Keen is solidifying its promise to building stronger communities and a healthier planet by partnering with The Wilderness Society (TWS) and 21st Century Conservation Service Corps (21CSC) to help preserve America’s public lands and build the future of America's public land stewards. Keen Utility is proud to support this new partnership.
"The men and women in the skilled trades have helped build this country from the ground up," said Chris Heffernan, Keen Utility general manager. "At Keen Utility we work tirelessly to create the next generation of work boots. To be able to support this next generation of land stewards through this partnership is an incredible privilege."
Keen Utility funds will support TWS and 21CSC efforts through the implementation of "Project Build," a program that supports the hard work of America's conservation corps, and builds upon the legacy of dedication to protecting our treasured landscapes through citizen stewardship. In addition to funds, 300 corps members have been outfitted in Keen Utility work boots. Project Build will take place in cities across the U.S. including Los Angeles, Portland, Denver, and New York with projects that range from urban farm construction in former housing projects to building miles of trail in our country’s wilderness.
“Keen's goal of ‘inspiring responsible outdoor participation, and land and water conservation’ is perfectly in line with the goals of the 21st Century Conservation Service Corps and syncs seamlessly with the outcomes of every conservation corps experience,” said Eugenie Bostrom, Director of Strategic Partnerships for Conservation Legacy. “Since the inception of the Civilian Conservation Corps of the 1930's, the corps experience has been fundamental to the active preservation of the American outdoors, but especially to instilling a sense of stewardship in those involved. The Partnership for the 21st Century Conservation Service Corps is emboldened by Keen's leadership and support in this area and we are so excited to work with the Wilderness Society again to make Project Build come to life."
Through this partnership, Keen expects to help protect up to 500,000 acres of land, 100 miles of rivers, and dedicate roughly 1,000 hours of volunteer time from Keen employees. Together, Keen, TWS, and 21CSC will continue to build a life-long connection to the outdoors for the next generation of public lands conservancy, and ultimately inspire more young Americans to actively work on and care for the outdoors.
“The Wilderness Society is honored and thrilled to be part of the Project Build partnership with Keen Utility and 21CSC. Building the next generation of stewards for the outdoors is critical to the future of our wild public lands. Keen is a forward-thinking company that understands the importance of putting boots on the ground and investing in young stewards who are restoring the land and protecting America’s wild places.” Michael Carroll, Senior National Partnership Director at The Wilderness Society.
