Trail Runner NZ Magazine Article
Within the last 18 months there have been some significant challenges to the environment that we as trail runners and people who enjoy other active pursuits have long considered our playground. Large swathes of the Waitakere Ranges have been closed by the Auckland Council after the mana whenua placed a rahui on the area in an attempt to combat Kauri Dieback. The Taupo IRONMAN 70.3 swim was cancelled in December 2017 due to water pollution, which in itself is shocking in a lake as ubiquitous as Taupo. As we head into another summer of spending a lot of time outdoors in wild spaces I’ve been thinking how athletes need to get active on conserving the spaces we play in. We need to be the Kaitiaki, or guardians, of our wild spaces, if we are to have any hope of continued use and enjoyment.
Within the last 18 months there have been some significant challenges to the environment that we as trail runners and people who enjoy other active pursuits have long considered our playground. Large swathes of the Waitakere Ranges have been closed by the Auckland Council after the mana whenua placed a rahui on the area in an attempt to combat Kauri Dieback. The Taupo IRONMAN 70.3 swim was cancelled in December 2017 due to water pollution, which in itself is shocking in a lake as ubiquitous as Taupo. As we head into another summer of spending a lot of time outdoors in wild spaces I’ve been thinking how athletes need to get active on conserving the spaces we play in. We need to be the Kaitiaki, or guardians, of our wild spaces, if we are to have any hope of continued use and enjoyment.