We protect what we love

FRIDAY . 06 . 05. 22 .

Good morning.

We've had an exceptionally collaborative week here at FWP headquarters. We had four team meetings (that's four more than we usually have 😂 ), including two strategic planning meetings. These were full of energy, awesome ideas, snacks, pets and some more awesome ideas which left us all feeling inspired.

We're looking at ways to further our relationships with the Pilliga, increase education of environmental issues, promote advocacy and protection of wild places and how we can make trail running and environmental protection inextricably linked.

There's lots going on behind the scenes. And all will be revealed in the coming months. Until then, this week's newsletter includes a call out to become a founding member (with some epic discounts for the next 10 people who sign up), a friendly reminder about upcoming 'Trail Chat #1' with Sam from Tarkine and links to a fun campaign on how to host a Boomervention.

CALL OUT TO BECOME A FOUNDING MEMBER

A note from FWP Project Manager, Will Williams.

We're stoked to announce that the next 10 people to join FWP will receive a whopping 30% discount on a one-off purchase from Patagonia AND a free edition of Wild Magazine.

Participating in the Pilliga Ultra was the first chance I’ve had to see the For Wild Places team in action, in person. It was impressive and inspiring!

Will (left) approaching the finish line after 20kms of Pilliga wilderness exploration.

The check in (and gear check) was efficient, the race briefing helpful (and entertaining!), the venue and catering superb. The actual run was just awesome and, thanks to well organised aid stations and expertly marked courses, runners could enjoy the trails and take in the spectacular surroundings. It felt safe and inclusive and, of course, all for an important cause: to stop coal seam gas mining in the Pilliga.

The Pilliga Ultra enabled me and other runners to make trail running a meaningful expression of environmental activism. It also helped build the growing community of sports activists that are committed to protecting wild places. It’s exactly the kind of event we need more of.

However, these events take an immense amount of time and resources to organise. To plan into the future, organisations such as For Wild Places need to grow and consolidate. Our team is full of passion and dedication to the job at hand, but that only goes so far. Projects like the Pilliga Ultra are critical to the efforts to protect and celebrate wild places. But they won’t happen without the support of our community. It takes people like you - passionate about saving the wild places we love, to make a difference. 

Finish line feels. Big smiles like this wouldn't be possible without event partners and amazing followers (and members) like you!

This is a call out to sign up today to become a Founding Member of For Wild Places.

By joining FWP, you will help:

• Fund our core operations in an ongoing and sustainable way
• Create a foundation from which more meaningful work can happen
• Maintain FWP as a great place to work
• Build a team of activist runners with the capacity to fulfil our wildest dreams!

On top of this there are more awesome perks: 

• Your name listed as a Founding Member on our website (if you want!)
• Early registration access to all FWP events
• Member-only discounts from our awesome partners - Patagonia, Trail Brew, Adventure+ and Tarkine
• Go in the running (pun intended) to win quality gear from partners who share our values
• Updates on our latest projects, adventures and events - including additional opportunities to get involved.

If you want to become a FWP Founding Member today and help build a running community with a purpose, then sign up today. 

We appreciate the support!

🌱 🌱 🌱

TRAIL CHAT #1: TARKINE TALK

Sam Burke from Tarkine is our guest presenter in our first 'Trail Chats' series. Sam will be talking about the story behind the worlds most eco friendly shoe (which also happens to be 50% more durable than the average trail shoe).

This is scheduled to take place on Wednesday 18th May from 2-3pm (pretty much an 'afternoon tea and learn' session). Members, refresh that inbox because your zoom link is waiting for you. And non-members, if this has piqued your interest, then hit the 'join now' link 😉

👟 👟 👟

BOOMERVENTION

This election, you can help fight for climate change by convincing baby boomers in your life to vote for climate (either by voting for the Greens or any climate-champion independent). There is evidence to suggest that baby boomers tend to vote more conservatively (e.g. for major parties) than younger generations (see graph below). Boomervention is a fun campaign by comedian Tom Ballard which asks you to have a conversation with the baby boomers in your life to educate them on the importance of voting for climate this election (which includes convincing them to consider voting with your future in mind).

This graph shows voting patterns across different age groups in the 2019 election. Source: Cameron & McAllister (2019), pg 18.

To convince the boomers in your life, you can use the "Ethical Mischief Guide to Pursuading Your Boomer to Act Before We All Burn in a Climate Apocalypse" (it's a working title). This guide provides you with information to have an informative and empathetic conversation with boomers, and will prepare you to answer their objections.

"Conducting a #Boomervention with The Naysayer is as delicate as a Royal Doulton tea set. Handle with extreme care. Avoid starting your convo in a tense environment like the Coles carpark on a Saturday." - Boomervention

You can find out more about the Boomervention via their website or Instagram, and be sure to check out the 3 minute (and very quirky) video.

💥 💥 💥

That's it from us this week. Have a great weekend (winter is on it's way), find inner peace on the trails, stay safe and we'll catch you next week.

And, as always, thank you for taking the time to support wild places!

Will, Elanor & the For Wild Places team.

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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 compiled on Gadigal lands of the Eora nation. To these people, we pay our respects.

Always was, always will be.