This month, we’re delighted to feature an interview with two environmental stalwarts, Dan Yates and Jon Nash. Dan is the new Executive Director of Nikwax’s longstanding conservation partner the European Outdoor Conservation Association, and Jon is the Chief Operating Officer of Nikwax as well as EOCA’s Treasurer. Nikwax has been a member of EOCA since its foundation in 2006, helping to raise funds for projects that give back to nature, and we’re keen for you to discover more about our partnership and two of the people driving it forwards….
How has your (almost) first full year leading EOCA gone?
DY: Well, we are only 6 months through so far, so there is a bit of time yet, but I have been inspired by discovering the quality and breadth of projects that EOCA supports. The last funding round brought in 190+ applications from across the globe and of the shortlist of 16, I would have been happy for any of them to win. All 6 of the chosen projects will have a fantastic impact on both nature and climate.
Talk us through your vision for EOCA…
DY: EOCA does an amazing job enabling its membership from the outdoor sector and wider community to create a positive impact on nature, biodiversity and wild places.
But the world is changing and EOCA must evolve and grow to become the key mechanism through which the outdoor sector reduces its risk to loss of nature and biodiversity, securing our planet’s biosphere for future generations. We must also work towards a world that has a happy, healthy, and vibrant population, connected to, and protective of, the natural world around us.
To do this we will refocus our environmental granting to suit the latest available science, build an advocacy identity through which the outdoor community can drive ambition on nature and biodiversity from political decision makers, and educate the community on the critical importance of positive nature action from business, government and the population at large.
Why did Nikwax choose to partner with EOCA in 2006 and how has the partnership evolved since then?
JN: Nikwax partnered with EOCA back in 2006 because their work really aligned with our own sustainability values. As an outdoors company, we’ve always felt a strong responsibility to protect the outdoors—not just for today, but for future generations too.
Joining EOCA gave us a practical way to put that commitment into action. By teaming up with others in the outdoor industry, we’ve been able to support conservation efforts all around the globe. Over time, our involvement has increased; as sustaining members, we’ve had the chance to play a more active role in EOCA’s direction by contributing through their board. It’s been a rewarding journey—and one that continues to grow.
Where do you see Nikwax and EOCA’s partnership 20 years from now?
JN: I see the partnership continuing well into the future. I hope that our support, along with that of others in the outdoor industry, will enable EOCA to further its reach – supporting even more conservation projects globally. Working with EOCA to help expand its partnerships and memberships will provide the opportunity for a greater collective impact within the natural world.
Tell us a bit more about your role on EOCA’s Board
JN: Working with EOCA is a really rewarding part of my role at Nikwax and one I feel very lucky to have. I’ve had the pleasure of serving on EOCA’s Board now for the past three years, initially as a board member and for the last year as Treasurer.
The role gives me valuable insight into the incredible work EOCA undertakes, and I’m proud to help shape the future of an organisation that’s making a real difference.
How do you ensure EOCA’s work is inclusive and equitable?
DY: As part of our granting strategy update, from June 2nd this year, EOCA will require all projects to have utilised a rights-based approach to decision-making in their planning and implementation. This means applying human rights principles to conservation by accounting for the rights of nature and of non-human entities, as well as recognizing the rights of Indigenous Peoples, local communities, and women. This includes rights to land, water, food, health, and a safe and clean environment.
The conservation projects and communities that benefit from EOCA’s funding are diverse. Do you have a personal favourite?
DY: There are far too many to choose from, but I really love our footpath repair projects. We have these running in some of the world’s most iconic mountain landscapes, from the wild ruggedness of An Teallach in the Scottish Highlands, which is on every UK hiker’s tick list, to the path in to Refuge De Frey in Patagonia, possibly the most famous big mountain ski location in the southern hemisphere.
© Isabelle Allinei
These projects fall firmly into the outdoor industries value chain, putting their environmental funding firmly in view of their community. But they also have a more important side, by conserving local biodiversity and critically threatened high alpine flora and fauna, mitigating climate change by reducing emissions from damaged peatlands, reducing local flooding and preserving clean water supplies, and decreasing soil loss from some of the most fragile landscapes on earth.
Is there a success story you can share that highlights the impact of Nikwax and EOCA’s partnership?
