Protect old-growth forest with the Audi Environmental Foundation

Wilderness International is a nonprofit environmental organization with a single mission: to protect the Earth’s last remaining unique forests and wilderness areas forever. To achieve this, Wilderness International purchases land through land registry entries to ensure its legal and permanent protection. These land purchases are funded by donations for so-called wilderness sponsorships. Wilderness sponsors receive a personalized certificate with the exact geographic coordinates of the protected forest area.

WI Germany and WI Canada were founded in 2008 by 25 people from six countries, representing 24 different professional fields and ranging in age from 18 to 69. In 2019, the Peruvian organization dedicated to protecting the tropical rainforest joined the group. Today, Wilderness International consists of three sister foundations: 

In addition to the founding donors, Wilderness International Germany is supported by eight members of the Board of Trustees, three members of the Executive Board, our operational team, many volunteers, and countless donors, partners, sponsors, and supporters. You can learn more about this on the page “Wilderness International Germany”.

At Wilderness International Canada, alongside Tobias Hürten and Kai Andersch, Marco Lou, Tyler Bruce, and Stephen Gabrysh work directly on the ground to manage our partnerships, land acquisitions, expeditions, and the protection of our forest areas. Volunteers, donors, and supporters are also actively involved here. You can find out more at “Wilderness International Canada”.

At Wilderness International Peru, the seven founders serve on the board of trustees. On the ground, the organization’s president, Dr. Chris Kirkby, works alongside a team forest guardian and the rest of the operational team to oversee the protected areas, conduct research and biodiversity monitoring in the forests, identify and acquire new land parcels, and manage projects with local schools, communities, and partners. For more information, visit “Wilderness International Peru”.

Wilderness areas are the only places where natural processes can proceed undisturbed. Only here do countless species find a suitable habitat and a refuge where they can survive. Even when areas are restored, biodiversity can only spread again starting from ecologically intact areas. Rainforests are of particular importance to us because they are the most species-rich ecosystems on Earth and are therefore incredibly important for species conservation.

Rainforests, along with their palm swamps and forest bogs, are also essential for a healthy global climate. They store vast amounts of CO2, cool the surrounding environment, and help maintain stable rainfall patterns. Furthermore, they form an important part of our livelihood: many of our everyday products come from them, ranging from foods like bananas and coffee to wood, personal care products, and medicine.

In general, wilderness areas—no matter where they are located—have many positive effects on us and the entire planet: clean air, clear water, nutrient-rich soil, biodiversity, and climate preservation. They offer peaceful havens for retreat and relaxation, stunning landscapes, as well as opportunities for adventure, challenge, or a return to our roots. 

Natural areas that have been minimally affected by human activity are becoming increasingly rare and are therefore treasures for us and future generations. Natural environments altered by industrialization, mining, or agriculture can only be restored through significant effort and expense. That is why we are convinced that protecting ecosystems that are (still) intact yields the greatest benefits for environmental conservation. 

Germany, too, was once covered in primeval forests with ancient trees. The fact that nothing remains of them today shows that wilderness cannot be taken for granted. It is our responsibility to protect the remaining 2.8% of intact wilderness areas on our planet. The natural balance can only be maintained if we stop just taking and start giving back. That is why it is time to finally give back to nature. Let’s say thank you for everything it provides us with, and let’s protect it.

More than half of Peru’s land area is covered by forests. This makes the country home to the world’s fourth-largest expanse of tropical rainforest—after Brazil, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Indonesia. In 2018, 87% of this area was still old-growth forest. The forests of the Amazon Basin are the largest contiguous rainforests on Earth. This makes them not only a massive CO2 sink but also a system that generates its own weather—a unique water cycle that carries rain from the Atlantic up to 5,000 km westward across the continent. The only thing that sustains this water cycle is the vast extent of the contiguous rainforests. 

At the same time, the Amazon rainforests play a vital role in cooling the surrounding environment and purifying the air of pollutants. Over the millennia, these rainforests have also produced the oxygen in the atmosphere that is essential for our survival. Furthermore, the rainforests in the Madre de Dios region are considered the most biodiverse place on Earth! Due to favorable climatic conditions and geological history, there are 10 times more reptiles and amphibians here than in Germany. About 10% of all bird species in the world can be observed there, and on one hectare of forest, you can find approximately 400 tree species—more than in all of Europe north of the Alps!

Unfortunately, however, the forest is seriously threatened: between 2015 and 2020, , according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), , approximately 10 million hectares of tropical rainforest were lost each year, with the Amazon region suffering the most damage annually. In 2020 alone, an area of primary forest the size of Israel —that’s more than 22,000 km².

We protect the areas we select exclusively by purchasing them and registering them in the land registry, and we do so only in countries with a high degree of legal certainty. All three international foundations (Peru, Canada, Germany) are registered as owners in the land registry. No one can buy the forest areas we have purchased as foundations from us, and we are also prohibited from selling them. 

The foundation’s organizational structure prevents any single individual from having sole authority over the disposition of its assets and ensures its long-term existence. Learn more here about the longevity of the foundation model. Our bylaws stipulate that the land must be left undisturbed and visited solely for research and documentation purposes. 

In Canada: 

Due to their remoteness and undeveloped nature, our protected areas in Canada can only be reached at great financial, material, and time-related cost—and not without risk. Furthermore, the high level of legal certainty in Canada ensures that damage to the land results in severe penalties. The British Columbia Trespass Act clearly prohibits trespassing on private land. Violations are prosecuted in court upon complaint, even if no damage has occurred. Furthermore, we visit and monitor the areas during regular research trips and have partnerships with local companies that support us. In Canada, we also have the advantage that property holds great cultural and historical value and is respected.

In Peru:

In Peru, we have forest guardian on the ground whose daily tasks include monitoring our protected areas and preventing unauthorized entry. By using drones, the guardians can survey a larger area, and special sensors trigger an alarm instantly if, for example, a fire breaks out or the sound of chainsaws is heard. In addition, we collaborate there with the organization “Fauna Forever,” which also maintains a permanent presence on the ground and, as part of its research projects, patrols and monitors our areas as well.

In addition, the Forest Guardians maintain direct contact with the local population, advocate for our conservation goals within the community, put up informational signs, and actively participate in community projects—such as our current agroforestry project —to show the local population ways to benefit from the rainforest without clearing it. Should a conflict nevertheless arise, we report poachers and other individuals engaged in illegal activities to local law enforcement agencies (such as the police, lawyers, and government authorities) and work closely with them.