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.

As Wacken Community we want to protect together 4 million square meters old-growth forest in Peru forever! This area corresponds to the size of the entire Wacken site. The first 1000 m² have already been protected by the organizers of the Wacken Festival. The aim of the action is to take responsibility and to say thank you to nature. By protecting valuable primeval forests, we preserve the habitat of a unique biodiversity and ensure a healthy climate.  

We want to protect 4 million square meters of rainforest by 2032, i.e. within the next ten years. That would be a € 5 donation per festival visitor per year.

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.

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 First Nation of Vancouver Island, as well as the joint effort to protect the Peel River Watershed with the Gwich'in of Fort McPherson.