I believe this to be a misquote of the 19th century American author Henry David Thoreau who wrote: "The West of which I speak is but another name for the Wild; and what I have been preparing to say is, that in Wildness is the preservation of the world. Every tree sends its fibres forth in search of the Wild. The cities import it at any price. Men plow and sail for it. From the forest and wilderness come the tonics and barks which brace mankind." This passage is frequently quoted by environmentalists and nature lovers.

The wilderness is the preservation of the world. This is the correct sentence.