Publication policy

Wild Places Publishing has a policy of addressing environmental concerns and makes every attempt to conserve resources by using paper logged and manufactured from sustainable sources in a manner that conforms to the laws of the country of origin.

Aside from books, Descent magazine was published by Wild Places from issue 143 to 288 (the final edition published by Wild Places), 1998 to 2022. We are proud of the fact that through this period, and before, the printers we have used were all environmentally aware. From 2021 Descent was printed on Carbon Balanced Paper certified by the World Land Trust, meaning that its production was offset against carbon impact. The World Land Trust is an international conservation charity protecting the world's most biologically significant and threatened habitats, with patrons that include St David Attenborough and Chris Packham. Descent's association was first reported in issue (281); follow this link for more information about Carbon Balanced Paper, the work of the World Land Trust and Cambrian's commitment.

The plates used for printing are manufactured as chemical-free, and the paper and vegetable-based inks used to publish our books and Descent magazine during our tenure from issue 143 and 288 are fully recyclable. Our printer, Cambrian, has a strong policy of minimising waste and is committed to environmental best practices both before and after production. The servers hosting this website are energy efficient and the company offsets carbon emissions through the support of renewable energy via green partnerships.

In 2017 Cambrian became part of the Pensord Group, which also addressed environmental concerns (and now cover Cambrian as well). In 2020, during the changes brought on by the pandemic, Descent's printing moved from Aberystwyth to Blackwood, where the company installed new, more efficient presses. Pensord and Cambrian's commitment now encompasses:

  • Zero to landfill certification (since 2012)
  • Printing using vegetable inks derived from soya and rape seed
  • Solvent (alcohol) use during printing reduced to 'a trace' with moves towards zero
  • A commitment to move to eliminate single-use plastics

Wild Places supports the Artists' Bill of Rights. Just as Wild Places Publishing respects its authors, photographers, surveyors and illustrators who supply material for publication, we ask those submitting any such material to ask permission from the copyright holder (if it is not their own) before sending it to Wild Places. Note also that you should not supply personal details of any individual without their consent, which includes naming them in a photograph where their inclusion is incidental (as opposed to inclusion of a character for journalistic reasons).

Further notes concerning copyright of material submitted appear within our Guidelines for submission. In particular, note that any copyright-related claim made to Wild Places Publishing will be passed on to the person submitting the material, as this is the source of our permission to reproduce it. All material submitted is subject to editing.

We welcome feedback from our readers as part of the caving community and also ask that they respect all parties by requesting permission before reproducing any part of any publication produced by Wild Places. Please contact us in the first instance.