The Wild for Nature Trust
The WILD is owned and organised by The Wild For Nature Charitable Trust.
All proceeds from the event will be used by the Trust to further develop the event in future years and, most importantly, to fund native habitat restoration projects in the area through which participants run.
The landscapes that play host to The WILD are breathtakingly beautiful but are much altered from their natural state.They are threatened by invasive species, in particular wilding pine, and hold only a small fraction of the native flora and fauna that once reigned supreme here. With a passion for rewilding and all its associated benefits for the climate as our primary driver, we have a vision in which The WILD becomes a catalyst for the restoration of these landscapes.
This vision will be achieved by using proceeds from The WILD to fund restoration work by the Trust (come join us on a working bee!) and other local environmental groups such as Arrowtown Choppers and Mahu Whenua Open Space Covenants. In the years to come runners in The WILD will see more and more of the area returning to its natural state, making the positive benefits that are derived from their participation – and entry fees – very tangible.
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By runners,
for nature
The Wild For Nature Trust has been established by a group of passionate Kiwi trail runners to:
Raise awareness
Raise awareness of native habitat restoration projects amongst the trail and mountain running community
Encourage stewardship
Actively encourage participation in returning large tracts of land to their pristine natural state
Foundation patrons
To raise seed funding for the Trust we are offering individuals and business the opportunity to become Foundation Patrons. The benefits associated with such patronage include complimentary entries to The WILD. If you’d like more information about supporting the Trust in this way, or how to make a donation, please email us at info@thewild100.org.
Trustees
A bunch of trail runners passionate about the environments they're lucky to get to run in...
“I’ve spent the last 50 years exploring and adventuring mountains and wild places, both in New Zealand and overseas. What started out as a recreational pastime became an obsession with endurance sports and a love for pushing my personal boundaries at every opportunity. This in turn led to some huge personal trail running challenges that have together raised almost $1 million for charity. Through all this my love of nature, and my awareness of the damage we humans wreak on it, has grown and grown, as has my desire to really do something about it. By establishing the Wild For Nature Trust I now have the opportunity to do just that. I am so excited about this next chapter in my life and look forward to sharing the vision and the hard yakka with a great bunch of people who I have long considered family – trail runners.”
“I know for my own well-being that connection to the great outdoors is key. There is a simplicity and quiet out there offering a calmness and sense of place in the scheme of things. The ease in which elements of earth and rock, water, forests, birds and beasts, and sky all work together to create such beauty blows my mind – and they have no idea how beautiful they all are together, they just are.
To preserve our precious wild places each of us need to know them. The work of The Wild for Nature Trust will extend opportunities for people to establish a personal relationship with stunning wild places whilst also advocating for the preservation of place through awareness and re-planting projects. I’m thrilled to be a part of it.”
“I have been organising events since the early 2000s. My early inspiration came from competing in 24hr adventure races, Kepler Challenge and the Tararua Southern Crossing. These events enhanced my life, boosted my self-confidence and basically gave me something to look forward to. I like to be able to offer those benefits to people through the range of events we now put on at Highland Events.
The Wild For Nature Trust and The WILD take this to the next level both in challenge for participants but also in wide ranging benefits for the community and environment. I am very excited to be part of it.”
"Moving to New Zealand in 2019 coincided with getting older and slower, the benefit being I have more time on the trails to appreciate the amazing place we live in. As I’ve started volunteering with DOC and traplines, my knowledge of the issues is slowly increasing but there is so much to learn! Nothing can be taken for granted, if we don’t look after what we have, and inspire other people to do the same, we can't assume it will be there for future generations.
My motto used to be “pack as much into every day”, I think I’m changing it to “slow down: plant trees”. I am grateful to be here - both in New Zealand and working with this team.”
“Whilst I'm still a bit of a novice when it comes to trail running, it's hard to beat that feeling of being out in nature, running trails through stunning native forest up onto amazing ridgelines! Escaping the daily rat race and getting away from it all out on the trails has become super important for my physical health and mental wellbeing. We are so spoilt in New Zealand with so many great trails to choose from but we need to look after and preserve our native flora and fauna and ensure that the beauty we enjoy is there for generations to come. I love sharing the trails with others and encouraging people of all abilities to participate in outdoor activities and can't wait to get more involved in habitat restoration projects throughout Aoteroa."
“As an event director and trail runner for more than 25 years, I am all too aware of how precious land access and the environment are to all of us. When I run it is to explore new areas and experience new lands/views. We trail runners are in a unique position (because we get out there amongst it and see so much more than Joe Bloggs on the street) to see the changes on the environment and therefore how we can help - we can show everyone else how they can help protect/restore the whenua and that’s why I’m excited to be a part of the Trust’s work.”
“I’m a self-confessed "road runner with a trail running problem". I began my distance running journey in 2012 to get back into shape after losing my mother to a short battle with cancer. In 2014 after my niece was diagnosed with a rare disease called Metachromatic Leukodystrophy(MLD), I created a charity challenge called "Run Over MLD" to complete 7 marathons on 7 continents and a marathon at the North Pole to raise awareness and funds for families affected. My wife Jamie and I relocated from Sydney to Queenstown in 2017 and founded Queenstown parkrun in mid-2018 in an effort to connect the local and visiting running communities. My passion for the trails and mountains in the Queenstown Lakes District and the conservation of the area is the key reason why I’m involved with The Wild For Nature Trust. I believe that trail runners have a responsibility to be stewards to the natural playground that they enjoy and can do more to preserve the landscape”