Wilderness is defined as a substantial area virtually untouched by the hand of man, lacking human infrastructure, where natural habitat and process remain almost wholly intact.

Wild areas by contrast are smaller, more fragmented and have undergone a greater degree of modification from grazing and forestry practice.

Wilderness and wild areas have unique biodiversity benefits, harbouring a range of key species that depend on remoter, more intact habitat. They often support substantial gene pools and offer potential for species to adapt or migrate in the face of climate change. They can also play a significant role in addressing climate change: enabling flood mitigation, pollution alleviation and carbon sequestration – with undisturbed forest and wetlands having substantially greater carbon storage capacity than their managed counterparts.

More generally, they can bring significant economic, social and cultural benefits to local communities, landholders and society as a whole, particularly in remoter districts where sustainable livelihoods are less in evidence.

Perhaps their greatest and most intangible benefit lies in their intrinsic value: the aesthetic and spiritual qualities unique to wildness, together with the sense of awareness, of place, peace and belonging that it can provide.

Toby Aykroyd
Trustee, The European Nature Trust; Founder, Wild Europe; Trustee, BBC Wildlife Fund