The Daily - June 11,2022 - 68

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F R O M T H E F L O O R
Make the Connection
How to energize the industry for the
protection of public lands. By Lucie Hanes
CONSERVATION PRACTICES ARE
experiencing an unprecedented
influx of attention due to one
hidden perk of the pandemic: more
people are spending time outside.
With greater numbers of people
who care about the outdoors comes
more enthusiasm for protecting
those spaces. But historically,
enthusiasm doesn't necessarily
translate to action.
At the OIA lunch on Day 2, a panel
of experts on outdoor stewardship
discussed how the outdoor industry
can channel this wave of energy to
create something tangible.
Connection holds the key. There's
not much that any one person or
business can manage alone, which
usually leads to a sense of futility-the
enemy of enthusiasm. But
partnerships help carry messages
along the grapevine to those who
can actually implement change.
" Members of Congress listen to
local people and representatives, "
explains Madeleine West, the
director of the Theodore Roosevelt
Conservation Partnership. " Local
businesses can communicate
with local government to start the
chain of support that leads to the
national level. "
Effective communication isn't
limited to traditional political
chains, either. Joel Moffett,
director of environmental and
special projects with Native
Americans in Philanthropy, reminds
businesses in the outdoor
industry that tribal communities
make powerful partners.
" Businesses should develop better
relationships with tribal nations.
We were integral in navigating the
68
/ OUTDOOR RETAILER SUMMER 2022
Great American Outdoors Act, and
there's so much further we can go.
We've been here for thousands of
years, and we're always going to be
here-you can always count on us. "
Another catalyst for change lies
in expanding our understanding
of public space. " There's a new
appreciation for close-to-home
spaces, " notes Bill Lee, president of
the Trust for Public Land. " There's
important conservation and equity
work to do in the places where
people are first getting outside, like
local parks and schoolyards. "
That means leaving behind
the idea that National Parks and
Monuments are the only spaces
worthy of our attention, as well
as removing limitations on what
counts as outdoor recreation.
" Conservation is a direct consequence
of community, " as Ángel
Peña, the director of the Nuestra
Tierra Conservation Project, relates.
" Conservation conversations
should go beyond flora and fauna
to include song, dance, food, and
experiences. These are the things
that keep energy flowing. "
What's
Cooking?
LAUNCHING AT THE SHOW IS THE
Camp Chef 6-burner Apex, a
dual-fuel grill (it uses wood pellets
and gas) designed for serious backyard
cooking. It has a dual-wall
construction, heavy-duty gasketed
lid, interior lights, and a full gas
side burner that works with Camp
Chef's modular cooking systems.
The best part: You can check the
internal temperature of your steak
and adjust the grill's temperature
via an app-from the couch.
Designed for backyard chefs,
Solo Stove's new wood-burning
Pi Pizza Oven is crafted in a sleek
stainless steel. It comes in different
fuel options: either wood-burning
only or dual-fuel (wood and
propane). The new camp oven
comes complete with a durable and
reversible cordierite pizza stone
and a pizza cutter.
Ten-year-old brand Ooni adds to
its line of portable pellet pizza ovens
that heat up to 950˚ for crispy
crusts in 15 minutes. The brandnew
Karu 16 will bake a 16-inch
pizza, using a choice of four different
fuels: charcoal, wood, propane
or natural gas. -Helen Olsson
THINK PINK
A new line of shoes honors people
fighting-and surviving-breast cancer.
Adidas Five Ten is showing
a special footwear collection
dedicated to breast cancer
awareness. " When my mom
was going through chemo
for breast cancer, I was really
focused on my career and
I wasn't there for her, " says
Luke Hontz, senior product
and brand communications
manager at Adidas Five Ten.
Hontz tapped artist and
cyclist Veronique Sandler to
create a graphic for the Five
Ten Freerider Pro Canvas, a
flat-pedal bike shoe. " People
said you're not going to get
a shoe with boobs on it past
corporate, " he says. " But they
got behind it. " Soon, other
divisions, including Terrex,
adopted the pink shoe design,
which now also comes in a
hiker, a trail runner, and a running
shoe. The pink colorway
is the shade of choice for both
men and women. " The men
love it, " he says. Fortunately,
Hontz has been able to share
the shoe with his mom, a
breast cancer survivor. " She's
absolutely enthralled with the
shoes, " he says. -H.O.
LAUREN DANILEK (3)
The Daily - June 11,2022

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