We protect what we love

FRIDAY . 23.12. 22.

Happy Friday folks! Not only is it the end of the week, but it is also the end of the working year for many, and the beginning of a well-deserved break, filled with family, food and fun in the sun! This will be our last newsletter for a few weeks, as we enjoy a two week break.

This week's newsletter is another jam-packed edition! It's Hilary hosting you again and I went a bit over the top this week, but with so much going on, it couldn't be helped! I get that you want to get as far away from your laptop as possible right now, so if you want to archive this read for a welcome distraction on your first day back at work next year, we totally understand!

However, before you do, we have a few favours to ask of you. We are taking some time to reflect and regroup before heading into 2023 with a 💥 BANG 💥 and we need your help. Please take 5 minutes to complete our FWP 2022 Community Survey so we can return with gusto and added impact next year.

It's also been a big news week in the Pilliga Forest. Read on for more details, but our immediate call to action is to get your own 'Keep the Pilliga Wild' tee, which was designed by the uber-talented Tom Milledge for the PU2022. We are doing another print run of these tees so we can start more conversations about the plight of the Pilliga, and raise funds to support the cultural survey the Gomeroi need to protect Country from the Narrabri Gas Project.

With many families gathering for Christmas lunches on Sunday, it can be a difficult time for some, with differening options and perspectives amongst family. Here is a great episode from How to Save a Planet that gives helpful advice on how to have constructive, compassionate conversations that help move the needle.

Let's get into it!

2022 COMMUNITY SURVEY

We want to hear from you!

Get your hands on a sweet Pilliga cap. Food not included.

As the year comes to a close, we are taking some time to reflect on the year that was. Before we barrel into 2023, filled will enthusiasm and gusto, we'd love to hear your feedback on several aspects of For Wild Places. We'd really appreciate you taking 7 - 15 minutes to complete this survey. We have several Fractel 'Pilliga' hats to give away to those who take the time, so if you'd like to go in the running, please leave your email address at the end.

COMPLETE THE SURVEY

📝 🙏🏽 🙂

AN UPDATE FROM THE PILLIGA

Gomeroi denied Native Title to Pilliga Forest

The Bibbliwindi Treatement Plant, in the heart of the Pilliga forest

On Tuesday, a decision was finally made in the Native Title Tribunal.  When we gathered on Gomeroi country at the Pilliga Ultra in March earlier this year, mob had just come from a nation meeting in Tamworth, where over three days they came to the unanimous decision that as Traditional Owners, the Gomeroi / Gamilaraay / Kamilaroi people, were against Santos Narrabri Gas Project. THis project will see 850 coal seam gas wells drilled throughout the Pilliga Forest, which will fracture the untouched landscape, dececrate Country, put threatened and endangered flora and fauna at risk, not to mention release carbon dioxide into the atmostsphere.

This week, the verdict was in.  The tribunal declared that ‘the public benefit of the project would outweigh the cultural and environmental concerns of the Gomeroi people’.  This is a disgraceful outcome, which flies in the face of respect for Traditional Owners, climate action and biodiversity protection. You can read more about the verdict via this ABC article or from Greenleft.

On Wednesday, I spoke with Suellyn Tigye, a Gomeroi yinnar (woman) who is one of the Native Title claimants in the case.  Whilst not surprised at the outcome, Suellyn was rightly disappointed.  The case provided a glimpse of hope to shut down the CSG project immediately and end the destruction that is already happening throughout the Pilliga Forest. But the fight is anything but over.  

Gomeroi dancers at the Pilliga Ultra. Photo: Blake Estes

The next step is to raise awareness of this outcome, and address the disregard the NSW Government has for protecting the cultural heritage and biodiversity of the Pilliga Forest.  This week the commitments of Australia at the COP15 Biodiversity Summit in Montreal have been all across our headlines, and yet these systems that aim to protect our unique and vulnerable ecosystems extinguish native title and put places such the Pilliga, and the Great Artesian Basin which lies underneath, at terrible risk.

As people who have experienced the beauty of the Pilliga, care about climate change and biodiversity loss, we want to hear your voices speak loudly for the people of the Pilliga.  If you received a Pilliga Ultra teeshirt, now is the time to wear it loudly and proudly, and welcome any conversations with friends, family and passers-by to raise awareness about the plight of the Pilliga.  We are doing a second print run of these teeshirts, with all proceeds going towards the cultural surveys the Gomeroi now need to do, to prove to Santos and the government that this forest is culturally significant to their culture, and must be protected.

