Rock Creek Chronicle's Environmental Archives

February 01, 2007

Funny Video: Patagonia Recycling Program Expanded

I love Patagonia for a hundred different reasons, but now I have reason number 101: check out this video on their expanded recycling program. Timmy O'Neil is hilarious.

We have a box by the Capilene racks at each of our stores if you have anything to recycle. The program now includes Capilene and anything Polartec, regardless of whether it's made by Patagonia. So don't throw away that ratty pair of underwear (or that fleece jacket, or anything else that's made from one of these materials). Recycle it!

Why recycle your old threads? Well, it's simple: synthetic fabrics like Capilene and Polartec are derived from oil, and with the massive amounts of clothing made today, the garment industry consumes a considerable amount of oil. If you choose to recycle, you'll gain the satisfaction of knowing that your old clothing won't end up in a landfill (or on a polluted beach like in the video), and that Patagonia will consume less oil to produce next season's clothing.

Here's what Patagonia has to say about it:

Way too much of what is made these days ends up in the trash at the end of its useful life. At Patagonia, we're working to change that.

In 2005 we launched our Common Threads Garment Recycling Program, through which customers could return their worn out Capilene® Performance Baselayers to us for recycling. We've now added Patagonia fleece, Polartec® fleece from other manufacturers and Patagonia organic cotton T-shirts to our list of recyclables.

Our long-term goal is to take environmental responsibility for everything we make. Please help us by changing your clothes for good.

Thanks to the Piton for the heads up on that.

January 11, 2007

Rock/Creek Helps Raise $8000 for Access to Boat Rock Bouldering Area

Custom Chaco Sandal Program Helps Climbers Purchase Atlanta Boulder Field

Chaco and Rock/Creek Outfitters raise over $8000 in effort to help the Southeastern Climbers’ Coalition gain permanent access to one of the premier bouldering areas in the Southeast. Proceeds from custom Chaco sandal sales go to finalize land purchase.

January 11, 2007 – Rock/Creek Outfitters and Chaco announced this week that their Custom Chaco Sandal Program was successful in raising the funds needed to finalize the purchase of Boat Rock, a woodland area inside the metro of Atlanta with more than a half mile of unique egg-shaped granite boulders.

Continue reading "Rock/Creek Helps Raise $8000 for Access to Boat Rock Bouldering Area"

Posted by Mark McKnight at 04:24 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

December 14, 2006

Boat Rock Paid Off Through Triple Crown Fundraising

Hey Climbers: I just wanted to pass on some particulars about the finale this weekend--everthing went extremely well, and the weather was absolutely perfect. We raised over $1,200 in climber donations for Boat Rock.

With the help of the Chaco/Sweet Water Event in ATL, RockCreek/Chaco custom sandal sales at TCrown, climber donations at each of the three events (@$3,600), and TCrown donations to Boat Rock, I'm sure we will have raised enough $$ to cover the rest of the BR note.

Triple Crown Bouldering Competition As soon as we have a tally on the final expenses (buses, catering, printing, tees, et al) we'll make the official Triple Crown donation to the SCC and CCC as well.

We also raised $2,500 for Habitat for Humanity on Sunday--most of the climbers competing at that event also donated their winnings to Habitat--the HFH representative gave major kudos to the SCC and Triple Crown at the pavilion, and especially on Talk Radio and the local tv news. Habitat is certainly a great cause and the donation provided much needed positive PR for the climbing community that reached the general public.

Major thanks came from the clubhouse manager at Montlake on Saturday--they wanted to pass on sincere thanks to the entire climbing community for supporting the golf club--They truly appreciate our help and support up there--

Montlake requested to have some of our guides--Jim and I met with the clubhouse manager today to donate the remaining guides. We'll mail a care package to the Luken's again too--

Continue reading "Boat Rock Paid Off Through Triple Crown Fundraising"

Posted by Mark McKnight at 11:50 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

October 16, 2006

RockCreek Gives $3000 for Cumberland Trail Access

Rock/Creek Outfitters’ annual 50-kilometer StumpJump trail race draws a record number of runners and raises $3000 towards the completion of the Cumberland Trail, a corridor of hiking and backpacking trails spanning over 300 miles through Tennessee and into Kentucky.

Chattanooga, TN (PRWEB) October 16, 2006 – In its 5th year, the Stump Jump 50k and 11 mile trail race hosted by Rock/Creek Outfitters (www.rockcreek.com) was a huge success, drawing over 350 runners from across the country to take part in the event on Saturday, October 7th. The Stump Jump was founded as a fundraiser for the Cumberland Trail Conference's ongoing effort to complete a network of hiking and backpacking trails that, once complete, will traverse over 300 miles beginning in Cumberland Gap National Park (KY) and stretching south across the Cumberland Plateau to Prentice Cooper Wildlife Management Area, just outside of Chattanooga, TN. Today Rock/Creek Outfitters presented the Cumberland Trail Conference with a $3000 check to aid in this effort.

