Packwork for the protection of endangered forests

Wilderness International is a nonprofit environmental organization with a single mission: to protect the Earth’s last remaining unique forests and wilderness areas forever. To achieve this, Wilderness International purchases land through land registry entries to ensure its legal and permanent protection. These land purchases are funded by donations for so-called wilderness sponsorships. Wilderness sponsors receive a personalized certificate with the exact geographic coordinates of the protected forest area.

WI Germany and WI Canada were founded in 2008 by 25 people from six countries, representing 24 different professional fields and ranging in age from 18 to 69. In 2019, the Peruvian organization dedicated to protecting the tropical rainforest joined the group. Today, Wilderness International consists of three sister foundations: 

In addition to the founding donors, Wilderness International Germany is supported by eight members of the Board of Trustees, three members of the Executive Board, our operational team, many volunteers, and countless donors, partners, sponsors, and supporters. You can learn more about this on the page “Wilderness International Germany”.

At Wilderness International Canada, alongside Tobias Hürten and Kai Andersch, Marco Lou, Tyler Bruce, and Stephen Gabrysh work directly on the ground to manage our partnerships, land acquisitions, expeditions, and the protection of our forest areas. Volunteers, donors, and supporters are also actively involved here. You can find out more at “Wilderness International Canada”.

At Wilderness International Peru, the seven founders serve on the board of trustees. On the ground, the organization’s president, Dr. Chris Kirkby, works alongside a team forest guardian and the rest of the operational team to oversee the protected areas, conduct research and biodiversity monitoring in the forests, identify and acquire new land parcels, and manage projects with local schools, communities, and partners. For more information, visit “Wilderness International Peru”.

When you think of Canada, images of dense forests and untamed wilderness come to mind. And with good reason: 70% of the country consists of vast natural areas. 34% of Canada’s land area is covered by forest, 53% of which is old-growth forest. In total, Canada is home to 20% of the world’s remaining wilderness areas, yet this pioneer’s dream of endless expanses is fading. 

Everyone knows about the value and the threats facing the Amazon rainforest. Yet hardly anyone speaks of British Columbia’s forgotten ecosystem: it is home to the world’s last large contiguous area of temperate rainforest. This old-growth forest a wonder of nature. It is home to wild coastal wolves, salmon-feeding bald eagles, mystical spirit bears, rare carnivorous sundews, and gigantic primeval giants such as maple trees, Alaska cedars, Douglas firs, and giant sequoias, which can grow up to 2,000 years old and 100 meters tall. This makes the old-growth forests of Western Canada the most species-rich ecosystem in the Northern Hemisphere. Furthermore, the forests, old-growth giants, and forest bogs in our Canadian protected areas are absolute masters of CO2 storage and one of the most important “sinks” in the Earth’s carbon cycle.

And yet British Columbia, of all places, is one of the last jurisdictions in the world that continues to allow the large-scale logging of ancient forest giants ranging from 600 to 1,800 years old. Between 2003 and 2010, deforestation in British Columbia alone was responsible for higher annual CO2 emissions than the entire country of Finland. The main causes are the timber industry, agriculture, and infrastructure development.