With the Arctic Fox Initiative, Fjällräven annually awards funds to several non-profit organizations and projects that aim to preserve nature or wildlife and are either associated with taking climate action or encouraging more people to go outdoors and appreciate nature. Fjällräven believes that great ideas need collective support to be realized.
The Arctic Fox Initiative is funded through a 1-percent contribution from sales of selected Fjällräven products. The products that have contributed to the fund are Kånken Art and Kånken Rainbow. For the 2020 Arctic Fox Initiative, a total of €115,000 has been raised to support the recipients of the annual fund.
Three organizations have been selected to receive funding this year:
Arctic Fox Conservation project with WWF Finland
WWF Finland has successfully installed feeding stations for arctic foxes in Finnish Lapland. In 2020, the Arctic Fox Initiative Fund will support these efforts with €40,000 and contribute to costs associated with training volunteers to survey the arctic fox populations. In Finland, arctic fox pups have not been successfully bred for 24 years; however, populations in Sweden and Norway have started to rise, in part due to similar feeding and research programs.
Power to Be
Power to Be will receive €25,000. The U.S.-based organization helps bring inclusivity to adventure and nature experiences by providing support to those with cognitive, physical or any other kind of barrier. Through several outreach programs, a dedicated team enables young people to overcome barriers to spending time in nature.
School Hiking Guides with German Ramblers Association
The German Ramblers Association supports education and the promotion of outdoor activities as part of the national curriculum program for children and adolescents. With €15,000 support from the Arctic Fox Initiative, new School Hiking Guides will be trained to advocate and enact this project across Germany. The School Hiking Guides will create an alternative learning opportunity in and with nature for many students in the coming years.
Fjällräven will also continue to contribute to the financing of a Ph.D. position at Stockholm University, with €35,000 in 2020, to study arctic fox breeding and behavioral patterns.
