Dear Friends, supporters and colleagues,

I am just in from a walk in our wonderful woods surrounding us in our village in Essex.

I felt uplifted and grateful not just for sun coming out but by the season itself. With the first warmth of spring stretching gently into early summer, there’s a quiet but unmistakable shift in the air. Buds loosen into leaves, mornings arrive a little earlier, and the world seems to inhale—deeply, optimistically—before stepping forward again.

It’s a season that never rushes yet always moves. And in that, perhaps, it offers us something of a guide.

This spirit of renewal is not only reflected in the natural world around us, but also within the Foundation itself with the appointment of James Davey as our new CEO, starting at the end of June. After 28 years of a wonderful opportunity to serve the Foundation I am stepping back finally to focus on our Wilderness Therapy service and have a bit more time for family and other interests.

At the Wilderness Foundation, this time of year feels especially meaningful. It mirrors our own rhythm: reflecting on where we’ve come from, learning from the paths we’ve taken, and stepping into what lies ahead with renewed purpose. This year, that feeling is magnified as we celebrate our 50th anniversary—a milestone that invites both gratitude and boldness in equal measure.

Fifty years. Half a century of people, places, and purpose woven together through a shared belief in the power of wild spaces to transform lives. I sit at my desk with a photograph of our Founder Dr Ian Player above me, and continue to admire all he stood for, fought for, encouraged, nudged and inspired thousands of people to find their connection to the wilderness. Through that connection for well over 60 000 people, we have shared commitments to care for wild, vanishing places that hold ecological heritage for all. Ian died in 2014, but he remains as a guide for me and many others, not letting us rest as important work is to be done.

To mark this, we are hosting 50 events across the year—moments to gather, to listen, to learn, and to celebrate. Each one is a thread in a much larger tapestry, connecting communities, landscapes, and stories. And the weekend of the 23/24/25th October, we will come together for our Wilderness Conference, in collaboration with Anglia Ruskin University—an opportunity to explore ideas, challenge thinking, and strengthen our collective commitment to nature and wellbeing.

This will be added to the already busy work of our team who work around the clock in offering outdoor therapy, Wild Schools, environmental education and caring for our 92 acres of woodland. We reached over 8000 people last year once again, and finished the year financially with turnover we had hoped for, even though fundraising continues to get tougher each year.

But anniversaries are about looking back. They are about asking: what now?

We step into this year with hope, but also with clear eyes. The world feels complex, at times fragile. The unfolding crisis in the Middle East weighs heavily, reminding us the edge of which we balance of greater conflict, the fall out, and of the devasting impact on people and planet. It would be easy to feel overwhelmed by the scale of it all.

Yet if nature teaches us anything, it is this: focus on what you can nurture. Protect what is within your reach. Grow where you are rooted.

Our work has always been grounded in that principle. Supporting those who need it most and addressing hardship and inequality where it falls. Creating space for healing and connection. Protecting wild places—not as a luxury, but as something essential. Because, quite simply, our lives depend on it.

And so we move forward with intention. A year that may be challenging locally and globally, yes—but also full of possibility and new vision. A year to do what we do well, and to do it with care, courage, and collaboration.

We would not be here without you—our friends, partners, and supporters. Your engagement, your belief, your willingness to stand alongside us has shaped every step of this journey. Thank you for being part of this story. We have celebrated volunteers including our Trustees who give so much time freely to help us make that difference.

As we look to the next fifty years, we invite you to consider your place within this legacy. Perhaps there is something special you’d like to do to mark this anniversary—a conversation to start, an event to host, a gift to give, or a new idea to explore. Please get in touch directly at jo@wildernessfoundation.org.uk . We would love to hear from you.

For now, though, let’s pause—just for a moment—and step outside and appreciate this poem of an unknown author that really speaks to us.

A Spring Turning

Soft light spills through waking leaves,
each branch remembering how to begin again.
The earth loosens its winter grip,
breathing green into every quiet corner.

A blackbird stitches morning into song,
threads of sound rising through cool air,
while somewhere beneath our feet
roots are writing their patient stories.

Nothing hurries.
Nothing forces its way forward.

And yet—
everything grows.

Petal by petal,
day by day,
the world leans gently toward the sun,
as if it has always known
this moment would come.

As we return from that pause, we are reminded that this relationship between people and nature is not new—it is something deeply rooted in our shared human story. As William Wordsworth once wrote:

“And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.”

It is a simple image, yet it captures something profound: that connection to nature is not just something we observe, but something we feel—something that lifts us, steadies us, and brings us back to ourselves.

May this season bring you that same quiet confidence—the sense that, no matter the challenges, there is always a way forward. Together with the Wilderness Foundation, let’s continue to protect, to connect, and to care for the wild spaces that sustain us all.

Here’s to the next chapter.

Kindest regards

Jo