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 | | In our first newsletter of the year, we take a look back at what we accomplished together in 2024, and a look ahead at the year in front of us. To those affected by the wildfires in California right now, our hearts are with you. If you are looking for ways to support, we recommend California Community Foundation (@calfund) and LAFD Foundation (@lafdfoundation). You can see more at the bottom of this newsletter. |
| | | | Thank you to the entire Runners for Public Lands community for making 2024 such an incredible 5th Anniversary year. Together, we’ve achieved numerous milestones and made significant strides in establishing Runners for Public Lands as the nonprofit that connects runners with opportunities to protect the people and places we love. |
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| From supporting impactful legislative initiatives that prioritize equitable access to nature, advocating for critical resources to support the land managing agencies who hosts cherished running events, to organizing dozens of trail cleanups and educational activations—your support has powered us every step of the way. Whether you joined us for a community run, got your hands dirty at a trail stewardship event, signed a letter to lawmakers, or supported us through a donation, your contributions have created a more connected, inspired, and empowered community of runners.
Looking ahead, our team of exceptional board members, staff, volunteers, and partners is more energized than ever. In 2025, our efforts will create more service opportunities in local communities, invite more runners to engage in civics, and harness the power of working together to protect public lands and expand access to nature for all to enjoy.
Thank you for running alongside us. We’ve accomplished so much together and I can’t wait to see what we achieve in the year ahead!
With heart in mind, Kat Baker Executive Director, RPL
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| | Upcoming: Opportunities & Events |
| | Monthly RunsWe’re partnering with Patagonia again this year to host 20+ Community Runs throughout 2025. Our Ventura Series begins Tuesday, Feb. 18th at 5:30 p.m., meeting at Patagonia’s Great Pacific Iron Works, and our San Diego Series with the Coast Run Club begins on Sunday, March 30th and meets at 7:45am at Patagonia Cardiff. Want to come? Join our Ventura Strava Club and stay tuned for our San Diego Strava Club. |
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| | Trail Work SeriesIt’s time to roll up your sleeves and support our public lands again this year. Our signature Trail Work Series program kicks off soon. We have a lot of opportunities this year, from California to Colorado, Arizona to Indiana. The Ventura Series starts on Feb. 8th in Ojai, San Diego Series on March 22nd in Encinitas, and our Colorado, Arizona, and Indiana ones are coming soon. Read more here. |
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| | RPL Watch Parties Save the dates! The 2025 Trail Running Film Festival is beginning its global tour soon, and we’re going to be hosting two watch parties, like we did last year. Come celebrate this year’s films. On April 2nd, we’ll be at Topa Topa Brewing in Ventura, CA., and on April 18th, we’ll be at the Bermuda Club. Info and tickets forthcoming soon. |
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| | Camp & RunOn June 13-15, we’re headed back to Leadville, Colorado to host our annual Camp & Run. We are so excited to partner with the Lake County Tourism District, USFS, Cloud City Conservation Center and Friends of Lake County to bring another fun-filled weekend of connecting, giving back, learning, and running! |
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| | | We can’t wait to see you at one of our events, programs, or gatherings this year. Stay tuned for registration information coming soon. |
| | News: RPL Receives Major Funding |
|  | We ended the year with a few good pieces of news, which was that RPL received a few major grants for 2025. In fact, we received just under $100,000 in awards to support our programs, including our Trail Work Series. A big thank you to the below foundations and brands for believing in RPL and supporting our efforts.
We couldn’t do this work without the support of these grants, as well as all of our members, individual donors, and Brand Coalition Partners, who provided major gifts and monthly donations, like our 1% for the Planet Partners—Fractel, Nomadix, and Topa Topa Brewing—and our key program partners, like HOKA, Teva, and Patagonia Trail Running. |
|  | | | | Have you heard?RPL is hiring for a part-time Program Manager, who will be overseeing our Trail Work Series. What and who are we looking for? You can see some of the info below, but make sure to visit our site for more info. Please note: while we are giving preference to candidates in the Ventura-Santa Barbara County area (see below), we do welcome applicants from all over California and beyond. |
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| Title: Part-Time Program Manager Pay & Hours: $25-28, 16-22hrs per week Work: The part-time Program Manager will manage our 2025 Trail Work Series program. Through this program, RPL works with trail managers, running clubs, races, and brands to educate and activate runners through recurring trail and path stewardship events in local communities. It is preferred that the candidate is located in the Ventura-Santa Barbara County, CA region as they will be required to utilize the 2025 Santa Barbara, CA Trail Work Series as a pilot to refine program execution guidance and operational assets, develop evaluation processes, and create a comprehensive Trail Wok Series Handbook. See more here.
To apply for this position, please submit your resume and cover letter to jobs@runnersforpubliclands.org by January 15.
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| |  | | Future: RPL’s Board of Directors |
| Last year, we welcomed 6 new voices to our Board of Directors—Zoë Rom, Alison Mariella Désir, Wookie Kim, Dustin Martin, Tim Tollefson, and Rosamaria Gonzalez— nearly doubling our board. We couldn’t be more stoked to work with this talented crew of now 13 people, as they help steward our organization into the future. Learn more about our board members here. |
|  | | Policy Updates: The EXPLORE Act & USFS |
| Last year, we were working hard with our partners on two issues: The EXPLORE Act and the ongoing budget crisis at and cuts to the USFS. |
| | The EXPLORE Act:The EXPLORE Act has passed Congress, which is a huge milestone and win for the outdoor community. It was a culmination of years of advocacy from the outdoor recreation community, including coalitions like Outdoor Alliance and Coalition for Outdoor Access. You can read more about The EXPLORE Act and what this means for the outdoor community here. |
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| | Letter to Congress:With the news of the budget cuts to USFS, RPL got to work: we brought together 163 race directors from the US, representing 727 races across 35 states in 55 national forests, and penned an open letter urging Congress to provide more funding to these essential services. How was it received and what are the next steps? Take a look on our blog here. |
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| | Love to our friends & fam in LA |
|  | Our hearts are with all of our friends and fam, and communities who are affected by the wildfires in Los Angeles.
As a grassroots-organization that started in Ventura, CA, our home is rooted here. We live with the reality of wildfires, which continue to affect our lands, homes, air, and so much more. Right now, we’re tending to our communities impacted by the fires, and have all the gratitude and respect for the broad network of frontline responders working tirelessly to support those in the need. As mentioned in our note above, if you have the means, we recommend donating to California Community Foundation (@calfund) and LAFD Foundation (@lafdfoundation). While this is happening in LA and California, it affects us all. |
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