As a public-private partnership, the Cumberland Trail is being built and maintained by a cooperative effort of the CTC and the state of Tennessee. In addition to providing multiple recreational opportunities, this protected greenway will act as a buffer to protect water quality and provide natural habitat for animals.

Dawson Wheeler, co-owner of Rock/Creek Outfitters, remarked “Rock/Creek is proud to be able to make a significant contribution to this cause.” He also praised the support of the local community, “The race would not have been possible without the joint efforts of Nolan Elementary School, Hamilton County Parks Department, the Town of Signal Mountain, John Glass and Scout Troop # 60, as well as a sea of volunteers lead by the Chattanooga Track Club.” In addition to local efforts, the sponsor list was a who’s who of the outdoor industry (see list below). "We absolutely would not have raised this much money for the CTC without the help of our volunteers and sponsors," Wheeler said.

Continue reading "RockCreek Gives $3000 for Cumberland Trail Access"

Posted by Mark McKnight at 02:23 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

July 18, 2006

Rock/Creek Outfitters Launches Chaco Recycled Shoe Program

Rock/Creek Outfitters and footwear manufacturer, Chaco, Inc., announce this week’s launch of the Chaco Recycled Shoe Program. Rock/Creek, a Chattanooga-based outdoor retailer, is inviting customers to trade in any used (but clean) pair of shoes, boots, or sandals for a 20% discount on a new pair of Chacos. The initiative will last two weeks and will be available to the public through Rock/Creek’s physical and online stores. The shoes that are collected will be cleaned up and distributed to those in need in other parts of the world. Chaco launched the Recycle Program in 2005, and with the help of retailers like Rock/Creek Outfitters, has managed to distribute over 1,500 lightly worn pairs of shoes.

Continue reading "Rock/Creek Outfitters Launches Chaco Recycled Shoe Program"

Posted by Mark McKnight at 02:05 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

May 31, 2006

Rock Creek Outfitters Leases Space at Two North Shore

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 28, 2006--CS & Associates, an affiliate of Park Mills Properties 2, LLC, announces that it has now acquired the balance of the land needed to build Two North Shore, a 95,000 square foot mixed use project on Manufacturers Road near US 27, anchored by a new Greenlife Grocery store in the North Shore region of Chattanooga. Park Mills' managing partner, Steve Arnsdorff, announced that Rock Creek Outfitters, locally owned by Dawson Wheeler and Marvin Webb since 1986, has signed a lease to occupy approximately 9,000 square feet right next to the planned new Greenlife Grocery store (27,000 sq. ft.). Steve said "Rock Creek is the perfect compliment to Greenlife Grocery. Greenlife is the benchmark in natural and organic foods in this region and their success has been amazing. Both companies are strong regional businesses that have great business models and they help anchor the retail market in the North Shore area of Chattanooga. We are very bullish regarding residential growth in the immediate area of this development and with the property's regional location near Highway 27, these new stores will better serve their existing and future customers".

Continue reading "Rock Creek Outfitters Leases Space at Two North Shore"

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May 17, 2006

Update on Lula Lake Grant

Elsewhere on this blog we mentioned the grants given to the Lula Lake Land Trust by Rock Creek Outfitters, Chaco Sandals, and Patagonia to help replace a bridge that had been washed out by high waters last spring. Lula Lake just released this follow-up with a photograph:

Dawson Wheeler, owner of Rock Creek Outfitters, presented Adelaide Bratcher, Head of Development for the Lula Lake Land Trust, with checks from Patagonia and Chaco Sandals, two outdoor gear companies, as well as the locally-based Rock Creek Outfitters.

The grants came just in time to finish up the bridge that had been damaged by heavy rains last year. Speaking of the gifts, Mrs. Bratcher noted: “We were very fortunate to have Boy Scout Troop 191 help rebuild this bridge as part of an Eagle Scout Project. That and the generosity of Mr. Wheeler and his vendors are what help us continue to fund our ongoing maintenance needs and projects at the Lula Lake Land Trust."

Click here to read more about Rock/Creek Outfitters' committment to the environment.

Rock/Creek Outfitters is a brick and mortar outdoor retailer with a presence on the Web at RockCreek.com and ClimbingGear.com and specializes in gear and apparel for a variety of outdoor activities such as hiking, rock climbing, paddling, camping, and travel.