Get a sweet 'Pilliga' tee to raise awareness & funds to support the Gomeroi people

You can purchase a Pilliga teeshirt or postcards via Raisley.  Orders will close on the February 1st, and then we will purchase/print to order.  The postcards will be a set of 4, featuring photos of the Pilliga Forest. These postcards can then be sent to your local, state or Federal representative, asking them to keep stand with the Gomeroi and protect the Pilliga.

Head to https://keepthepilligawild.raisely.com/ to order your today, and stay tuned for more ways to be active in the campaign, including direct action. Sharing news articles and your feelings on social media can really help, as is asking your local, state or federal representative to respect Native Title and the Gomeroi. Every voice helps put pressure on Government to stop this destructive project.

There will be a lot more to come on this campaign, so stay tuned.

🦜 🏃🏻‍♂️ ✊🏽 🖤

ULTRA TRAIL KOSCI

Tales from the (frosty!) trails

Elle enjoying a run on a summer's day! 😄😬☃️

This time last week, hundreds of people were traversing the snowcapped peaks of Mount Kosciuszko, through a winter wonderland… in summer! We caught up with some friends of For Wild Places who participated in the inaugural Ultra Trail Kosciuszko to hear how their race went, how concerned they are about climate change, and why you should (or shouldn’t!) consider signing up next year.

You’ll be hearing from....

Elle Finch, your usual newsletter editor tackled the 100 kilometre event. Elle had the miler in her sights, but an injury held her back this time. But that didn't stop her from getting out there and soaking up the beauty of Ngario Country.

We had the pleasure of getting to know Vlad Shatrov at Project Run Forever earlier this year and loved watching Tom and Vlad switch roles, with Tom crewing Vlad through the 100 miler, to take out second place. Congrats Vlad!

Fresh off the plane from Nevada, Paige Penrose didn’t let jetlag slow her down, running an impressive race in the UTK27 and taking out first place! What an inspiration Paige continues to be - congratulations!

Next up is another incredibly inspiring woman, Julie Steele. Julie and her husband Bruce are recently retired, exploring trails and races around the country. Julie completed the Kosci100, and was the first woman across the line in her Grand Master age group! Go Julie!

And last but not least, the amazing Sarah Ludowici, who we heard from a few weeks back, hot off the trails in Thailand and Broome... A long way from the snowy mountains of Kosci! Sarah not only ran the Kosci Miler, but bloody won it! It was amazing to see Sarah finish up a huge year in style, and with a smile on her face! Well done Sarah 👏🏼

So sit back and learn from these determined, dedicated and inspiring athletes!

In three words, how would you describe your experience at Ultra Trail Kosci?

Elle Finch: The best time

Vlad Shatrov: Uncomfortable, Challenging, Special

Paige Penrose: Snow, relief, peace

Julie Steele: Unpredictable, challenging, exhilarating

Sarah Ludowici:  Bigger than me 

Considering the weather (snow!), what adjustments did you

make to your race plan?

Elle Finch:  Ahah, a race plan? I think my primary focus for the day was on thermal regulation - making sure that I didn't get too hot or too cold. When running from Perisher Valley to Seamans Hut (and back to Charlotte's Pass), I was constantly changing the position of my buffs and waterproof jacket hood to either conserve heat (when in an exposed area) or cool down (when in a protected area and the sun was out). I also made sure to constantly drink water and electrolytes, despite not being thirsty in the first 70 km of the race. Hydration is a really important factor in preventing hypothermia, so made sure I nailed this.

Vlad Shatrov: Well the biggest change was wearing full-length running tights and a kacket for the first 40km, but fortunately the snow was encountered in the early stages when the weather was also at its worst – I ended up in a pack of 10 runners and I knew I had to stay with them at least until we started heading back from the highest peak as they partly sheltered me from the freezing wind.

Paige Penrose: Having come from the beginnings of a US winter, I was actually quite happy about the cold forecast given my lack of heat adjustment! I was honestly just happy to have made it to the start line with my tight travel back to Australia and hadn’t put too much thought into a race plan but the conditions were pretty perfect for me to keep doing what I’d been doing in the US.

Julie Steele: I always carry running poles with me in events 100 km or longer, but I rarely use them – they are there for emergencies to help me hobble home if I incur an injury or if my ITB plays up. However, in this event, I pulled my poles out at Seaman's Hut to stay upright on those exceptionally slippery sections of the trail because of the unseasonal ice and snow. I then continued to use my poles for the rest of the event, especially to help navigate excessively muddy sections of the course.

