The John Muir Award aims to encourage people of all ages and backgrounds to discover, enjoy and conserve the planet's wild places, through a structured yet adaptable scheme. It was launched in 1997 by the John Muir Trust, which was formed in 1983 to safeguard and conserve wild places in the United Kingdom, and to increase awareness and understanding of the value of such places. The John Muir Award is the main educational initiative of the Trust.

Aims of the John Muir Award

• Increase & enhance awareness of wild places
• Encourage people to take responsibility for wild places
• Encourage individuals & society to value wild places
• Promote educational, social and personal development of young people
  and the wider community
• Encourage an environmental agenda within youth organisations,
  and a youthwork agenda within environmental organisations
• Ensure that social circumstances don't exclude people from opportunities
  to experience wild places
• Raise awareness of John Muir and the John Muir Trust

There are three levels of Award; Discovery, Explorer and Conserver.  At each level, there are four challenges:
        Discover, Explore, Conserve and Share.

The minimum periods of participation are:

The John Muir Award is:

• Open and welcoming to all, regardless of age, sex, race, class or ability
• Non-competitive
• Focused on wild places
• Challenging and progressive
• Fun and adventurous
• Designed to promote personal development
• An opportunity to explore values and spirituality
• Established to encourage personal responsibility for wild places

To gain a John Muir Award, participants must:

• Tackle all four Challenges - Discover, Explore, Conserve, Share
• Complete the required time commitment
• Show enthusiasm and commitment towards their Award involvement
• Have an awareness of John Muir, his life, works and achievements
• Work with an experienced ranger, teacher, environmentalist or youth worker, as appropriate to activities
• Have permission for access to carry out relevant activities
• Comply with all Health and Safety and insurance requirements of the organisation delivering Award activities. If applicable, participants may wish to be covered by their own personal insurance.

For most individuals, the Discovery Award will be completed as an introduction to the Award scheme. However, it is possible to proceed directly to the Explorer or Conserver Award if the project is sufficiently challenging and meets their time requirements. This must be discussed with Award staff before proceeding.

Participants can combine a certain number of hours with residential days to make up their time requirement for an Award. There is no upper limit on hours contributed whilst working towards an Award. Hours/days cannot be carried forward to the next level of the Award.

Participation in an expedition or residential experience should be encouraged on at least one level of the Award.

Awards cannot be made retrospectively - a Proposal Form should be submitted before the start of Award activity.