of attracting and supporting wildlife. Each of these projects is viewed at both the individual property level AND the surrounding/greater landscape level."⁠ ⁠ To earn their certification, Pacific Ghost Forestry Services has committed to give at least 1% of their gross sales and 1% of their time to:⁠ • Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation⁠ • Mule Deer Foundation⁠ • Pheasants Forever⁠ • Backcountry Hunters & Anglers ⁠ You can learn more about Pacific Ghost on their business bio page: https://lnkd.in/gqCa5mbk 🌲🌳