Photo by Ken Madsen
Our annual event supporting Arctic advocacy, Run for the Refuge, is just around the corner! As this event approaches thirty years, we are eager to know more about its original supporters—what is it about the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge that continues to draw you in and what stories do you have?
For Sherry Lewis, a long time participant and former guide in the Arctic Refuge, this event allows her to continue supporting permanent protections for the Refuge, and reminds her of years spent in its wilderness.
“It’s a special place for me and I’m so against drilling there,” she said. “This event brings the Refuge to mind to everybody, especially with what’s going on now. It’s so important.”
She shared with us some of her favorite memories during backpacking and rafting trips from the ‘90s and early 2000s.
“We looked over, and this hillside looked like it was moving,” she said of one trip when they saw 5,000 caribou—the largest gathering she’d ever seen—moving in unison across the tundra. And on another trip, the smell of purple vetch consumed her as she floated along a river in the coastal plain, covering the landscape for as far as she could see.
These stories stirred memories of our own time in Alaska’s North, often spent with blueberry-stained hands and deep-rooted appreciation for solitude.
“People (in the Lower 48) think of wilderness as small and the Refuge is a huge place,” she said. “So many people on the raft trips would say, ‘This doesn’t remind me of any place else.’, and I was really struck by that.”
The Arctic Refuge is one of the last intact ecosystems of its kind and provides traditional subsistence access for Indigenous communities. Additionally, the refuge’s coastal plain—called Iizhik Gwats’an Gwandaii Goodlit (‘the Sacred Place Where Life Begins) by the Gwich’in— supports essential habitat for polar bears and migratory birds, and is the calving ground for the Porcupine caribou herd.
And, this area is the reason for our event each year—to raise awareness for its permanent protection.
Today, industrial development and fossil fuel extraction—vigorously pushed by the Trump administration—pose growing threats to the Arctic Refuge and other Northern ecosystems that are at the forefront of climate change. Your participation in Run for the Refuge helps address these issues and calls attention to the work still needed to conserve Alaska’s landscapes for future generations.
Since 1971, the Northern Center has worked to protect the ecological integrity of Interior and Arctic Alaska through grassroots activism, education, and advocacy.
Now in its 29th year, the Northern Center’s annual Run for the Refuge, sponsored this year by Earthjustice, celebrates connection to the lands, waters, wildlife, and the communities that steward the Arctic Refuge. It remains a fun event that celebrates the past efforts and achievements of the Northern Center and its supporters.
Join us August 21-24 as we run, walk, hike, bike, and paddle to show support for permanent protections of the Arctic. Event donations directly support the Northern Center’s work to conserve the Arctic Refuge and advocate for sustainable, community-centered approaches to land and resource management in Alaska’s North.
You can participate from anywhere, and you can choose how you want to move—whether it’s a walk in your neighborhood, a trail run through the forest, or a sunny paddle on your favorite lake. However you choose to join in, help us support a future where the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge remains a place of thriving communities, healthy wildlife, and resilient ecosystems.
Here’s how to join in:
- Sign up for free (registration opens July 1): https://runsignup.com/Race/AK/Fairbanks/runforrefuge
- Pick your activity: Run, hike, bike, paddle, or stroll. Suggested distance is 3 miles (5K), but any distance shows your support.
- Spread the word: Invite friends, family, and coworkers to join you.
- Get social: Download your printable race bib and share your adventure with #RunForTheRefuge, tagging @NorthernCenter on social media.
- Stay connected: Join the Facebook Event to chat with fellow participants and get inspired.
- Show your style: Stay tuned to order this year’s T-shirt.
