Patagonia’s Tools For Grassroots Activists (BOOK REVIEW)

Tools For Grassroots Activists: Best Practices for Success in the Environmental Movement is a Patagonia publication that breaks down and explains in detail the effort and concepts behind the Tools Conference that Patagonia holds every other year. The Tools Conference (and therefore, the book) is essentially made for nonprofit groups to hone in on their skills and resources in order to make their mission and organization better heard, better supported, and more successful. The book is a sort of anthology, comprised of excerpts from various different authors and speakers that have been in connection with Patagonia and the Tools Conference over the years.  Yvon Chouinard, who wrote the introduction of the book, stated, “It’s easy to be depressed these days, as so much of the wild world has been denigrated or destroyed. But I like to remind myself that things change… This book, we hope, will reach everyone who needs the tools to carry the work forward. Thank you and good luck” (Chouinard, xvii). While the book has a vast wealth of knowledge that I have gained upon reading it, there is one thing I have learned above all: environmental and social change can, does, and will happen, but without the proper resources, attitudes, and tools, the work will be much less effective.

Before delving into this book, I first noticed the organization of the book itself. Each chapter consists of three sections that are outlined by a color for easy identification: an orange section that consists of the transcript of a speech (or part of a speech) from a Tools Conference keynote speaker, a light purple section that outlines how to maximize your use of the specific tool for that chapter, followed by a dark blue section that analyzes a case study of the use of that particular tool. The eleven tools are as follows: The Business of Changing the World, Campaign Strategy, Marketing, Organizing, Fundraising, Communications, Networking, Lobbying, Working with Businesses, Utilizing the Economics of Conservation, and Visualizing Data. Most people are aware of these tools for an organization or business’s success, but having each written out in an elaborate explanation with the dos and donts really put it into perspective for me. Even though the book itself is aimed at and uses examples of environmental organizations, issues, and success stories, the messages and tips extend far beyond the environmental bubble. As an intern at the Peace and Justice Center, I found myself making countless connections between the tools in the book and the work of my colleagues at the center. Being a part of a nonprofit organization is both extremely inspiring and exhausting, but the collective passion of everyone involved makes the work and the success completely worth the struggles: “It is the task of (environmental) activists to figure out how to tell people what they’re not asking to hear” (Stanley, 6).

As there are eleven different tools outlined in the book, I cannot go into detail about every single one of them. However, there were several key points that I took away from the book that I will be bringing with me not only in my work/activist life, but in my personal life as well. The first came from the first keynote speaker in the book from the 2008 Tools Conference, Brock Evans. His speech began with, “When I hear someone say, ‘It’s really hard right now,’ I think, Sure, but so what? It always is. It always has been” (Evans, 10). With nonprofit/activist work, we know that it can result in feeling defeated or unheard quickly, sometimes almost immediately after making a stand. It’s important to remember that there won’t always be success stories, and not every success story will be game-changing. Every single time I am at the Peace and Justice Center, my supervisor talks (or vents) to me about a program or workshop she recently did, and why it was a success or a flop. Sometimes it depends on her attitude that day; other times it falls on the willingness of participants to get the most out of the workshop, and more often than not, it is a combination of both.

Throughout the book, despite each chapter being written/spoken by a different person, it was continually reinforced that without a solid foundation for a movement, it would inevitably crumble; at the very least, it would be far less effective than initially hoped. One of the most valuable lessons I learned from this book is the difference between strategy and tactics: two words that are often conflated with each other. Essentially, a strategy is a concrete plan that is created in order to achieve a specific goal, while tactics are specific action steps that are used to achieve that goal. “You want to get across a river. A strategy for getting across would be to build a bridge, while the tactics would be getting some wood and nails, finding the ideal location to build the bridge, and constructing trusses and beams” (O’Donnell, 19). I included this picture of my vision board that I created as part of my Women’s Leadership course because I believe it represents the foundation concepts of my “strategy” for my life. There are no specific action steps, but there are concepts that I want to work toward personally, as part of my internship at the Peace and Justice Center, and as I move forward in my life as a professional.

Another key lesson I learned (or had reinforced) from this book is that when dealing with environmental and social issues, you should always speak to people from where they are rather than expecting them to meet you at your level. You most likely have more knowledge about your issue than an average citizen who is not involved in the activism does, so you should always be sure to get to know their perspective, concerns, and ideas before jumping the gun and rapid-firing information at them without really hearing them. Rather than only making someone aware of what your organization is working toward, there are two important factors to consider when trying to appeal to an outside audience: “1. Relevance- why is what you do relevant to my [the audience’s] life?; 2. Differentiation- what makes your organization the one I should support?” (Walker, 41). The above photo was taken at last year’s Building A World Beyond War Conference, where community members gathered to listen to different presentations from notable educators in the community about the consequences of war. When you appeal to your people’s passions and interest, the activism will follow.

Above all, this book did an excellent job of breaking down the components of movements, nonprofit organizations, and the individual activists that make them and keep them running strong. It is easy to get lost in the mundane tasks of a movement like sending emails, responding to comments, and repeating a few key bullet points of an issue to newcomers over and over again, but it is important to not lose sight of the movement as a whole and to remember why you started in the first place. Perhaps the most uplifting concept the book introduced to me is that if someone is interested in the work you are doing, regardless of what “side” of the issue they are on, there is at least a tiny inkling of an idea or perspective bubbling in their mind that drives them to want them to know more. Sometimes the hardest part of a movement is motivating people to get involved, but those who have that inkling will come. Dave Foreman, the 2004 Tools Conference Keynote Speaker, referenced Aldo Leopold, who described his killing of an old wolf mother, in his speech: “We reached the wolf in time to watch a fierce green fire dying in her eyes. I realized then, and I’ve known ever since, there was something new to me in those eyes. Something known only to the wolf and to the mountain” (Foreman, 235). No activist, no movement, and no organization is perfect, but the passion and knowledge that comes about from these tools and the activism that follows is undeniable.

Morgan Blanchard graduated from Champlain College in May 2018 with an environmental policy degree.