Bogie's MorFun Wapack Trail race got a professional PR boost, courtesy of the Wapack Wilderness Campaign.

I wrote about the Wapack Trail races quite a while back, and also about my own forays along the trail... here, here and here.

I'd never heard of the Wapack Wilderness, though, and I'm glad to know that it's there. We got a press release today plugging the efforts of Richard Mellor of Rindge to raise money for them by taking pledges for running the 21-mile Wapack Trail end-to-end. That is one heck of a tough course, and I wish him well. Some runners will be doing the race E2E2E, with a little extra loop thrown in to make an even 50 miles! Here's Richard:

And here's the press release:

Twenty-eight years ago, Richard Mellor, a New Hampshire native and long-time nature enthusiast, joined the Rindge Conservation Commission.  Two years later, he took up long distance running, kicking-off his racing career on the forest trails and rural roads of southern New Hampshire.

This May 12^th, Mellor’s two passions will coalesce at the 2007 Wapack Trail Races, a fundraiser for the Wapack Wilderness, the area’s top ranking conservation priority.

Mellor has already raised over $500 dollars worth of pledges towards his 21-mile race for the Wapack Wilderness and is hopeful that this creative fundraiser will bolster regional support for this innovative project.

“Over the last three decades, Rindge has gone from a small, rural community to a blossoming town,” said Mellor, “Unfortunately, this landscape that so many take for granted is being fragmented.  We have a unique opportunity to ensure that growth in our communities does not come at the expense of the regional quality of life or result in the loss of our most valuable natural resources through amazing projects like the Wapack Wilderness Conservation Campaign.”

Owned by the Hampshire Country School and situated in Ridge and New Ipswich, the Wapack Wilderness is an exceptional 1,400-acre property distinguished by old-growth oak and hemlock forest, vibrant wetlands, scenic mountain ridges, and over a mile of the Wapack Trail.  The Wapack Campaign is an extraordinary example of collaborative, community-led land protection.

The Northeast Wilderness Trust, a regional land trust based in Boston, is working with local partners to raise $1.4 million to preserve this ecological treasure. The campaign has raised over half of the total goal.

The 2007 Wapack Trail Races are sponsored by event coordinator, Bogie D, and the Northeast Wilderness Trust with tremendous support from local volunteers. “I have been organizing the Wapack Trail Race for people to enjoy this gorgeous trail,” said Bogie D. “What better partner then the Northeast Wilderness Trust, an organization that wants to raise awareness about the trail and save a piece of it.”

This USA Track & Field sanctioned event features races ranging from 12 to 50 miles.  Both runners and walkers are invited to participate.  All are encouraged to come experience this magnificent landscape and collect pledges to support the Wapack Wilderness Campaign.

Pledge forms and registration information are available on the race website: www.wapacktrailrace.com  Registration will be open through Friday, May 11 with early bird discounts through May 5.

As Mellor explains, “It’s truly exciting to be working with the Northeast Wilderness Trust and New Ipswich Conservation Commission towards the protection of the Wapack.  The conservation benefits of this property extend well beyond the town limits of Rindge and New Ipswich—it is a strategic investment in a regional environmental protection effort, and there are so many ways for area residents to get involved.”  

For more information on the Wapack Wilderness Conservation Campaign please see the Trust’s website: http://www.newildernesstrust.org