JN: That’s a difficult one! I would consider all of EOCA’s projects success stories in their own right, sorry, that sounds like I’m avoiding the question! But what has really stood out to me since I have been personally involved is the sheer volume and breadth of work that EOCA has been able to accomplish over the past 20 years. The amount of funding distributed to meaningful environmental and social causes around the world for me has to be its biggest success. I’m just glad I can be part of it.
© Paul Hilton
Nikwax is committed to donating 1% of its turnover to ecological and social causes. Can you tell us more about this?
JN: This commitment is a way for us to give back through sharing some of the turnover we make. It will enable us to direct funding to projects that protect and enhance the environment while also delivering real social benefit. I’m excited to see the impact this has over the coming years, and we look forward to updating everyone in due course on our achievements in this area.
And how has the partnership with EOCA influenced Nikwax’s approach to sustainability and innovation within the business?
JN: Working with EOCA has really helped strengthen our approach to sustainability, working with an organisation whose values closely align with our sustainability goals. It’s meant that nature has continued to play a key role in our sustainability efforts and It’s great to be part of a group that’s focused on protecting the environment and outdoor spaces. What we really value is how carefully they assess and choose their projects – it gives us complete confidence that the support we give is making a real difference. Being involved with EOCA also pushes us to keep looking at how we can do better – whether that’s through more sustainable ways of working or trying out new ideas to reduce our impact.
Tell us how EOCA measures and reports on the effectiveness of the varied projects it helps to fund…
DY: EOCA has an amazing project team in Cat and Catherine who both have strong professional environmental backgrounds and who provide oversight and reporting on all projects, with a thorough due diligence process on all applicants and ensuring project plans meet strict criteria on impact. Once selected, EOCA monitors projects with both midterm and end stage reporting requirements. All this is backed up by our scientific advisory board which includes leading academics working on rewilding and conservation.
Companies that want to help fund the restoring and conserving of our natural world can trust that EOCA will provide all possible guarantees their money will be well spent.
How do you balance head over heart decisions when selecting the projects to take forward to a public vote?
DY: Well, I definitely bring the heart, and I rely on Cat and Catherine to keep me in check and bring the head!
Nikwax is proud of its longstanding partnership with EOCA, but how can individuals who want to help make a difference get involved?
DY: There are so many ways; volunteer with your local environmental group, donate, vote with nature in mind. But perhaps most importantly, just enjoy the great outdoors and share that love with others. Progress for our planet will only come from an increased connection to nature and our natural world. If individuals want to help EOCA specifically, they can donate to us here and remember to support the brands that support us (look out for the EOCA logo on their websites). A list of our members can be viewed here and if your favourite outdoor brand isn’t on the list – I mean second favourite, because Nikwax is on there – then send them a message asking them to get involved and be committed to nature!
In a parallel universe, if you were to submit a project for EOCA funding, what would it be and why?
DY: My passion is and always has been, rivers. Rivers and bodies of freshwater are the most impacted ecosystems on earth, suffering an 83% decline in average species population size just within my lifetime. So, a river restoration project, dam removal, riparian tree planting (planting trees along riverbanks and watercourses to provide numerous benefits), or reconnecting rivers with their flood plains would form my project submissions. If you are an NGO that works on rivers, send EOCA an application in June!
JN: Since I was young, I have always found the world’s oceans and coastlines fascinating and that has led me to develop a particular dislike of waste on beaches and the damage it does to marine life and ecosystems. Whether here in the UK, or internationally, it’s a global issue that has massive impacts. If I were submitting a project, it would definitely focus on addressing that – reducing our impact on the ocean through clean-up initiatives, education, and long-term solutions to tackle pollution at the source.
Who inspires you in the field of conservation?
DY: Anyone committing themselves to conservation or the environment is an inspiration to me, especially the younger generation who have often forsaken better paid, more traditional, more secure work to get out there and make a difference. But I have been lucky to have some great mentors along my journey as an environmentalist. I am convinced that none of your readers will have heard of them, but to put the names out there they include John Harrold, Alistair Maltby, and Mihela Hladin.
JN: Growing up, it was always David Attenborough. His ability to communicate and convey both the fantastic diversity of the natural world and the challenges it faces was amazing. These days, I also have a lot of respect for Steve Backshall—his current work and the way he engages audiences, especially children (which I can personally attest) with conservation issues is really impactful. He has a way of making conservation very accessible to all ages!
Header image: © Dr Michael Kock