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August Newsletter
The month ahead holds multiple opportunities to get involved with RPL. Once again, our continued growth wouldn’t be possible without your support! |
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We are so proud and grateful that runners are taking action to care for the places they run! Due to the success of these work party events, the Trail Work Series will continue to expand to new locations and grow in impact! We are excited to welcome a new brand sponsor to the Trail Work Series team; stay tuned for updates on future work days with HOKA coming soon! |
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New! Flagstaff Trail Work Series |
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We are so excited to kick off our newest trail work location in Flagstaff! Join RPL, and HOKA, for this new launch taking place on September 18th. Volunteers will meet at the Schultz Creek Trailhead and contribute to revitalizing a foot-use-only trail that will be great for running. Register by clicking here! |
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| In the final event of the Indiana Dunes Trail Work Series, runners planted 40 native plants and helped clear the path for a new Indigenous Cultural Trail while learning a little about the history of Indigenous tribes in NW Indiana and their cultural ties to the Dunes. Based on an initial landscaping quote, the work completed by runners on this day saved the park $6,000! In total, this Trail Work Series contributed 80 hours of service by 31 volunteers across all 4 events! |
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We wanted to extend a massive thank you to our amazing RPL Ambassador Kirk Cherep and the community he has built through Trailblazer Running, as well as the Indiana Dunes National Park Service, the volunteers who showed up for the work parties, and the sponsors who made this possible including Patagonia Trail Running, GU, Fractal, and Athletic Brewing! We can’t wait to join you again for more events in 2025! |
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It’s hard to believe we have already completed 7 trail work events with our friends at Jefferson County Open Space and Trail Runner Volunteers. Luckily, there is one more chance to get involved in 2024! Join us on September 17th to help complete light trail maintenance and improve drainage at Deer Creek Canyon Park on Rattlesnake Trail. We will conclude the event with a great raffle including prizes from all our sponsors! Click here to sign up! |
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Trailhead Podcast: Earlier this month RPL founder and Board President, Vic Thasiah, was a guest on the Trailhead Podcast. Zoë Rom and Vic discussed why Vic founded RPL and what runners can do to better protect public lands. Check out the full episode wherever you listen to podcasts! |
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Outdoor Alliance: Our very own Kathleen Baker was featured on Outdoor Alliance’s Outdoor Allies series this month. Kathleen is part of Outdoor Alliance’s Grasstops Collective, a program that trains leaders in the outdoor community to build relationships with policymakers and advocate for conservation priorities. Ever wondered how you can do more for public lands but aren’t sure where to start?
“The places we love to recreate cannot protect themselves. If we care about sharing these experiences with the people we love, now and in the future, we all need to take some kind of action.” -Kathleen Baker
Click here to read the full piece that dives into how Kathleen got started in advocacy work, what led her to RPL, and her call to action for other runners.
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Running + Participating in local-level Advocacy |
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August 20th was a busy day for the RPL community in Ventura! RPL and Patagonia welcomed a record number of runners to our monthly run at Harmon Canyon. While this amazing group of runners was connecting with one another and nature on our favorite local trails, another group turned out to City Hall. |
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Photos from the August RPL x Patagonia community run in Ventura and Ventura City Council meeting. |
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RPL member Mark Finster organized members of the running community to attend the Ventura City Council meeting and listen to the Ventura Land Trust’s updates on their plans to develop new trails in the Mariano Rancho Preserve. When talking about how he got involved and organized this outing, Mark Finster shared the following:
“I decided to use my voice as a resident in Ventura to support community accessible trails. I started by looking up my Ventura City Council representative and reached out to voice my perspective via email. I learned that there would be a relevant presentation at one of the regular monthly City Council meetings, and so I invited my friends in the community to join me in attending. If you're interested in participating in an upcoming public meeting (either via written or in-person comment), you can learn about the process here. The max speaking time for in-person public commentary is three minutes - and you don't need to wait for another guest speaker session to attend and make your voice heard. You can speak about any topic, at any meeting.”
With Mark and the rest of our community, RPL is excited to offer more information about how runners can engage in outdoor advocacy to protect public lands and equitable access to nature in their hometowns! |
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| Everyone Runs Fund: 2024 ERF recipient Mauricio will be running his goal race, the Pikes Peak Marathon on September 22nd! Join us in cheering Mauricio on by following along on RPL’s Instagram!
“It’s so rewarding to be there for others and break access barriers along the way.” -Mauricio |
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DC Advocacy: RPL's first DC Advocacy Fly-in! Kat will be joining the rest of the Outdoor Alliance Grasstops Collective to meet with Congressional Members and Staff to represent the running community and advocate for the protection of public lands and equitable access to nature in the Capitol. |
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Mammoth Trail Fest: RPL will be attending the Mammoth Trail Fest! Join us for our signature public lands trivia hosted by RPL Board Member, the one and only, Bryant Baker on Friday, Sept 20th from 5 pm - 6 pm in the Mammoth Town Square. There will be great prizes for participants and a raffle for anyone passing by!
Prizes include apparel and gear from our Brand Coalition partners and even a free race entry to the 2025 Mammoth Trail Fest. Register your team for free at the RPL tent at any time on Thursday or Friday! |
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RPL x Patagonia Community Runs: Join RPL and your local Patagonia stores for a community run during the month ahead! |
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Thank you for your continual support as our organization continues to grow. We look forward to the year ahead and many meaningful miles shared on the trails! |
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