Welcome to the "Secret Forest

Madre de Dios, Peru

Protect forest now

100

Donations

of wilderness sponsors have protected

1.000

m² of old-growth forest

forever protected, thus ensuring that

1.000

tonnes of CO₂

remain permanently stored in the biomass of the forest

100,000 m² protected

Protect more forest

Save rainforest now!

Playful monkeys, mysterious jaguars and liana-clad jungle giants - the Peruvian Amazon rainforest is the most biodiverse place on earth! Together with Wilderness International, you can protect this habitat forever.

About the Secret Forest

When the sun rises over the forests along the Tambopata River, the forest begins to breathe. Warm mist rises above the treetops, breaking the sunlight into warm colors of red.

Streaks of sunlight shine through the dense canopy of the enormous jungle giants, which stand on meter-high buttress roots and are draped all over with lianas.

Online map

On the online map you can see all the areas that the Secret Forest currently covers, as well as their location on the globe. There you will find our current aerial photos and you can also see which areas are already permanently protected through sponsorships.

To the map

New pieces of land are added on a regular basis. Our goal is to protect a contiguous habitat along the river.

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Name: Secret Forest
Country: Peru
- Region: Madre de Dios
- Location of the reserve: along the Tambopata River, about 30 km southwest of Puerto Maldonado
Size: 197.7 ha
Ecosystem: tropical Amazon rainforest, floodplain forest and terra firme
Diverse habitat consisting of forest, streams, oxbow lakes, and palm swamps, with numerous niche habitats
Climate: annual precipitation of up to 3,800 mm (comparison Germany: around 750 mm - 800 mm per year)
Animals:
- Brown-throated Sloth
- Jaguar
- Macaw
- Smooth-fronted caiman
- Turtle
- Tiger-striped tree frog
Trees:
- Ceiba Tree
- Walking Palm
- Brazil nut tree

Your donation at a glance:

Concrete use: 1 € protects 1 m² old-growth forest
Good for the climate: each square meter binds 60 kg of CO₂
Transparent: you will receive a personalized certificate with the geo-coordinates and an aerial photo of the piece of forest you protected
Lasting impact: your one-time donation guarantees the permanent protection of the area
Tax-deductible donation with donation receipt

Example of a wilderness protection certificate

Would you like to travel to Peru too?

Then visit our interactive forest! There you can virtually travel to our protected areas, take a look at the different regions in a 360° view and discover lots of exciting audio snippets, videos and picture galleries from our expeditions. You can even stand under a mighty jungle giant and experience the forest you are protecting (almost) up close!

Start journey

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I am convinced by the directness of the work. Instead of expensive awareness campaigns, WI actually protects unique wilderness areas. And not only the how, also the what has a hand and foot. Areas are selected on the basis of their acute threat, their ecological importance or their strategic location. All of this can be tracked by anyone using geo-coordinates. More transparency is impossible!

Jenin Ziemens

Environmental Ambassador

We show you where your donation goes. Exactly to the square meter.

Impressions from the Peruvian Jungle

The Amazon rainforest of the Tambopata region, which you protect with your donation, is a diverse habitat with various environments. Its trees, riverbanks, oxbow lakes, palm swamps and other bodies of water provide a suitable habitat for a huge variety of animals and plants.

Amazonian giant otters live in large family groups. They love the lakes of the rainforest, which are formed from oxbow lakes.
Weighing up to 75 kg, capybaras are the largest rodents in the world.
A colorful blue-crowned trogon that stays exclusively up in the treetops af.
A shy brown-backed tamarin peeks out from behind a branch.
Measuring giant trees in our protected areas to calculate biomass andCO_{2 storage}.
When the sun rises over the forests along the Tamboata River, the forest begins to breathe.

Transparency through Drones

Learn more

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

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.

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