Our strategy

The world is greatly enriched by the existence of wild places. They safeguard natural processes of extraordinary complexity and beauty and presently challenge human understanding. They inspire awe and belonging, shape identity, and offer space for solitude and renewal. They are a legacy we are committed to passing on to future generations.

Natural processes operate at a complexity that challenge human understanding. They are databanks for processes we may not yet understand. We hold a responsibility to ensure they are here for future generations.

Natural landscapes inspire awe and remind us that we are part of something larger. They offer space for solitude, recovery, and connection - essential for human wellbeing and our identity. 

Wild places exist within a human and cultural context and when managed well, demonstrate the ability of humans to value natural landscape and promote natural processes.  

Wild places in the UK and around the world are under constant pressure. They are threatened by development, diminished by overuse, and increasingly vulnerable to climate change. With each generation, more of our natural landscapes are lost or altered, often without us noticing.

The idea of wild places - shaped primarily by natural processes, not human control - is fading from memory, policy, and practice. In the UK, wild places have no legal definition or protection. They are overlooked in planning systems, undervalued in economics, and rarely prioritised in public debate.

This loss matters. When wild places disappear, so too do the benefits they offer. Those benefits include ecological resilience, climate stability, biodiversity, and the chance to experience nature at its most beautiful and humbling.

We are determined to change that.

To achieve our purpose and vision:

1. We use evidence and develop tools like the Wild Places Index (WPI) to guide decisions, and we work with partners to restore land, influence policy, and connect people with the value of wild places.
2. We are developing and sharing the WPI to measure the extent of natural processes and natural landscapes, to create a UK wide network of natural process, and landscapes measured using a common standard.
3. We are working with partners across the UK to improve land for natural processes where this has primacy, and to measure, monitor, and share results to influence land management, public understanding and policy.
4. We steward the land in our care to give primacy to natural processes and natural landscapes. The Wild Places Index will guide our management decisions on areas of land managed with Wild Place primacy to ensure ongoing improvement in these qualities.
5. We invite people into wild places in our care and help them interpret the landscapes they see, both natural and cultural, using storytelling that connects society to the value of wild places.
6. We generate resources and energy through our own advocacy. We work with partners to ensure that wild places can be protected and enhanced and that they are supported by legal and policy frameworks.

We are the only UK charity dedicated solely to the protection and restoration of wild places. Since our founding in 1983, we’ve safeguarded over 25,000 hectares - including parts of Ben Nevis, Schiehallion, and the Cuillin on Skye - and have led the way in legal advocacy, land management, and public engagement with wild places.

We bring deep expertise and a team dedicated to working in partnership with wild places, with people, and with purpose.

We focus exclusively on wild places. Our mission is to defend landscapes where nature is allowed to unfold with minimal interference.

We manage land directly. We steward some of the UK’s most iconic wild landscapes, demonstrating how restoration and protection can work in practice.

We advocate for legal recognition of wild land. We push for wild places to be recognised in policy and law, ensuring they have a formal place in national environmental priorities. 

We are rooted in values. Inspired by John Muir’s legacy, we combine science with a moral case for protecting places that matter - for their intrinsic value and for future generations.

To achieve our vision, we are focused on five strategic priorities:

1. Connect people to wild places

We will:

• Communicate the value of wild places in ways that resonate with diverse audiences so that more people understand, support, and act.
• Create inclusive opportunities for volunteering, learning, and discovery so that people feel a personal connection and sense of stewardship
• Empower communities to live in harmony with wild places so that they benefit from the wellbeing and social value they offer.

2. Advocate for legal protection

We will:

• Influence policy and planning to secure formal recognition of wild places so they gain the legal protection they urgently need.
• Shape public discourse about the importance of wild places so they become a national priority.

3. Protect and restore wild places

We will:

• Manage the land in our care to the highest ecological standards so that it serves as a model for restoration and resilience.
• Define and measure wild place quality through tools like the Wild Places Index so that we can understand, benchmark, and defend what makes a place truly wild.

4. Enable natural processes

We will:

• Remove barriers to ecological recovery and support the return of native habitats so that natural systems can thrive with minimal human interference.

5. Ensure our own sustainability

We will:

• Grow and diversify our income so that our work can scale and endure.
• Invest in our people and governance so that our team and Trustees are supported and accountable.
• Uphold transparency and integrity so that donations and partnerships are used effectively and ethically.

• Wild places across the UK are identified, valued, and legally protected.
• Communities and individuals feel a deep connection to wild places and act to safeguard them.
• Natural processes are thriving in the places we care for visibly, measurably, and sustainably.
• The John Muir Trust is financially robust, influential, and trusted.

Wild places need defenders. Whether you donate, volunteer, campaign, or simply walk with open eyes, you are part of this mission. Together we can ensure our wild places can endure.