By U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell
Today, The North Face announced a $100,000 donation on behalf of conservation corps heroes as part of the company’s continued commitment to care for public lands and recognize inspiring people through the 21st Century Conservation Service Corps (21CSC). Recipients who embody the spirit of The North Face brand’s first-ever global campaign “Never Stop” were chosen to encourage people to explore what’s possible at the outer edges of their physical and intellectual possibilities and raise awareness of the need to participate in the stewardship of our public lands.
This builds on last year’s support of the 21CSC by The North Face, where they donated $250,000 to support jobs for young adults and returning veterans working on projects from Golden Gate National Recreation Area in California to Everglades National Park in Florida.
Through the “Never Stop” campaign, four conservation corps organizations will each receive $25,000: Student Conservation Association, American YouthWorks, Conservation Legacy, and Team Rubicon. These organizations were selected based on nominations submitted of inspiring corps members caring for public lands in communities across the country and inviting others to participate in active outdoor stewardship.
Innovative partnerships and companies like The North Face are joining a national movement to invest in and help prepare the next generation of conservation stewards and leaders by providing meaningful and lasting opportunities to play, learn, serve and work in the great outdoors.
I’m very proud of the work today’s grant recipients are doing and appreciative of the ongoing support and partnership of The North Face. Bios of the conservation corps members are below. Meet some of my heroes and join us in getting active, outdoors and caring for our public lands!
Jeremy Taitano, Student Conservation Association (Washington, DC)
For more than five years, serving as a conservationist has allowed Jeremy to fulfill a passion of helping all people realize that they have a place in our public lands. In his role as a National Park Service Academy mentor and crew leader, he has led more than 30 high school and college students and hundreds of local community members in hands-on conservation projects to teach respect for nature and the importance of service to our communities.