We are a wild mix. Just like nature.

Wild nature is a source of inspiration for me and I feel at home there. Next to a huge tree in the old-growth forest, on the foggy riverbank or sitting on a mountain - nature helps to recharge my batteries and to experience small and big wonders. In the last 20 years I have seen whole forest landscapes disappear, cities and roads have covered lakes and valleys. Pristine nature is becoming rarer by the year - at a frightening rate that compels action. I love nature and, as part of Wilderness International, I want to fight to ensure that our Earth will continue to be one thing: Wild and beautiful.

Sustainable change only happens from the bottom up and out of personal conviction. I believe in that. That's what motivated me to join WI in Dresden as a volunteer 10 years ago. Nature conservation is an essential basic attitude for every human being. The preservation of biodiversity and the so fragile ecological balance, the preservation of traditional places of living, which protect the climate as well as the culture of indigenous people, the protection of habitats, the prevention of worldwide migration based on hunger and poverty, the reduction of CO2 emissions: All this and much more is contained in the buzzword nature conservation. Making this tangible for individuals and motivating both them and entire companies to do so has excited me since my early years at WI. I started with networking and supporting projects with students and young people. The course of my illness gave me additional time for reflection and showed me what a treasure my own family is, with all its resources and what is worth preserving. So I am now fit in preserving and enjoy that very much. Since my disability, I have been able to invest the time available to me in a focused manner in my tasks at WI. I would like to continue to shape and deepen this. With transparency. With fun. With WI.

As a young man and active winter sportsman, I witnessed the great forest dieback in the Osterzgebirge in the 1970/80s. In addition, there was the Chernobyl reactor accident in 1986. These events already formed a strong environmental consciousness in me during GDR times. Kai Andersch inspired me later to become active in international nature conservation: first as an enthusiastic sponsor with the company Gerl for the wilderness runs of the Dresden schools, then more intensively from 2008 as a founding benefactor. Today, I work in the area of finances as a board member in the foundation office on a voluntary basis.

As a schoolboy, I was confronted with the rapid destruction of the tropical rainforest in South America. All the forecasts of the loss of area, unimaginable to me at the time, have come true despite the best arguments for the preservation of the forests...

I've always loved being outdoors, thanks in part to my parents. In the course of my life so far, I have become more and more aware of climate protection in my private life, during my studies and also through my professional commitment...

I have always enjoyed being outdoors. Whether on the banks of a river, on a hike in the mountains, in the forest or on the coast. Spending time in nature gives me strength and I can draw new creativity from it. The often unique symbioses...

I am passionate about Wilderness International because the foundation provides answers rather than mere questions. Specifically, answers to the question, "How can we sustain a world where future generations can continue to live with similar benefits?"....

After my first visit to the native forests of British Columbia, I knew that I felt a sense of peace and connection in this place that I would not find anywhere else. In my last two years of school, I began volunteering with Wilderness International....

For me, an essential component of "protecting nature" is raising awareness among young people on the threshold of adulthood. Actively experiencing nature and the experience of seeing great things emerge from many small things through their own commitment...

Grown up on the Baltic Sea island of Usedom, I have always had a great relationship with nature. Since my youth I have been traveling on the continents of our earth, sometimes on tours lasting several weeks. Over time, a certain restlessness set in me when traveling...

I was impressed by the wild, untouched nature during a vacation in Western Canada in 2004 and since then it became a place of longing for me. I very much wish that also my children and as many other people as possible of following generations will still have intact...

I am involved with Wilderness International because I care about protecting nature and preserving indigenous culture for our children and our children's children. The rainforests of Canada are one wilderness area among many on our planet that must be saved, because many of the current global conflicts are due to a globally disrupted ecosystem and resulting resource shortages. If we humans do not preserve and protect our environment, there will be serious consequences. I vouch for Wilderness International because I know here that my commitment to the protection of nature and the local population will also reach there.

Already since the 5th grade I enthusiastically participated in the rainforest runs and listened to the lectures about ancient giant forests. When I later read about the expedition to Toba Valley, I saw my chance had come to see and explore this wonderful foreign world with my own eyes. The people and experiences during the expedition were so positively impressive that I decided to do a year of volunteer service, which turned into two. During this time, an extraordinary project focus developed: the preparation of a cultural and conservation expedition with Germans and Gwich'in First Nations in the Canadian West Arctic!

Sustainable change only happens from the bottom up and out of personal conviction. I believe in that. That's what motivated me to join WI in Dresden as a volunteer 10 years ago. Nature conservation is an essential basic attitude for every human being. The preservation of biodiversity and the so fragile ecological balance, the preservation of traditional places of living, which protect the climate as well as the culture of indigenous people, the protection of habitats, the prevention of worldwide migration based on hunger and poverty, the reduction of CO2 emissions: All this and much more is contained in the buzzword nature conservation. Making this tangible for individuals and motivating both them and entire companies to do so has excited me since my early years at WI. I started with networking and supporting projects with students and young people. The course of my illness gave me additional time for reflection and showed me what a treasure my own family is, with all its resources and what is worth preserving. So I am now fit in preserving and enjoy that very much. Since my disability, I have been able to invest the time available to me in a focused manner in my tasks at WI. I would like to continue to shape and deepen this. With transparency. With fun. With WI.

