Dave Foreman and our New Book: Patagonia Tools for Grassroots Activists

For over twenty years, Patagonia has organized a Tools Conference, where experts provide practical training to help make activists more effective. Now Patagonia has captured Tools’ best wisdom and advice into a book, Patagonia Tools for Grassroots Activists: Best Practices for Success in the Environmental Movement, creating a resource for any organization hoping to hone core skills like campaign and communication strategy, grassroots organizing, and lobbying as well as working with business, fundraising in uncertain times and using new technologies.

Above: Pages 232-233 feature a Tim Davis photo of a gray wolf at the Lockwood Animal Rescue Center and the beginning of a story by Dave Foreman entitled “The Dancing Planet.” Photo: Tim Davis

Throughout Tools for Grassroots Activists are inspirational thoughts from acclaimed activists, such as Bill McKibben, Dave Foreman, Annie Leonard, Terry Tempest Williams and Brock Evans. Leading up to the release of the book, we’re sharing audio clips from the keynote speeches these activists gave at past Patagonia Tools Conferences. Today we’ll hear from Dave Foreman. 

Dave Foreman was the first keynote speaker at our first Tools Conference in 1994, shortly after the FBI spent $3 million and used a full-time undercover agent in an attempt to frame him for “eco-terrorism.” A federal judge later dismissed the charges. Foreman was selected by the National Audubon Society in 1998 as one of the “100 Champions of Conservation” over the past 100 years. Foreman was the keynote speaker at Tools again in 2005.

In this excerpt from his keynote speech at the 2005 Patagonia Tools Conference, listen to Dave talk about the meaning and importance of the “wildeor.”

Listen to “Dave Foreman at Tools Conference, 2005” by Patagonia on Soundcloud.

Patagonia Tools for Grassroots Activists: Best Practices for Success in the Environmental Movement, edited by Nora Gallagher and Lisa Myers. Available February 15, 2016. Pre-order at Patagonia.com today.

Watch the book trailer. Video: Patagonia