Campaigners from all walks of life are joining forces to protest against the new legal ban on wild camping on Dartmoor and elsewhere in the country.

They are asking Dartmoor National Park Authority to seek the right to appeal against the High Court decision and a mass protest has been planned by the Right To Roam and The Stars are for Everyone pressure group this Saturday in Cornwood. The case was won by Dartmoor landowner Alexander Darwall.

Protesters include MPs, colleges and youth organisations and environmentalists who say the right to camp without asking permission is a right of access to the natural world.

Essential organisations, including the emergency services and Dartmoor Search and Rescue Group, and the military who also train on Dartmoor hope to agree access permission.

Youth groups and schools fear their young people, especially, will potentially lose out on the teamwork, leadership, independence and challenge that camping with the Ten Tors and Duke of Edinburgh’s Award expeditions brings. Derrick Brett, executive director of Dartmoor Multi Academy Trust, said his schools valued highly Dartmoor as an educational/life experience resource for all ages and his students took part in Ten Tors and Duke of Edinburgh Awards.

‘Ten Tors is a very important event for our schools. Dartmoor is a valuable natural resource for everyone to enjoy, especially for younger people. We take our children there with the park rangers. Some children said they’d never been on the moor before, which is quite sad that they hadn’t experienced the wider environment. Taking children camping out of their comfort zones and learning teamwork gives them confidence and a form of independence which is invaluable for later life.’

Sam McNeill, a partner in the environmental expedition organisation Global Warrior in Princetown, said she not only owes her love of the great outdoors to Ten Tors, but her sense of self-confidence and self-belief.

She said expeditions gave youngsters attributes for work and life such as resilience, problem-solving, team-working, communication and drive, enhancing CVs and university and job applications.

She said: ‘This ban is a devastating result for all the responsible users of the Dartmoor National Park. My whole life has been shaped by growing up with the ability to wild camp on Dartmoor. Thousands of young people could now, potentially, lose that same life-changing experience.’

A spokesman for the Ten Tors, run by the Army, said it could not comment on the implications for the expedition because it was ‘too early’.

The following statement is on its website: ‘The Ten Tors planning team are aware of the current uncertainty surrounding the implications of the recent announcements regarding the freedom to wild camp on Dartmoor.’

The website features the following comment from Dr Kevin Bishop, Dartmoor National Park Authority (DNPA) Chief Executive: ‘We are really disappointed with the outcome but obviously respect the judgment. We will now consider our position carefully before deciding on whether to appeal, and on what grounds.

‘We maintain that wild camping is an important form of open-air recreation and is a way to enjoy the special qualities of the National Park – for example the dark night skies, sense of wilderness and the tranquillity that can be derived from the commons of Dartmoor. Done properly, and with respect, it has little impact on the environment.

‘We are keen to work with landowners and other stakeholders to see how we can sustain opportunities for people to wild camp on Dartmoor.’

Phil Sanders, a member of the DNPA Authority and a voluntary park warden, said: ‘It is a big shame it’s come to this. But we will have to study the decision and interpret what it means for us as an authority and the users.’

He added: ‘This will affect young people’s futures potentially. Their training and assessments for the Duke of Edinburgh scheme and the Ten Tors will get more complicated. It makes planning training routes especially impractical. There’s no line on the map or the ground which demarcates different landowners’ boundaries which you might stray into.’

Jim McNeill (husband of Sam) a renowned environmental explorer, said he wanted to avoid a protest such as mass illegal wild camp: ‘Sadly, I am not surprised at this outcome. The legal precedent was set by other National Parks and this has now brought Dartmoor in line.

‘Before we jump to conclusions, what I’d like to know is what was Mr Darwall’s motivation for bringing this about? Does he intend to stop wild camping on his land?

‘Once I understand this then a rational response is feasible, asking for his commitment to preserve the status quo.’

Mr McNeill, The founder of Global Warrior, which takes ordinary people (trained on Dartmoor) on citizen science expeditions to gather evidence about climate change, emphasised the need for legal protests: ‘What I don’t want is ‘rent-a-crowd’ (protesters) pushing local people, wild campers and backpackers into an irrational response.’

Ruth Marvel, CEO of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, said: ‘We are extremely disappointed by this decision. This generation of young people are grappling with issues which are taking a harmful toll on their mental health. Now is the time to protect and extend their right to explore the great outdoors and get off the beaten track, with all the vital mental and physical benefits that brings.

‘The DofE is liaising with the Dartmoor National Park Authority in light of the ruling. We hope to ensure that young people who explore our countryside for their DofE won’t lose out on the unique thrill of solitude, independence and adventure that wild camping brings.’

Mel Stride, Conservative MP for Central Devon, said: ‘I really hope a solution can be found that will enable wild camping to continue within parts of Dartmoor. Most people who wild camp respect the rules associated with it and take genuine care.’

A Duchy of Cornwall spokesman said: ‘We remain committed to managing our estates in a way that balances the needs of both tenants and visitors. We will continue to work closely with the Dartmoor National Park Authority and our tenants to ensure we are able to facilitate appropriate and reasonable access.’