While I became more and more aware of the importance of ecological connections, the relevance of preserving and protecting our ecosystems, and especially the beauty of nature, the desire to actively dedicate my time to these topics grew. Therefore, after my studies, I was enthusiastic about the possibility to do a voluntary service at Wilderness International, in order to now contribute with joy to the protection of our nature.

Wild nature is a source of inspiration for me and I feel at home there. Next to a huge tree in the old-growth forest, on the foggy riverbank or sitting on a mountain - nature helps to recharge my batteries and to experience small and big wonders. In the last 20 years I have seen whole forest landscapes disappear, cities and roads have covered lakes and valleys. Pristine nature is becoming rarer by the year - at a frightening rate that compels action. I love nature and, as part of Wilderness International, I want to fight to ensure that our Earth will continue to be one thing: Wild and beautiful.

I have always been fascinated by flora and fauna, especially large untouched natural areas. Over the years, I have been able to visit many regions, such as the Amazon rainforest, and have gained experiences that have made me realize the importance of the balance between man and nature. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to do my Voluntary Ecological Year with Wilderness International to actively help protect untouched areas of the earth.

I am proud to be part of a movement that is committed to the protection of the primal nature that still exists today, as well as to education for sustainable development of future generations. The aim is to raise awareness of our environment as a society and to actively establish climate protection with real solutions for both individuals and companies. Making visible the consumption of nature in our lives and at the same time transforming it into environmental protection concepts drives me to push for both permanent nature protection and modern development solutions at Wilderness International.

Before coming to WI as a volunteer, I worked as a software engineer for five years. A good friend, who always inspires me to take on new challenges and experiences, turned me on to WI. At WI, I want to dedicate my time, energy, and youth to protecting the wild places of this earth. I will use my work experience mainly for improvements in the organization and cooperation in the IT sector, but I will also help where I can.

I've always wanted a job with meaning. And since having children, it has become even more important to me to do my part to effectively do good for our planet. At Wilderness International, I get to work in a very dedicated team that has been very open and welcoming to me. In addition, the communication here is respectful and honest, and there is a constant desire to develop. I get to do very different tasks: Coordinating our dedicated volunteers, organizing events, and keeping track of our daily office tasks. This suits my nature perfectly, and as a result I get to see very concrete successes of our work on a regular basis.

As a new addition to the Berlin team, I can't wait to jump into the myriad of communications opportunities at Wilderness International. My background is a diverse wealth of experience from the shallows of the communications world. I studied journalism, film and sociology and have a master's degree in communication and media studies. I've worked in the Berlin (social) startup world - from DIY to cooking to crowdfunding. The fact that I can now devote all my energy to nature conservation and environmental protection inspires me a lot - let's go!

I am pleased to be able to facilitate donation processes at WI. I originally studied business mathematics and at some point fell in love with wine. So I studied viticulture and traveled around the world for almost 10 years as a traveling winemaker. Besides WI, I deliver packaging-free wine in Berlin, cook for homeless people at Straßenfeger e.V. and am responsible for vine care and wine production in the Kreuzberg vineyard. If you want to play table tennis or skat in the evening, or philosophize about wine and food, you've come to the right place.

Hey, I'm Leoni. I'm fresh out of high school and became aware of WI through acquaintances. The preservation of forests has always been close to my heart, as I have always enjoyed being in nature since I was a child. So it was clear for me that I want to do my FÖJ at WI. My work areas for this year will mainly be referrals and organization in the office.

After school, I first wanted to do something that interested me and filled me with meaning. The ecological crises of our planet and thus our livelihood have been on my mind for a long time. That's why it was clear to me that Wilderness International was the right place for me. Here I can make a concrete contribution to protecting nature from further destruction.

Although I was born in Hamburg, I graduated from high school in Dresden. After school, it was important to me to consolidate my desire to study media design & media informatics and at the same time to get involved in the fight against climate change. Now I can proudly state that I am part of the WI team since the beginning of September. My tasks are often in the area of content creation, but I'm excited to see what else the year will bring.

In 2016, I became part of the Wilderness Team as part of the Environmental Ambassador Program. I wanted to experience the wilderness, which I only knew from stories, up close, explore and above all protect it in the long term! The collected impressions and experiences in Canada, especially those from the Toba Valley, have not let go of me and have had a decisive impact. After graduating from high school in 2018, I then poured my voluntary commitment into the framework of a federal volunteer service at Wilderness, in order to work harder for the preservation of this unique ecosystem and to make a lasting difference in our world. This basic attitude has remained until today, it has even been further consolidated and strengthened! Now, in addition to my studies, I continue to be involved primarily in the field of wilderness running in order to pass on my enthusiasm for nature and the environment to students. Because the temperate rainforests in Western Canada with their incredibly old tree giants and the enormously high biodiversity are a natural jewel of our planet, which must be preserved at all costs!  

