HomeToGo is committed to protecting endangered wilderness
Environmental protection and corporate responsibility go hand in hand at HomeToGo. Inspired by personal commitments, HomeToGo is founding the HomeToGrow Forest in 2025 with the Wilderness International Foundation. The vision: to protect as much habitat as possible forever. In this company forest—in the middle of the temperate rainforest of western Canada—countless animals and plants will now find a safe home, which at the same time binds thousands of tons of CO₂ in biomass, thus promoting a stable climate.
Join the HomeToGrow Forest and help us protect as many habitats as possible now!
Donations
m2 of old-growth forest
tonnes of CO2
HomeToGo was founded in 2014 in Berlin, Germany. Today, HomeToGo is Europe’s leading vacation rental group, combining its B2B software & tech-enabled service solutions segment, HomeToGo_PRO, with its AI-powered B2C marketplace. HomeToGo was born and built in Europe, but today operates localized apps and websites in more than 30 countries. A core value for HomeToGo is fostering sustainable stewardship among its travelers, partners, and team. The platform is now intensifying this commitment by engaging in impactful wilderness conservation in western Canada to help protect long-term habitats and significant CO₂ sinks.
At HomeToGo, we recognize that enabling global travel comes with a fundamental responsibility to protect the precious destinations people love. Our HomeToGrow Forest is a direct way to take action, built on the simple truth that every protected habitat is a home in the natural world. This partnership unites our entire team behind a crucial mission, making our commitment to sustainability tangible and ensuring we can deliver memorable travel experiences for generations to come.
Dr. Patrick Andrae
Co-Founder and CEO of HomeToGo
What does a home look like?
The habitats that HomeToGo protects in the temperate rainforest are located on Porcher Island on the west coast of Canada. They are the most species-rich ecosystem in the northern hemisphere—home to rare coastal wolves on land and majestic orcas in the ocean. Ancient giant trees provide a safe home for an incredible number of animal and plant species, allowing them to grow and thrive undisturbed.
Unique habitats come together off the stormy coasts of western Canada: tidal zones, beaches, old-growth forest and raised bogs.
Nest'n'rest: The population of bald eagles has stabilized in the protected area on Porcher Island, British Columbia.
Orca pods can be observed from the beach. The marine mammals find safe hunting grounds off the protected areas.
Always on the run: Rare coastal wolves patrol the beach of Porcher Islands.
Pigeon Guillemots are frequent travelers: in the temperate HomeToGrow Forest, the animals find nutritious winter quarters.
Minks wander between the beaches and forests of Porcher Island. Shellfish caught in the tidal pools are eaten in the mossy thickets.
A glimpse into the wild heart of the HomeToGrow Forest: Thousands of years old giant trees and dense moss carpets dominate the picture.
Every tree is a living room – quite literal.
Journey to the raised bog
The peatlands and bogs on Porcher Island are gigantic carbon sinks and important habitats for cranes, wolves, deer, and the rare sundew. In the interactive moor, you can experience the diversity of this habitat with (almost) all your senses. Listen to the wind and go on a search for clues: Which animals and plants will you discover?
Let it grow: Protect even more homes!
Want to help the HomeToGrow Forest continue to grow? Here you can permanently preserve even more square meters of unique wilderness:
1. Select the size of your protected area.
2. Your springboard into the HomeToGrow Forest.
Immediately after placing your donation, you will receive a personalized certificate for the piece of wilderness you have protected, including geocoordinates and a real aerial photo.
Transparency
Why old-growth forest protection with WI?
HomeToGo was particularly impressed by Wilderness International's transparent and concrete use of donations: a €1 donation protects 1m² old-growth forest forever. Donors receive a certificate with the geocoordinates and an aerial photo of the protected forest area, as well as a tax-deductible donation receipt.
About Wilderness International
The foundation, which is based in Peru, Canada and Germany, purchases legally secure wilderness areas and protects them for the future. The purchases are refinanced through donations, which ensure the long-term protection of the areas, supports environmental education projects, and research into CO2 storage and biodiversity.
CO₂ calculator for travel
Whether you're flying or taking a road trip, our special tool for different modes of transport and types of travel allows you to calculate the carbon footprint of your trip easily and free of charge. And afterwards, you can offset the emissions directly by protecting valuable rainforest – so that sustainable tourism and nature conservation go hand in hand, now and in the future.
Wilderness International purchases primary rainforest areas with land title and legally protects them for all future. Donations refinance the purchases and at the same time finance long-term protection as well as environmental education and research. Donors receive a personalized certificate with the exact geo-coordinates and aerial photograph of the forest area they are protecting. Thus, the use and impact of the donation is tangible and directly traceable. We are currently working in the temperate rainforest of Western Canada and the Amazon rainforest of Peru, where we are protecting ancient primary rainforests.
It is important to protect the rainforest because this is the only way we can stop species extinction and climate change. They are home to the world's greatest biodiversity and store huge amounts of CO2. It is also important to protect rainforests because they are the basis of our existence: they provide us with clean air, clean water and stable rainfall. They also cool the environment.
In Canada, good legal security helps us, as well as the legal situations and sanctions that even prohibit trespassing.
In Peru, we have additionally started a forest guardian program with local people. To ensure long-term protection, we also have several other measures in place. In general, we visit the areas on regular expeditions to check on them. We also work with local partners who inform us of any irregularities if necessary. The donations per square meter also already include the costs for property taxes.
Like no other, the legal form of the foundation allows a (charitable) purpose to be realized permanently and independently of outside interests, thus achieving the desired effects in the long term. It is thus the most long-term organizational construct currently known. Not even states, companies or national parks are designed for such a long term. This makes the foundation the only one that is oriented toward the lifespan of the ecosystems we protect.