Growing up on the Baltic Sea island of Usedom, I have always had a strong connection to nature. Since my youth, I have traveled the continents of the world, sometimes for several weeks at a time. Over time, I began to feel a certain restlessness when traveling. Something was bothering me, but I couldn't put my finger on it.

With the supervision of a student as part of his diploma thesis on sustainability and the start of DIAMIR's forest conservation project with Wilderness International in 2016, I increasingly came to realize my restlessness. Climate change, over tourism, social injustice and the exploitation of our planet's resources are issues that concern me both privately and professionally. DIAMIR Erlebnisreisen offers me an honest solution for tourism with its small group sizes and by offsetting the consumption of nature on its trips. Encouraging travelers to voluntarily offset their carbon footprint has the effect that people are concerned with this issue that affects us all.

I also came to an important realization: I am not alone in my thoughts and desire to make a difference. As a father and nature lover, I feel an urgent need to get involved, especially in the cause of an intact natural environment. An expedition to the DIAMIR forest in Toba Valley made a big impression on me. The stark contrast between intact nature along the Toba Valley and the huge areas of deforestation showed me how right and all the more important it is to protect these unique natural treasures and habitats. Based on this impulse, several years of cooperation with Wilderness International and the knowledge of the personal, honest commitment of all WI activists, I decided to get involved on a voluntary basis. Because I am not alone!