For me, our expedition, where I participated as an environmental ambassador in 2014, was unique. We stood on a spot of earth where no one had stood before, only bears or maybe wolves. I realized during the time of the expedition how important it is to protect such regions forever, because the forests are unique and the biodiversity is so great. For me, in retrospect, it is even more important to continue to work a lot with Wilderness International to protect more square meters of such unique nature forever. We were a great expedition group, everyone took over his task and so we could also master borderline experiences together.

Tino Kreßner is a crowdfunding pioneer in Germany and co-founder of the crowdfunding platform Startnext.com. He is committed to a participatory and transparent allocation of capital to promote sustainable and creative ideas. 

With Finlane GmbH, he operates parallel crowdfinancing technology for the promotion of non-profit projects together with banks. 

As a founding member of the Social Entrepreneurship Netzwerk Deutschland (SEND), he shapes better framework conditions for companies that prioritize their impact rather than profit maximization. 

Together with the Wilderness International Foundation, Tino Kreßner initiated the largest private tree planting campaign in Germany and today protects the last intact ecosystems on our planet. 

I am the first forest ranger of Wilderness International.

Having grown up in the Peruvian Amazon rainforest, nature has inspired me since childhood. That's why I also did my bachelor's degree in forestry in Peru and then my master's degree in forest ecology in Germany, where I...

My joining Wilderness International was definitely a happy coincidence - in the right place at the right time, with the right people on a mission to protect wild nature. A Peruvian friend had introduced me to Fabian Mühlberger in 2018, whereupon...

I have loved nature since my earliest childhood, and I am particularly fascinated by primeval forests. Of course, this has also influenced my choice of career and I now work full-time in nature conservation and am committed to the preservation of wilderness and biodiversity in various ecosystems around the world. I became aware of Wilderness International through my work as a nature tour guide for Diamir Erlebnisreisen, a partner of the foundation. The direct concept of Wilderness International for wilderness conservation, as well as the team behind it, appealed to me so much right away that I absolutely wanted to become a part of this project to protect endangered and spectacular primeval forests.

Already since the 5th grade I enthusiastically participated in the rainforest runs and listened to the lectures about ancient giant forests. When I later read about the expedition to Toba Valley, I saw my chance had come to see and explore this wonderful foreign world with my own eyes. The people and experiences during the expedition were so positively impressive that I decided to do a year of volunteer service, which turned into two. During this time, an extraordinary project focus developed: the preparation of a cultural and conservation expedition with Germans and Gwich'in First Nations in the Canadian West Arctic!

When I heard in the 5th grade about trees that are more than a hundred times older than me, I decided to participate in the Wilderness Run. It felt good to be able to actively do something for international and regional wilderness conservation. The opportunity to go on an expedition to Western Canada in 11th grade was an absolute game changer for me, because I could now experience the unique nature in the Toba Valley with all my senses. The vastness and untouched nature of the wilderness touched me so much that I wanted to continue my involvement with the foundation in the future. By organizing wilderness runs and especially as coordinator for the Wilderness Team Challenge, I was able to develop myself further and realize new ideas. A second expedition to our wilderness areas and to the West Arctic have again shown me the meaningfulness of my work - and expanded my craft and cultural skills.

Wild nature is a source of inspiration for me and I feel at home there. Next to a huge tree in the old-growth forest, on the foggy riverbank or sitting on a mountain - nature helps to recharge my batteries and to experience small and big wonders. In the last 20 years I have seen whole forest landscapes disappear, cities and roads have covered lakes and valleys. Pristine nature is becoming rarer by the year - at a frightening rate that compels action. I love nature and, as part of Wilderness International, I want to fight to ensure that our Earth will continue to be one thing: Wild and beautiful.

I grew up in rural western Canada and know that I was very fortunate to enjoy the freedom of the outdoors, hiking, camping and horseback riding. This is how my identity has evolved over my lifetime, deeply connected to nature and wild spaces. I feel joy and freedom whenever I experience something new or unexpected in the beauty of nature and the world around me....

Wild nature is a source of inspiration for me and I feel at home there. Next to a huge tree in the old-growth forest, on the foggy riverbank or sitting on a mountain - nature helps to recharge my batteries and to experience small and big wonders. In the last 20 years I have seen whole forest landscapes disappear, cities and roads have covered lakes and valleys. Pristine nature is becoming rarer by the year - at a frightening rate that compels action. I love nature and, as part of Wilderness International, I want to fight to ensure that our Earth will continue to be one thing: Wild and beautiful.

When I heard in the 5th grade about trees that are more than a hundred times older than me, I decided to participate in the Wilderness Run. It felt good to be able to actively do something for international and regional wilderness conservation. The opportunity to go on an expedition to Western Canada in 11th grade was an absolute game changer for me, because I could now experience the unique nature in the Toba Valley with all my senses. The vastness and untouched nature of the wilderness touched me so much that I wanted to continue my involvement with the foundation in the future. By organizing wilderness runs and especially as coordinator for the Wilderness Team Challenge, I was able to develop myself further and realize new ideas. A second expedition to our wilderness areas and to the West Arctic have again shown me the meaningfulness of my work - and expanded my craft and cultural skills.