Why we're running the Pilliga Ultra and how you can get involved
Our growing community is united by our love of the outdoors and our drive to take action to address the biggest challenge facing the outdoor community - the climate and ecological crisis.
That's why we're thrilled to participate in a unique, upcoming, bucket-list opportunity to combine our passion for adventure with our commitment to take effective action for outdoor places.
The Pilliga Ultra: A Run to Keep the Pilliga Wild is an ultramarathon event taking place on 22 May 2021, hosted by For Wild Places and the Wilderness Society.
It's an epic trail run through rare eucalypt woodlands, over breathtaking rocky outcrops, and taking in the stunning views of the ancient Pilliga Forest. Get a sneak-peak of the terrain by watching this video here.
We're running to stop the Narrabri Gas Project
Despite enormous opposition, the fossil-fuel giant Santos was given approval by the NSW Independent Planning Commission (IPC) on 30 September 2020 to drill up to 850 coal seam gas (CSG) wells into this landscape.
This gas field not only threatens our global climate goals but also half a million hectares of rare intact temperate eucalypt woodland, the local community, the vital ground water of the Great Artesian Basin, and the sacred country and living culture of Gamilaraay peoples. At 95,000 hectares, Santos' project is the largest, by land area, ever proposed in NSW. It would be 38 times the size of the City of Sydney. To tackle the climate crisis, we cannot afford new gas developments. The Narrabri Gas Project would become one of the top 100 greenhouse gas emitters in Australia.
To learn more about the fight to save the Pilliga, watch the film Pilliga Rising here (the film starts at the 7 minute mark).
We're running to save the Pilliga
The local community and Gamilaraay people have been fighting the project for years. Thousands of people made submissions to the IPC. Thanks to these efforts, the IPC imposed 134 conditions on Santos which could cripple the project. Now is the time to stop this gas field - despite approval, Santos faces many hurdles before construction. As the Wilderness Society says, Santos still needs to get finance, insurance and make a final investment decision on this economically risky project.
The 5k, 20k & 50k trail runs will raise money and awareness to support The Wilderness Society’s campaign to save the Pilliga from gas extraction.
How to get involved
Together we can take action for the Pilliga, and stand with the local community and the Gamilaraay people. There are many ways to lend a hand.
1. Learn more and sign up for this once in a lifetime event here.
2. Members of Outdoors People for Climate Action will be joining other trail runners in raising funds and running the Pilliga Ultra. If you'd like to join our team, please get in touch.
3. If you won't be running the Pilliga Ultra please help us by sharing this event among your network - you could send them this article or share our Facebook post here.
4. Support our team's fundraising and donate directly towards saving the Pilliga here.