Sarah Ludowici:  Not much to be honest, it is always "take it as it comes". I started with leggings on and took these off after the first checkpoint but that was it. I acknowledged the race was going to be dynamic- ie. hot/ cold, layers on/off, so made sure I was mentally ready for this.

What surprised you most about the cold weather, and how your body/mind managed the conditions?

Elle Finch: I was surprised by how much energy my body used to just keep me warm, meaning that I fatigued considerably earlier in the race than anticipated. I also found that I was just so wet underneath the waterproof jacket - my sports bra, shirt and thermal were drenched. This meant that I had to be really careful when I took off the waterproof jacket, to make sure I wasn't going to cool down too quickly, and also found me changing clothes at the Trout Farm (which I've never done in a race before).

Vlad Shatrov: What surprised me was how little it actually impacted me. I made the right decision by layering up and not exposing any skin.

Paige Penrose: My legs froze off the start line but they came around pretty quickly which is different to what I’ve experienced in colder conditions. I think it was a few degrees warmer than what I’ve been training in so I actually felt pretty comfortable. Not everyone coped with it well and even though that course and the race atmosphere would have been amazing on a bluebird day, I think it was a perfect reminder to everyone about what this sport is really about - being in and interacting with wild places and that they are actually wild.

Julie Steele: Thankfully, I prefer to run in cold rather than hot conditions. I find it much easier to control my body temperature by altering my clothing layers when the conditions are cooler rather than hot and humid. I have also previously run in extremely cold and icy conditions, including in Greenland (-30 degrees C with the wind chill factor) and at Everest Basecamp (-16 degrees C). Therefore, although cold, the temperatures during Ultra Trail Kosci were relatively mild. During the early part of the course, the snow created such magical scenery that I couldn't help but smile!   

Sarah Ludowici:  The first 20km in the snow/ice was hard. It was like snow sand dunes! Probably the icy patches which were slippery to run over. I don't think I was surprised by how my body/mind managed the conditions, as above, it was just one step at a time, and control what you can control, which is how you hold something in your mind, what you eat, what you drink, how you respond. The aim of the day was to relax, and take it easy.

What would you do differently next time, if running in the same conditions?

Elle Finch: I'd invest in arm and leg warmers, instead of wearing long thermals. It took considerable time to take off my thermal pants. I've also never run in tights before (not even during a late-night AFL training session in winter). I also think that I made a couple of rookie errors leading up to the event e.g. having my last 'long run Sunday' a week too close to the event, and not getting as much hill work in as needed.

Vlad Shatrov: No changes

Paige Penrose: Worn a cap to keep some of the rain/snow out of my eyes!

Julie Steele: In July this year, I spent a couple of days running part of the course when it was covered in snow. These icy conditions unexpectedly gave me an ideal opportunity to test my running gear in the snow before the event. Then, on race day, I experienced one of those runs where everything I trained for and dreamed of fell into place. I wouldn't change anything!

Sarah Ludowici:  I wouldn't change much- perhaps if there were longer icy sections I would make sure I was aware of the best shoes to run on this. Some food/ gels weren't the right consistency because of the cold. My great crew started almost warming these up before the aid station so that they were easier to consume- so that was a good lesson to learn. Sticking with the more liquid gels worked better in these conditions. 

Some people, including Julie, were pretty stoked with the unseasonal conditions!

Out of ten, how concerned are you about the future of trail running & ultra events considering our changing climate? Why?

Elle Finch: Whilst trail running may not be as obviously impacted by climate change as other sports (such as snow sports that have shorter seasons), the impact is real and it is having detrimental effects - both on events and on training. During summer, I need to run really early in the morning to beat the heat. Summers are often filled with bushfire smoke, which not only impacts air quality but also prevents me from going to remote bush locations. This year saw another La Nina, and so much destruction in the Blue Mountains including landslides. Climate change is also impacting the type of training that I'm able to do. I can only allocate a half day on Sunday to a long run - if it's been pouring, that rules out longer trails just out of Sydney because the mud and slippery conditions mean I can't complete them in my allocated time. Overall, I'd say about an 8-9 impact.

Vlad Shatrov: 10. It's clear that too much damage has been done already, whilst I think eventually people will get it and realise this destruction of our environment needs to cease – until then, things are going to be very very unstable unfortunately

Paige Penrose: 8/10.  We have already seen a huge impact to the sport from changing trails and altered courses to changing start times to extreme weather cancellations. We continue to take from the earth in an unsustainable way and for those who intimately know the places around them, the impact of human activity is evident. What gives me hope is the growing number of people who care and who are prepared to push really hard for change. Its slow but gradually planetary consideration is becoming the expectation rather than the exception.

