Run Wild, Inc.

Run Wild is committed to connecting young people with nature, especially those kids who don't have much opportunity to access natural environments. For 2025, we are planning to support two initiatives. First, we intend to make a contribution towards transportation and accommodation costs for a group of Southern Bronx school kids, whose teacher, Julie McGuire, is planning to take them to the Catskills to do trail work. Julie, who is also a volunteer with the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference and responsible for maintaining some of the trails on Slide Mountain, shares that these trips have been "life changing" for her students, who live in the inner city in some cases in shelters. The kids respond with awe to the natural environment, they are enthusiastic workers and delighted to make a contribution to the community, and the trip has helped students and teacher bond and learn to work together. Run Wild intends to sponsor multiple trips in 2025 for as many kids as possible and is looking into ways to expand this program.

Our second initiative for 2025 is to continue encouraging young people to get into trail running, which we do by sponsoring free registration for those 18 and under at the Hudson Highlands Nature Center 5k trail race in October of each year. This is a perfect grassy, scenic course for someone's first trail race, and we've had high school runners winning the event and kids as young as 4 walking the course hand-in-hand with parents, with participation ranging from 40-70 young runners, making this a very kid-centric and welcoming event. We are delighted to partner with Hudson Highlands Nature Center, located outside Cornwall, NY, as they are leaders in teaching children about nature.

In an age of device and distraction, these opportunities for kids to get out on the trails -- whether doing trail maintenance work or running -- are more important than ever before. The benefits are physical, mental, spiritual, and moral. You can sponsor one young runner at the 5k for as little as $40, while the cost of busing for Julie's students to reach the Catskills is closer to $100 per child. As you think about your plans for 2025, will you add some kids to your bucket list?

Run Wild is working with the Open Space Institute (OSI) to preserve one of New York’s iconic natural features – Verkeerderkill Falls.

This beautiful waterfall pours off a mountain ledge nearly 2,000 feet above the Hudson Valley and plunges 187 feet into a basin of hemlocks. Welcome to one of the most spectacular sites in the Northern Shawangunk Mountains, located near the town of New Paltz, just a two-hour drive north of New York City. The Shawangunks (or “Gunks” for short) are a magical environment which the Nature Conservancy has proclaimed as “one of Earth’s last great places.”

For many years, the land underlying the falls has been held in private hands. Recently, OSI negotiated an option to purchase 122 acres containing the falls, with the plan to convey the land to the State of New York for permanent protection as part of Minnewaska State Park Preserve.

To exercise the option requires $500,000, which must be raised before November 30, 2025, at which point the option will expire. To ensure the falls are permanently protected, Run Wild has reserved $50,000 from its mission funds to contribute to this important cause and has embarked upon a fundraising campaign to raise an additional $150,000. We believe that the State of New York will cover the remaining balance.

New York is a conservation success story, thanks to countless campaigns like this one over many, many years. You can be part of this movement. You can help preserve our natural environment for the next generation.

Please join us in preserving the falls!

Run Wild is a New York State not-for-profit and 501(c)3 whose mission is to support land conservation and stewardship in the Hudson Valley by leveraging the enthusiasm of the running community. As of August 2024, we have contributed just over $130,000 to this mission from the proceeds of races we organize and other fundraising. For more information, visit us at www.runwildhv.org

Note: 100% of your contribution will go to this campaign. We will not use any of your contribution to cover expenses. If we raise more funds than are necessary to exercise the option, or in the event that the option is not exercised for reasons outside of our control, we will retain the funds contributed for future land conservation and stewardship opportunities in the Hudson Valley.