Nurture Our Wilderness (NOW) is a nonprofit organization focused on the intersection between outdoor recreation and chemical pollution.
We exist because the gear we use on the mountain—waxes, jackets, boots, tents, ropes, and plastics—can unintentionally contribute to PFAS, microplastics, and other pollutant loads in snowpacks and watersheds.
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NOW’s action framework focuses on addressing the real, measurable pollutants released through outdoor recreation—specifically PFAS, microplastics, bisphenols, textile coatings, and polymer fragments that enter snowpacks, outdoor water ways, and mountain watersheds. Our programs combine research, education, industry collaboration, and public engagement to reduce chemical contamination without compromising performance or outdoor culture and gear.
NOW’s team of dedicated outdoor enthusiast’s test gear in various real world and laboratory-based methods. Through constant research and data collection we can hold brands accountable and educate consumers on the best choices we have for outdoor recreation. We test claims made by brands and industry and make sure they hold up to the demand we have for Nurturing or Wilderness.