Julie Steele: 8 out of 10! In 2016 I was privileged to run a marathon in Greenland, which included a 10 km section across the Polar Icecap. Throughout the run, the course was a winter wonderland - completely white. Sadly, the race organisers have since had to modify the course each year because of the receding snow and ice - much of the event has been run on mud rather than snow. In addition, race organisers have had to cancel several events in NSW during 2022 or modify the course substantially because of excessive rain (or snow) and subsequent landslides. Nevertheless, I believe trail running events will continue to thrive, although we must be ready and willing to accept last-minute course changes in response to unanticipated climate-related events.

Sarah Ludowici: 8/10 - although a magical snow experience, it was definitely concerning to consider how all UTMB Ultra events in NSW this year were changed due to unprecedented weather. This suggests that seasons are not reliable and that we have to expect the unexpected. I didn't put a 10 as I have hope. Hope that as the love for trail running builds, people become more connected with nature, and therefore work to protect it. We do however need to see organisations not just writing environmental policies but actually sticking to them- for example, no single-use cups at trail events. 

Sarah enjoying some rest time while her

crew paddle across Lake Jindabyne

What makes Ultra Trail Kosci unique? Why should (or shouldn't) people consider doing it next year?

Elle Finch: It's the volunteers and spectators that really make this event unique. The amount of energy that these wonderful humans bring is phenomenal and can completely change your mental state for the better. The aid stations are also pretty cool.

Vlad Shatrov: The location is of course nice and high for Australia – but it really does have that European village vibe. Whilst it’s a tough race, there is something there for everybody and it’s a great race that can be shared easily with support crew which makes it really rewarding

Paige Penrose: There aren’t many races in Australia that go through high alpine regions and the bush and wildlife is something else up there. UTK has some growing to do but they’ve definitely got some special things going on. If you’ve got the capability to get down there, it’s absolutely worth a crack.

Julie Steele: Despite the untimely challenges that Mother Nature threw at the organisers, the Ultra Trail Kosci race director and his team worked tirelessly to deliver an exceptional experience. The landscape and atmosphere throughout the event were spectacular. The smiling checkpoint volunteers catered for every runner's needs, and the crowds along the course were so supportive. Unexpectedly, a tear rolled down my cheek as I ran towards that elusive finishing line glowing in the dark, with the commentator's booming voice welcoming you home. I highly recommend that people should consider doing the event next year!

Sarah Ludowici: Ultra Trail Kosci was a beautiful exploration of the Snowy Mountains, with plenty of rolling single track- the good stuff! Plenty of opportunity for flow, and connectedness. I think it is a great course for beginner adventurers particularly because of the limited elevation. These bigger events offer opportunity to dance with the best in the world but are different to smaller grassroots event that can sometimes offer unique, more targeted experiences - both have their place on your running calendar. 

If you'd like to see more stats and details from each athlete's race, you can check them out on Strava here - Elle, Vlad, Paige, Julie & Sarah.

❄️ 🏃🏻‍♀️ 🏔️ 🥶

That's it for 2022, folks! It's been a big year at For Wild Places, and 2023 is shaping up to be even bigger. If you'd like to join our team, or know someone who would, don't forget to pass along the details for a Program Manager, Marketing & Social Media Manager & Finance Officer - details here!

You can follow along our the crew's summer adventures via social media, where we'll be sharing some of the beautiful places we explore and unwind over the break. Stay safe out there, remember to pack a snake bandage, slip, slop, slap and slide, and stick to the trails!

Thank you for all of your support throughout the year, and we can't wait to continue the journey next year! As always, THANK YOU for taking the time, for wild places.

Hilary & the For Wild Places team

CHECK US OUT ON INSTAGRAM

UPCOMING EVENTS

02/01 Job Applications Close | read more

26/01 Trail Chat #9 with Peyton Thomas | register

01/02 Pilliga Tee & Postcard orders close | order now

11/02 Trail First Aid Course, Arthurs Seat | register

25/02 takyana Trail, Waratah, Tasmania | register



We acknowledge the the First Nations people who have been custodians of land, waters and culture for tens of thousands of years. We pay respects to First Nations Elders past, present and emerging.

This email was written on the lands of the Wadawurrung People of the Kulin Nation. To these people, we pay our respects.

Always was, always will be.