Yvonne & Jerry

for the protection of the Amazon rainforest

Preserve a piece of endangered wilderness together!

On their 6-month trip to South America in 2023/2024, Yvonne and Jerry also spent a few days deep in the Amazon rainforest in Peru, where they were able to experience the uniqueness of this ecosystem. Through Wilderness International, they and their community want to protect as much of old-growth forest as possible forever.

Every euro counts and every euro protects 1 square meter - forever! Are you in?

100

Donations

of wilderness sponsors have protected

1.000

m² of old-growth forest

forever, thus ensuring that

1.000

tonnes of CO₂

remain permanently stored in the biomass of the forest.

100,000 m² protected

Protect more forest

The Amazon rainforest needs you!

Playful monkeys, mysterious jaguars and liana-covered jungle giants - the Peruvian Amazon rainforest is the most biodiverse place on earth! Together with Yvonne & Jerry's Community and Wilderness International, you can protect this forest forever.

Your donation at a glance:

Concrete use: 1 € donation protects 1 m² rainforest
Good for the climate: 60 kg of CO₂ remain permanently stored in living biomass
Transparent: you will receive a certificate with the geo-coordinates and an aerial photo of the protected forest area
Lasting impact: your one-time donation guarantees the permanent protection of the area
Tax-deductible donation with donation receipt

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Name: Secret Forest

Country: Peru
Region: Madre de Dios
Location of the protected area: along the Tambopata River, around 30 km southwest of the city of Puerto Maldonado
Ecosystem: tropical rainforest

View the protected area on the map

Your wilderness certificate

Immediately after your donation, you will receive a personalized certificate about the piece of wilderness you have protected. It also makes a great gift!

Protect forest now

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Experiencing the rainforest up close was a unique experience. It is incredible how much diverse life takes place here. We want to help preserve this valuable ecosystem for all time!

Yvonne Pferrer & Jerry Grube

Impressions from the Peruvian Jungle

In the Madre de Dios region of Peru, there are 10 times more reptiles and amphibians than in Germany, around 10% of all bird species in the world can be observed here, and around 400 tree species can be found on one hectare of forest, more than in the whole of Europe north of the Alps.

During their visit to the rainforest, Yvonne & Jerry were able to discover the diverse nature around the Tambopata River.
A paradise for bird lovers: Madre de Dios is home to a variety of different species, such as these colorful macaws in a clay lick.
Imposing buttress roots provide stability for the jungle's giant trees.
Insects look for the "tears" of tortoises which contain rare salt.
Weighing up to 75 kg, capybaras are the largest rodents in the world.
A spectacled caiman swims barely visible through the river.
When the sun rises over the rainforest along the Tambopata River, the forest begins to breathe.
A colorful blue-crowned trogon up in the treetops.
Amazonian giant otters live in large family groups. They love the lakes of the rainforest, which are formed from oxbow lakes.

How we protect wilderness.

Our guide to saving the world.

1 Find land plot

In rapid assessments, we work with researchers to determine the conservation value of a forest area. The decisive factors are whether the area has a high level of biodiversity and CO2 storage capacity, whether it is under threat and whether it is located in a strategically important place.

2 Buy in advance

The purchase of the land is financed with loans. We do not collect donations for land that we do not yet own.

3 Obtain land registry entry

We only work in countries with a high level of legal security and only buy land with a land register entry. All two or three foundations are entered in the land register.

4 Create aerial images

We use drones to create high-quality aerial panoramas of our land. These are uploaded to our website. Each square meter is provided with specific geocoordinates.

5 Refinance through donations

Anyone can donate to a specific piece of this wilderness area. The donation refinances the purchase and ensures long-term protection. Each square meter is only allocated once.

6 Prove by certificate with geo-coordinates

Donors receive a personalized certificate with the exact geocoordinates of the piece of forest they have helped to protect. This makes the protection tangible and directly traceable.

7 Research, document, communicate

Environmental ambassadors and researchers visit the areas, conduct research together and experience the forest they are protecting. They then use the research findings, photos and videos for environmental education in schools and to get people excited about wilderness.

8 Ensure long-term protection

Regular visits, local partnerships, forest guardians, property taxes and the foundation concept ensure the long-term protection and ecological integrity of the areas.

Initial costs

Long-term costs

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About Wilderness International

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.

Learn more

Wilderness International Team in the rainforest of Peru

FAQ

Does the sponsorship come with any further obligations for me?

How do you ensure the permanent protection of the forest areas?

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.

How do you work together with local people?

In Peru, for example, we work intensively with local people as part of our forest guardian program. They regularly walk the protected areas and represent our organization in the community. They put up signs, talk to local people about our forest protection projects and confront unauthorized activities if necessary. Thereby, the forest guardians also generate a sustainable income.

In Canada, we not only work with partner companies, but also look back on great collaborations with First Nations. These include a sponsored run and several conservation expeditions with the Cowichan First Nation of Vancouver Island, as well as the joint effort to protect the Peel River Watershed with the Gwich'in of Fort McPherson.

What does Wilderness International do?

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.

Yvonne & Jerry

for the protection of the Amazon rainforest

Preserve a piece of endangered wilderness together!

Donations

m2 of old-growth forest

tonnes of CO2

The Amazon rainforest needs you!

Your donation at a glance:

Your wilderness certificate

Impressions from the Peruvian Jungle

Impressions from the Peruvian Jungle

How we protect wilderness.

Our guide to saving the world.

1

Find land plot

2

Buy in advance

3

Obtain land registry entry

4

Create aerial images

5

Refinance through donations

6

Prove by certificate with geo-coordinates

7

Research, document, communicate

8

Ensure long-term protection

About Wilderness International

FAQ

m² of old-growth forest

tonnes of CO₂