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.
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.
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.
New pieces of land are added on a regular basis. Our goal is to protect a contiguous habitat along the river.
Example of a wilderness protection certificate
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!
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.
The Amazon rainforest of the Tambopata region, which you protect with your donation, is a diverse habitat with different habitats. 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 the giant trees in our protected areas to calculate biomass and CO2-storage.
When the sun rises over the forests along the Tamboata River, the forest begins to breathe.
Our guide to saving the world
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.
In Canada, good legal security helps us, as well as the legal situations and sanctions that even prohibit trespassing, as well as the cultural and historical importance of property.
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.
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 of Vancouver Island, as well as the joint effort to protect the Peel River Watershed with the Gwich'in of Fort McPherson.
Wilderness International purchases legally secure wilderness areas and protects them for the future. The purchases are refinanced through donations, which at the same time ensure the long-term protection of the areas and support environmental education projects and research into CO2-storage and biodiversity. Donors receive a personalized certificate with the exact geocoordinates 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.
non-profit foundation under civil law
Suite 345, 108-4301B Southpark Drive
Stony Plain, AB, T7Z2A9
Canada
responsible supervisory authority: Dresden North Tax Office
