Few people know the rainforest as well as Chris Ketola. As Head Field Research Coordinator at Wilderness International, he works in our protected areas and experiences first-hand the positive impact our conservation efforts have on biodiversity and ecosystem health. As a Wilderness Ambassador, he also shares his knowledge with his community and inspires others to join our mission and get involved in conservation.
Join in and protect your piece of wilderness now - for yourself or as a gift!
remain permanently stored in the biomass of the forest
"It is an incredible feeling to walk through a forest that only exists thanks to our joint efforts. Every sound, every bird call, every living creature is proof that our work is important. It's not just about protecting the land - it also provides a home for animals that wouldn't have one outside the protected areas."
Chris Ketola
Head Field Research Coordinator & Wilderness Ambassador
The forests of the Amazon are known for their biodiversity. Around 10% of all bird species in the world can be observed here. But how do we study these species? How are scientific data collected and what insights do they provide us with?
In the first episode of its series "Exploring Perú", Foggy Lens Productions accompanies Chris Ketola and the volunteers of the ornithological research program to learn more about the birds in the Peruvian tropics.
Select the size of the forest area you want to protect in the donation form.
Enter your details in the form to ensure that you receive all the information and the donation receipt.
Now you can personalize the certificate with your name or the name of the person you want to give the gift to. If you want, you can also add an occasion.
You can download the certificate with the geocoordinates of your protected area directly after payment. It will also be sent to you by e-mail, together with a link that shows you your personal protected area on our online map down to the square meter.
Immediately after your donation, you will receive a personalized certificate about the piece of wilderness you have protected. It also makes a great gift!
We have a great vision: to protect the last real wilderness areas in our world forever!
To achieve this, we buy ecologically valuable and acutely endangered forest areas by land register entry in order to protect them in a legally secure, permanent and transparent manner. The purchases are refinanced by your donations and protected in the long term.
Transparent, tested & recommended!
In 2017, we joined the Transparent Civil Society Initiative.
We are committed to high standards of transparency, accountability and effectiveness for international NGOs.
The Phineo "Wirkt!" seal also confirms that our work has a traceable effect and that we are a high-performance and transparent organization. To receive it, we were analyzed by independent experts over a period of six months in a four-stage process.
Chris Ketola basically works around the clock - in the morning with birds, in the evening with reptiles and frogs. The rainforest never sleeps.
During night surveys, Chris Ketola and his herpetofauna research team search for reptiles and amphibians. Every find - like this rainbow boa (Epicrates cenchria) - is recorded and helps us to better understand their populations in Wilderness International's protected areas.
When specimens like this Leptodactylus knudseni are discovered, the team quickly takes morphological measurements before releasing the animal back into the wild.
During bat surveys, Chris and his team capture bats with special nets. Bat research helps us to understand the diversity and abundance of these amazing flying mammals.
During the caiman surveys on the Tambopata River, Chris captures caimans to take morphological measurements, collect tissue samples for an ongoing mercury project, and microchip the animals so they can be monitored if they are recaptured.
Bird ringing is used to determine the presence and abundance of species. It also allows us to identify individuals and these methods help us to better understand the population demographics of the bird community within the areas protected by Wilderness International.
And who else knows Tuci, the toucan who made friends with forest guardian Chiki?
The foundation, based in Peru, Canada and Germany, purchases legally secure wilderness areas and protects them for all futures. The purchases are refinanced by donations that ensure the long-term protection of the areas and enable environmental education projects and research on CO2 storage and biodiversity.
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Wilderness International purchases legally secure wilderness areas and protects them for all future generations. The purchases are refinanced through donations, which at the same time ensure the long-term protection of the areas and enable environmental education projects and research into CO2 storage and biodiversity. Donors receive a personalized certificate with the exact geo-coordinates of the protected forest area, so that the protection is directly traceable. We are currently active in the temperate rainforest of Western Canada and in the Amazon rainforest of Peru, where we are protecting ancient primary rainforests.
There are no further obligations for you. The donation is one-time, and enables us as a foundation to ensure the long-term protection of the area. The sponsorship is a symbolic one. The forest area remains the property of the Foundation.
We protect the areas we select exclusively through purchase with entry in the land register and in countries with a high level of legal security. All three international foundations are registered as owners in the land register. The forest areas that we have purchased as foundations can no longer be bought from us and we are no longer allowed to sell them.
The organizational form of the foundation prevents the rights over the disposal of property from resting with a single person and ensures its permanent existence. Our statutes stipulate that the land is to be left untouched and only visited for research and documentation purposes.
Due to their remoteness and the undeveloped area, our protected areas in Canada can only be reached at great financial, material and time expense and not without risk. In addition, the high level of legal certainty in Canada ensures that damage to land results in severe sanctions. The British Columbia Trespass Act clearly prohibits trespassing on private land. Violations are prosecuted in court, even if no damage has been done. We also visit and inspect the areas as part of regular research visits and have partnerships with local companies that support us.
The rainforests in Peru and Canada are among the last 2.8% of intact wilderness areas on our planet - and are unfortunately under acute threat(Plumptre et al., 2021). 10-15% of all annual emissions are caused by the destruction of these forests and their peatlands, more than by the aviation sector - so we need to act now!
Numerous studies prove the threat to the rainforest in Peru and Canada. In British Columbia, Canada, this is especially true:
If we lose the last intact rainforests, this will have catastrophic consequences for our planet. The concept of planetary boundaries states that there are certain ecological limits which, if exceeded, will jeopardize the stability of the Earth's ecosystem and thus the progress of humanity. Numerous studies show that we are well on the way to exceeding at least five of the nine planetary boundaries, also known as 'tipping points' or 'tipping elements'. One of these elements is the loss of the tropical rainforest. We can already feel the consequences of climate change, but we still have the chance to avert the worst effects, as the summary of the book 'Earth for all' shows.
non-profit foundation under civil law
Suite 345, 108-4301B Southpark Drive
Stony Plain, AB, T7Z2A9
Canada
Registered Canadian Charitable number: 840904817 RR0001
