We protect what we love

FRIDAY 19.05.2023.

Good morning running enthusiasts and nature lovers.

Well autumn is well an truely upon us. I write this whilst wearing multiple layers, after reluctantly getting out of the warmth of my bed.

We've had lots happening at FWP headquarters over this past week - we had an epic chat with Melissa yesterday, who was so fun and has been on some epic adventures, which includes getting lost in a blizzard in Tasmania in shorts and a long sleeve top. Tim has been exploring the illawarra escarpment, finding the most incredible fungi in bloom, Lara has been busy winning UTA22 and Lauren has been busy soaking up all the energy of UTA including racing Friday morning, a Friday evening vollie shift for 50km check in, an early Saturday start to watch dear friends line up for the 50km & 100km events, a Saturday afternoon vollie shift at QVH where she watched the 100km elite women coming through and then a race back to the finish line to watch her friends cross. I'm actually exhausted just typing that - what an incredible human! Finally, did you catch this video from We Are Explorers, featuring our very own CEO Hilary? Cam and Hilary caught up in the Wombat State Forest a few weeks ago to talk all things FWP as part of the new YouTube series 'Act Local'.

Fungi of the illawarra escarpment. 📷 Tim.

In this week's newsletter we're celebrating national volunteer week, with a letter from CEO Hilary to us vollies (get a tissue before reading) and we're linking you to some functional and educational ceramics that celebrate Australia's biodiversity. Oh yeah, and FWP camp. I've bought my ticket to Melbourne, as there's no way that I'm missing out on this opportunity to learn from some incredible mentors, re-start running again alongside other movement runners and just have a great time with friends. I hope I'll be seeing you there.

CAMP FWP

Have you signed up yet?

The inaugural CAMP FWP is coming around very quickly! This time in two weeks, we'll be playing in the sunshine (hopefully) and snow (maybe!) at Mt Hotham, listening, learning and soaking up the beautiful trails of Gunaikurnai and Taungurung Country.

Some of the mentors attending the camp include non-binary adventurer and activist Coz Fleming, adventurer, educator and international leadership coach Richard Bowles, Alpine campaigner and POW Australian co-founder Cam Walker, as well as The North Face athletes Paige Penrose and Blake Hose. Each mentor will focus on different aspects of advocacy, athleticism, allyship and the outdoors, giving participants a diverse range of experiences and perspectives.

Rather than focus on one particular outcome, participants will be encouraged to tap into their unique skills and knowledge and recognise a variety of ways they could utilize their passion and experience to help serve, protect and celebrate wild places. Surrounded by the unique alpine environments of Mt Hotham, hosts, mentors and participants alike will be inspired by the surroundings and reminded of the fragility of nature.

There are still spots available, and scholarships are up for grabs! If you're free from the 1st - 4th of June, head to the event website to sign up.

Join us at CAMP FWP!

⛰️ ☀️ ⛰️

NATIONAL VOLUNTEER WEEK

Celebrating and recognising our amazing team of volunteers

Happy National Volunteer Week, folks! It's your CEO Hilary here, and I've taken over the newsletter to gush wildly about your girl Elle, and the rest of the amazing volunteers that keep the wheels turning and the stoke high at FWP HQ.

In essence, For Wild Places is a volunteer organisation. Yes, Will and I get thrown the occasional pineapple for our efforts, however, the lionshare of the work, from the Board of Directors to the event hosting, grant writing, trail plogging and all of the other 999 tasks it takes to keep a not for profit thriving, is completed by a team of passionate, kind and wonderful volunteers.

Imagine I'm on the stage at the Grammys, Arias, Brownlow or whatever you consider to be the 'night of nights'. I'm up there, holding the golden trail shoe aloft, beyond stoked with the accomplishments FWP has achieved to get us to that place. Dim the lights, hush the voices, it's time for my acceptance speech. Here it goes...

Some of our amazing volunteers at FWP

Thank you all, for recognising the hard work we have all put in to get to this moment. Back in 2020, For Wild Places was just a placeholder name for an idea, which has over time grown into a movement. Without the support of the trail community and outdoor lovers alike, we would not be here. We are incredibly proud of the work we do and feel great pride in the impact we have had in protecting wild places, both big and small, iconic and unknown.

Even though it is me up here this metaphorical evening, accepting the golden shoe on behalf of our organisation, it is the incredible team of volunteers that deserves the recognition. Since the early days, they have put in hour upon hour of thought, heart, conversation and care into building and growing this movement. Every image, graphic, word and idea has been created, curated, considered and eventually converged into websites, events, initiatives, camps, ultramarathons, newsletters and social media content, to name a few.

To our Board of Directors, who sign on the dotted line as custodians of this entity, and show up every month, and occasionally in between, to ensure the longevity and prosperity of this organisation. Without your insights, expertise, empathy and passion, we would not be here today. Thank you.

To those that have been with us since the beginning, when FWP was just a small seedling, not yet established or certain of what the future would bring. It was with generosity of spirit that you joined our rag-tag crew of trail runners, and helped us navigate the turbulent and cloudy waters of the not-for-profit landscape. You invested in For Wild Places with your experience, eagerness and understanding, and that is a debt we can never repay.

