June 2025 – Patagonia // Running for Shade

Urban heat islands are a growing issue: cities are getting hotter, and lack of green spaces makes running increasingly difficult and unsafe.

Runners often don’t realize the crucial role trees play in cooling down their routes and protecting communities.

How do you raise awareness among runners about the importance of urban trees, while keeping it interactive, engaging, and true to Patagonia’s activist DNA?

We created Treecards, collectible cards inspired by Pokémon, each featuring a tree species from Berlin. Every card highlighted its ecological superpowers: how much shade it provides, how much CO₂ it absorbs, how it supports biodiversity.

Distributed during the Running for Shade event, the Treecards turned education into a playful experience — sparking conversations, encouraging runners to rethink their environment, and connecting the act of running with the protection of urban nature.

To bring this message to life, runners experienced two themed routes during the event:

• 🌱 The Common Trail Road – a route introducing runners to different everyday trees and their benefits.

• 🌳 The Legendary Grove – a deeper exploration into Berlin’s urban nature, highlighting iconic trees and their cooling powers.

Every participant completed both routes, turning the run into an educational quest where knowledge and movement went hand in hand.

The combination of Treecards and the dual routes transformed the run into a playful yet impactful experience — sparking conversations, encouraging runners to rethink their environment, and connecting the act of running with the protection of urban nature.

Link: https://issuu.com/dnarunningcollective