Two things: Patagonia has announced they’re selling the company—back to the earth. And, VNRC welcomes our new AmeriCorps member, Mary Perchlik.
Stay informed, stay connected. Two things! (And a couple P.Ses, because, ya know.)
Patagonia Sells Company Back to the Planet
Big news in mission-driven business last week when Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard announced he was selling the company and reinvesting in the planet. Or, technically, selling it to the Patagonia Purpose Trust and the Holdfast Collective, a nonprofit dedicated to fighting our environmental crisis. This is an important signal for the business world, and for consumers writ large—how do we reinvest and redistribute capital to combat inevitable collapse? What’s the role of business? What’s our responsibility? Chouinard writes:
“It’s been nearly 50 years since we began our experiment in responsible business, and we are just getting started. If we have any hope of a thriving planet—much less a thriving business—50 years from now, it is going to take all of us doing what we can with the resources we have. This is another way we’ve found to do our part. Despite its immensity, the Earth’s resources are not infinite, and it’s clear we’ve exceeded its limits. But it’s also resilient. We can save our planet if we commit to it.”
As a longtime Patagonia grantee (whose local retailer – Patagonia Burlington – has worked with us for many years), VNRC congratulates Chouinard and the team at Patagonia for doing what most businesses won’t—thinking of planet over profit. There’s hope yet.
Read Yvon Chouinard’s statement here…
Welcome Mary Perchlik, VNRC’s new AmeriCorps Member!
| Mary Perchlik has just joined VNRC as Ecological Restoration Associate through ECO AmeriCorps, and will assist the Vermont Dam Task Force and other initiatives supporting clean water, healthy forests, and sustainable communities, during her eleven month term at VNRC. This is Mary’s second year as an AmeriCorps member; she previously served with the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation. She was born and raised in Marshfield, VT and graduated from Oberlin College with a B.A. in Environmental Studies. Welcome aboard, Mary, we’re excited to work with you! |
P.S. You’re Invited! VNRC’s Annual Meeting is Thursday Sept. 22. Please join us at 5:30 PM at the Hula coworking space in Burlington, for VNRC’s Annual Meeting and presentation of the Arthur Gibb Award! Space is limited and you need to sign up for parking. Register here.
P.P.S. Wondering what to have for dinner? Mark your calendars for Tuesday, September 27th, and plan for an easy dinner that will benefit VNRC! American Flatbread, Burlington, will be donating $3.50 from every large and $1.75 from every small flatbread order on dine-in and take-out orders from 4 – 10 pm. VNRC literature will be available for guests to learn more about our work, and American Flatbread staff will be serving up delicious flatbreads and Zero Gravity beer. This marks VNRC’s 4th annual Benefit Bake at American Flatbread, which is always a big night for us. We hope you’ll help make the night a success and enjoy a great meal at the same time!