Team work makes the dream work at

Great Forest Trail Marathon

To those that have helped erect a marquee, fill a flask, sweep a course or whatever random task I asked you to do in a fluster, thank you. Volunteers are the heart and soul of any event, and we are incredibly lucky to have such generous, fun and kind people at the core of For Wild Places. I consider each and every one of you a true friend and am grateful to this wild and wonderful FWP world we have created, and the amazing people in it.

Volunteers, you run the world. What we have achieved here at FWP is one of a million groups and organisations across this continent and beyond that rely on good people who give a shit to get things done. Who runs the world? Volunteers. Who's going to save the world? Volunteers. We hope that this is just the beginning of our story, and thank you for coming along for the ride.

With appreciation, respect and a strong desire to see you in person soon,

I say thank you. 🙏🏽💚

The theme of National Volunteer Week 2023 is 'The Change Makers'. This is an incredibly apt title, and I strongly recommend we all remember to thank the volunteers in our life this week, and every week, for what opportunities and joy they bring to our lives.

If you're not yet volunteering yourself, what are you waiting for?! It's an extremely rewarding experience that brings connection, purpose and community. Whether it's at your local Parkrun, community garden, Landcare Group or advocacy group, join in on the fun! Trust me, you won't regret it!

🙏🏽 🏆 🙏🏽

ARACELI ADAMS

Handmade ceramics that are inspired by, and celebrate, Australia’s rich Biodiversity

Platters depicting The Lamington Spiny Crayfish - an endemic species found in Lamington National Park, one of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia. 📷 @araceli_adams.

Araceli Adams is an Australian- based artist who makes functional ceramics out of her small studio, Casa Adams, in Dulwich Hill (Gadigal land). The studio’s designs are inspired by Australia’s rich biodiversity, with the aim to recreate the wonder and curiosity felt by naturalists during the Age of Discovery.

The most recent body of work celebrates Australia’s marine biodiversity. Each piece features a hand painted marine creature, from Australian Fish, crustaceans and cephalopods, with the goal being to elicit a sense of wonder and appreciation of our incredible marine environment, which needs our help now more than ever.

The Studio’s ‘gram not only contains a beautiful display of hand-painted ceramics, but each post contains a story and/or facts about the biodiversity that is represented. I’ve included some images and stories in this newsletter as a little taster.

In addition to making incredible works of art and functional ceramics, the studio has a strong sustainability ethos. 

During the 19th C, seaweed collecting was the craze amongst women. Banned from the “gentlemen sciences” clubs, this pastime allowed women to explore nature, improve their scientific knowledge and create attractive mementos to decorate their homes. We are very fortunate to have an abundance of seaweed species growing in Australian waters. To give you an idea, in the British Isles, there are approximately 600 species. Whereas in Western Australia alone, you can find over 1000. 📷 @araceli_adams.

Carbon sequestration: Araceli also contributes to Carbon Positive Australia by planting a native tree or shrub in Australia for each piece sold. As of December 2022, they have planted 1099 trees. In addition to donating to Carbon Positive Australia, the studio also makes monthly donations to a number of other environmentally and socially focused organisations, such as The Great Barrier Reef Foundation, the Australian Conservation Foundation, The Wilderness Society and the Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation. 

Biodegradable and recyclable packaging: The individual boxes that each ceramic piece is packaged are from recycled cardboard by the Brisbane-based family run company Craftpak. In addition, the stickers, tape, cardboard, hemp cord, wrapping, shredded paper, corn peanuts and marketing material enclosed is either biodegradable, recycled or from sustainably managed paper sources

100% carbon neutral courier service: Sendle , a registered B Corp and Australia’s first carbon neutral delivery service, is used.

Mindfulness: Studio Casa Adams is mindful in how they conduct their daily operations, from recycling, to composting, limiting water use and creating as little waste as possible.

If a small studio can make incredible changes like this to their supply chain and packaging materials, I don’t see why other companies can’t do the same (I’m looking at you McDonalds, CocaCola, The Iconic, Shein).

Plates depicting butterflyfish. There are around 122 species of Butterflyfish spread around the world, and mostly found in warm temperature and tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific. The latest research places them to have evolved into the species that we know today a whopping 23 million years ago. They also form life-lasting mating pairs. 📷 @araceli_adams.

🦞 🪸 🐠

NEXT WEEK

In next week's newsletter, we're linking you to some small businesses that are doing good for this planet, and a wrap up of Trail Chat #13 with Melissa Robertson. Stay tuned.

And as always, thank you for taking the time for wild places.

Elanor (she/her) & the For Wild Places team

CHECK US OUT ON INSTAGRAM

UPCOMING EVENTS

01-03/06 Camp FWP: Mt Hotham | Register

03/06 TRACTION: Plenty River | RSVP

15/06 Trail Chat #14: Jake Fedorowski | RSVP

17/06 TRACTION: Darebin Creek | RSVP

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 Darug nation lands. To these people, we pay our respects.

Always was, always will be.