“A new age has already dawned and all that is noble in humanity is threatened by the majoirty’s careless disregard for the earth and what it provides. It has always been the contention of the Wilderness Foundation UK that the spiritual impact of wilderness is the spark that is needed to motivate people towards the higher lever of conservation” – Ian Player, Patron and Founder
The Wilderness Foundation UK was established in 1974 by Sir Laurens van der Post, writer, explorer and philosopher, and Dr. Ian Player DMS, international conservationist renowned for saving the white rhino and founder of the World Wilderness Congress movement.
We work closely with our sister organisations Wilderness Foundation South Africa, The WILD Foundation in the USA and other groups in Europe and Asia . Together we share a common belief in the irreplaceable value of wilderness, which contains the wonders of pristine nature, and enables us to return to our origins and draw a deep sense of belonging and inspiration. We are founder members of the Wilderness Network and all share a common logo – the Erythrina leaf which for us symbolises the most important relationships in the world: person to divinity; person to soil; person to person.
Dr. Ian Player is one of the world’s outstanding conservationists and environmental statesmen. Born in South Africa in 1927, he “earned his stripes” in the rough and tumble era of creating Africa’s protected area system. With his team, he also pioneered the saving of endangered species (Operation Rhino), and then left the government wildlife service to found the Wilderness Leadership School, the first organization in Africa dedicated to providing a pure wilderness experience for people of all backgrounds, races and nationalities. Starting during the troubled days of apartheid, this multi-racial education and experiential program spawned a global network of conservationists from all sectors of life committed to saving wilderness and wildlife. This work also insisted that matters of spirit were as important to conservation as science, and that people and cultures are an important part of the environmental equation.
During most of this journey he was accompanied by his mentor, friend and brother, Zulu game guard Magqubu Ntombela (pictured on the left with Ian), who died in 1992 at close to 100 years of age.
Explorers and writers, such as the Foundation’s founder Sir Laurens van der Post and its patron, Sir Wilfrid Thesiger, often wrote of the ancient link between humanity and nature, and how within our fast moving cultures of today, much of this link has been forgotten.
We believe that by visiting the unspoiled places where nature has been allowed to exist since time began, this connection is rekindled.
The Wilderness Foundation UK continues to evolve and grow and 21st November 2007 marked our transition to becoming a Company Limited by Guarantee. Our Company Registration No. is 06003527. We retain our charitable status and have a new Registered Charity No. 1118493.