Posted by Mark McKnight at 04:33 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

April 24, 2006

RockCreek Switches to Wind Power for Earth Day

PrAna’s Natural Power Initiative Replaces Traditional Energy at Rock/Creek Locations
10 April 2006

Chattanooga, TN- In honor of Earth Day this year, Rock/Creek Outfitters (RockCreek.com) has partnered with the prAna Natural Power Initiative and is proud to announce that all the power used by Rock/Creek’s retail operations now comes from green-e certified wind power. As the PNPI literature states, “Wind generated power is a clean, renewable source of energy which produces no greenhouse gas emissions or waste products. prAna is an ancient sanskrit word which is often defined as pure energy, vitality of the spirit and most notably breath.” It naturally follows that wind energy would be perfect for such a company, and its retail partners. “Rock/Creek Outfitters is excited to participate in this important program,” said Dawson Wheeler, owner and President of Rock/Creek.

In order to facilitate the switch from traditional power, prAna has committed to purchasing 6 million kilowatt hours of US EPA approved Renewable Energy Certificates or “Green Tags.” Because generating electrical power from wind sources still costs more than the more harmful but cheaper traditional methods, these Green Tags provide a much-needed financial incentive for energy producers. Currently only about 2% of the energy produced in this country comes from renewable sources, so efforts such as the PNPI are important to fuel further program development and foster public awareness of alternative energy sources.

Rock/Creek Outfitters has posted signs at its brick and mortar locations that say “100% of this store’s energy use is offset by certified green-e wind generated power,” and we are spreading this message on our Web sites, www.rockcreek.com and www.climbinggear.com as well. Clark Luckmann, Internet Customer Service Manager, echoed the reaction of many Rock/Creek staff members in saying, “It’s important to me that as a company we reduce our ecological footprint, and this is a great step in that direction.”

For our complete environmental statement, please visit www.rockcreek.com/customer_service/environmental.asp. To learn more about prAna’s initiative, visit www.prana.com/naturalpower.

About Rock/Creek Outfitters:

Rock/Creek Outfitters is a specialty outdoor retailer with two decades of brick and mortar experience. We are committed to personal and professional leadership in the outdoor industry and the larger community, especially with regard to environmental initiatives. We use outdoor retail as a platform to encourage all people to get outside and become active. We know that in order to make a positive impact on the environment, we need to share our own love of the outdoors with others. For this reason, our sponsorship and environmental efforts are aimed at permanently improving access to the backcountry.

As a critical element of our environmental mission, we sponsor various charitable foundations (The Southeastern Climbers Coalition, The Access Fund, the Cumberland Trail Conference) and host two major outdoor events each year (the StumpJump 50K trail race and the Triple Crown Bouldering Competition). In the last year, we built a parking and camping area at the Tennessee Wall, one of the best sandstone climbing areas in the nation. We also rebuilt a bridge at the Lula Lake Land Trust to restore access to a trail system running along Rock Creek on Lookout Mountain. We remain committed to the Land Trust’s mission to preserve and restore the Rock Creek watershed on Lookout Mountain.

Posted by Mark McKnight at 10:54 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

April 17, 2006

Preserving Rock Creek Watershed

RockCreek.com Partners with Lula Lake Land Trust to Preserve the Rock Creek Watershed

10 April 2006

Chattanooga, TN- As Earth Day rolls around again on April 22nd, we at RockCreek.com have been thinking about ways to celebrate. Last year we established a new tradition of taking this time to share our own commitment to the environment with our customers. We hope that through our efforts to permanently improve access to natural resources, more people will get outside and learn why we all need to personally commit to the environment.

One key element in our environmental mission has been to help the Lula Lake Land Trust in their efforts to preserve the unique and diverse ecosystems of the Rock Creek watershed. Rock/Creek Outfitters takes its name from this beautiful drainage running along Lookout Mountain in Georgia and Tennessee. This past weekend the Trust hosted us for a staff retreat on the property, and as I contemplated the history of the property I began to think of the Trust as a paradigm for effective environmental initiatives.

In several important ways, the history of the Lula Lake Land Trust mirrors the history of many of our most valuable privately-held natural resources. The progress that has been made since 1992, when Robert M. Davenport established the Trust, serves as an example of what dedicated private citizens can accomplish when they turn their resources to environmental initiatives. The Lula Lake story begins with the geology of the Appalachians, which formed millions of years ago as Africa collided with North America. In the time since then, erosion has worn these mountains all the way down to the sandstone and conglomerates that make the spectacular cliff lines and rock bands that make Chattanooga a world class destination for climbers.

