We protect what we love

FRIDAY . 09.12. 22.

Happy Friday, FWP community! We hope you've been enjoying the long overdue sunshine along the East Coast last weekend, and having somewhat dry trails for a change! It's been a busy week at FWP HQ, with our final Board Meeting of 2022, an adventure out to East Gippsland and breaking ground on our new TRACTION: Trail Action program that will be launching very shortly!

It's also been great to welcome some new members into the FWP fold - thank you Oowan, Mark, Sarah & Danielle for all signing up for an annual membership! We are very close to hitting 70 members, and we are hoping our end-of-year giveaway might be the perfect incentive! Our friends at Fractel have gifted us some of their sweet caps, and we are excited to offer a free cap with each new membership until the end of the year (while stocks last).

I tested out some of the merchandise this week while exploring East Gippsland, in preparation for a potential new event in 2023. I've spent some time in this very remote, rugged and beautiful part of the world, and it was fantastic to head back and see how the area is thriving after a wet winter. This area was decimated in the 2019-2020 bushfires, and communities and nature are still recovering. Adventure and conservation photographer Calumn Hockey came along for the ride, and captured some amazing shots we can't wait to share with you. Here is a sneak peek, shot on the Errinundra Plateau.

A fallen giant on the Errinundra Plateau.

Image: Calumn Hockey

In this week's newsletter, we're bringing you some ideas for sustainable and affordable Christmas gifts, and Elanor has a somewhat surprising update from her 30/100 preparations, with Ultra Trail Kosciuszko just around the corner.

Next week we are excited to bring you a recap of our Trail Chat with Simone Brick (Thursday 15th December @ 12.00pm, RSVP here) and some more Christmas ideas!

FWP CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE

Guiding you through the silly season

Christmas is just around the corner, and many of us will be feeling overwhelmed by all of the gifts we 'need' to buy for our nearest and dearest. Whether it be financial stress, consumerism or the idea of joining the Christmas shopping rush, we understand that it can be a stressful time of year, despite Christmas' best intentions!

Consider our wonderful FWP volunteer crew your trusty elves this festive season, as we bring you our best recommendations for alternative Christmas gifts for the special people in your life. This week we're got a few suggestions from Elle, Will & Hilary.

~ Elle ~

I spent this week making Christmas cakes for my family and friends. When growing up, my Grandpa used to make all of his kids a Christmas cake which were hot property! When my cousins and I got older, we spent a lot of time asking around to find this 'top secret' recipe, and eventually found it when cleaning out my Grandpa's house after he died.

Christmas cake galore at Elle's place!

Whilst I've altered the recipe a little (doubling the amount of rum, tripling the amount of glace cherries and using almond meal instead of flour), it is deliciously moist and, when marzipaned and iced, looks super impressive.

~ Will ~

Instead of exchanging gifts, organise a big dinner for family or friends. Jess (my partner) and I don't do presents with my family, but we always cook up a big meal when we can all get together. We go all out - three courses and everything! It's a lovely way to focus on people, relationships and being 'present' rather than the stress of having to buy stuff for everyone!

~ Hilary ~

My latest obsession is pickling. Whether it be turnips, cauliflower, carrot, cucumber, or basically whatever in-season vegetable I can get my hands on, pickling is the best. It all started when my brother pickled turnips, and I became addicted to the crunchy, salty, tangy goodness of these pink delights. Since then, I've been trialling different recipes to get the taste *just right*, as well as testing different veggies. For Christmas, I'm going to make some hampers of yummy pickled goodies that would go perfectly on an antipasto plate or cheese board. I also love a pickled turnip mid or post-run, so the real challenge is trying to eat them all myself!

Jars of pickled goodness enjoyed on a run or with friends in the sun! ☀️

Here is my recipe for a cheese board-style pickled veggie mix. I used cauliflower, carrot, shallots and celery, but you can mix it up however you like! Hard veggies work best - zucchini tends to go a bit mushy.

And also, pickled turnips! These go especially well with falafels, hummus and tabbouleh, or eaten directly from the jar!

Happy pickling and baking friends! Any questions you have, feel free to hit up Elle or Hilary directly. Stay tuned for some more sustainable gift ideas next week!

🎁 🎅🏼 🎁

1% OF TARKINE SALES

Supporting FWP on a monthly basis

World Record Holder Erchana Murray-Bartlett is a big fan of Tarkine! Somewhat not surprisingly, she's gone up a size due to swelling after running 110 consecutive marathons!

You may have heard of 1% for the Planet, but the wonderful crew at Tarkine are going one step further. Every month, Sam and the crew at Tarkine carve 3% of their total sales and donate 2% to the Bob Brown Foundation, and the remaining 1% to us here at For Wild Places.

We are big fans of Tarkine, with their first release, the Goshawk, being the go-to shoe of many of the FWP crew. Favoured by those that love a roomy toe-box, the Goshawk is designed to be the most environmentally friendly shoe on the planet. Check out this short video for all of the enviro credentials of the maiden model.

The second iteration of the Goshawk is now available at tarkine.com, and their first trail shoe is launching in early 2023. If you're a FWP Member, you can get 20% of all Tarkine gear, which includes hats, socks & tees.

We are incredibly grateful to Tarkine for their generosity and transparency. Being a small company from Perth, it's super interesting for us to see how much sales, and therefore revenue, fluctuate from month to month, and we are really grateful that they are supporting us on a consistent basis. Tarkine is one of our growing group of FWP Collective Members - for more info, check out the website.

👟 🏃🏽 👟

An update from Elanor

In a major plot twist, I've decided to snap up a late ticket for the 100km Ultra Trail Kosciuszko. After having October off running, I went to Tasmania (early November) and felt so fit. I spent a lot of time cycling and running, and whilst I wasn't overly fast, I felt strong and loved the time that I spent outside.

Whilst my ankle still hurts, CT and MRI scans indicate that there is "nothing to be causing these symptoms". Apparently, it is likely referred pain from my peroneus muscle.

Whilst I'm super self-competitive, meaning I will likely be disappointed if I don't beat my previous 100km time, I'm even more stoked that I'm making the start line at all. Worst case scenario is that I'm super slow, but the silver lining is that I'll be spending even more time in nature.

🏔️ 🏃🏻‍♀️ 🍫 🙌🏽

And that's it for another week, folks! Thank you for your ongoing support of FWP, and remember to tune in on Thursday for Trail Chat #8 with Simone Brick. Have a wonderful weekend exploring, catching up with friends and soaking up the festive cheer! And as always, thank you for taking the time, for wild places.

Hilary & the For Wild Places team

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UPCOMING EVENTS

15/12 Trail Chat #8 with Simone Brick | register

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.