Fast forward to the Industrial Revolution, and Chattanooga had become an important gateway city due to its strategic location on the Tennessee River. Lookout Mountain served as a weekend getaway or a summer retreat from the long, hot Southern summers. During the Civil War, Union soldiers used the land that now makes up the core property of the Land Trust as a retreat from the crucial battles going on in Chattanooga and Chickamauga. As automobiles eventually began to dominate the landscape, the mountain became a suburb of Chattanooga. Before the various social revolutions of the 1960’s and 70’s in America, the general public did not value the environment or understand the enormous impact they were having on their planet. Clear-cut timber harvests, mining, garbage dumping, and unrestricted public access had made a mess of much of the rural areas that would become the Lula Lake Land Trust’s core property.

By the time Earth Day came about in 1970, Mr. Davenport had already been quietly acquiring land on Lookout Mountain for over a decade, purchasing parcels as they became available over the years. The low value of the land due to the damage that had been done by insensitive land usage allowed Mr. Davenport to amass several hundred acres of land through the 1960’s and 70’s. He closed the property in the 1980’s and worked to restore its natural beauty by replanting clear cut areas and cleaning out trash dumps. By the time Mr. Davenport died in 1994, he had pieced together over 1200 acres. Today the Trust rivals long-established public lands in beauty and environmental health. Decades of hard work and focused attention have resulted in over 4000 acres of currently protected lands in the Rock Creek watershed. The property serves as a research site for experimental hybrid trees. The Trust works with a variety of educational and non-profit institutions such as The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, Chattanooga Chestnut Project, The Nature Conservancy, Tennessee Wildlife Center, Georgia Land Trust, Tennessee Aquarium, and The American Chestnut Foundation. The federally threatened plant Virginia Spirea (Spiraea virginiana) grows on the property and is only found in twenty-three other sites in the country. The only other population in Georgia grows in Cloudland Canyon State Park and is threatened by high tourist traffic.

This morning I had the opportunity to speak with Adelaide Bratcher, the Interim Director and daughter of the Land Trust’s founder, about her vision for the Land Trust and how Rock/Creek Outfitters fits in to the Trust’s mission. Last year Rock/Creek Outfitters and Chaco Sandals donated $1500 to rebuild a footbridge that had been washed away by floodwaters. Patagonia also provided a significant contribution through Rock/Creek. The next several years’ donations will go toward completing a connector trail that will link Cloudland Canyon State Park to Nickajack and High Point, creating miles of trails and opening up over 1000 acres to public, year-round access. This project came about as a result of a Land Trust survey sent out to the nonprofit’s supporters. “We realized that our user groups were screaming for more access and we needed to go ahead and open up that property,” Bratcher explains, “the core property is environmentally sensitive, so we have to limit the people coming in there, but as a result we were telling our supporters, ‘You can only come in the Land Trust two days out of the month,’ and they wanted more.” The Board of Directors realized that access is critical to funding, and in an attempt to meet the needs of their supporters, the Trust has prioritized the Cloudland connector trail.

All told, the project will take about $500,000 to complete. The Lyndhurst Foundation has already granted $50,000 to the effort, and the first part of the trail has been completed. The primary goal is to create a multi-use core trail for mountain biking, hiking, trail running, and horseback. SORBA, the Southeast Off-Road Bicycle Association, also wants to build a singletrack trail exclusively for mountain biking in the area.

Many of the local outdoor associations and clubs have volunteered their time recently at the Land Trust. The Southeastern Climbers Coalition recently completed a work day and took some time to climb at High Point. The American Hiking Society also organized a trail day recently. We hope that as more people become aware of the Land Trust's mission, more acres of land will be protected and opened up for properly managed access on Lookout Mountain. This is one of the truly unique natural resources in our beautiful country, and it is our duty to protect the land that gives us a venue for all the outdoor activities we enjoy. As Patagonia's founder Yvon Choinard said, "Fundamentally, businesses are responsible to their resource base. Without a healthy planet there are no shareholders, no customers, no employees." It is our mission at RockCreek.com to do what we can to keep the earth healthy and to educate people about the benefits of regulated access and the joy of outdoor recreation.

See our environmental statement for details.

To learn more about how you can participate in the efforts of the Lula Lake Land Trust, visit their Web site.

You may also be interested in reading last year’s Earth Day article on Sam Evans’ “Eco-Taxi.”

About the author: Mark McKnight has been with RockCreek.com for two years since graduating from Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia. He has been a committed outdoor enthusiast and environmentalist from a young age, thanks to his mother. He can be reached at mark @rockcreek.com