2024
Time to give 100%
28 FOR THE LAST REMAINING
of the Earth's intact land surface.1 PERCENT
Mosses, ferns and lichen are signs of a very old forest like this one at Mia Falls on Vancouver Island.
Our foundation is committed to publishing all financial figures and information transparently as part of Transparency International’s standard
More information at: www.en.wilderness-international.org/transparenz
Added to that, we are proud members of:
p.7
Why we need to protect oldgrowth forests
p.13 Protecting nature. But effectively. Mission. Vision. Action!
Why a foundation?
p.33
May we introduce ourselves? p.63
Where we are active
Peru - tropical rainforest
Canada - temperate rainforest
p.83
Projects we are passionate about p.105
The best partners nature could ask for
p.137
When the sun rises over the tropical forests along the Tambopata River, the forest begins to breathe.
A proverb says:
"Some people walk through the forest and see nothing but firewood."
There is nothing to add to this. Today, only 2.8% of intact land surface still exists. That is 4.17 million square kilometers of fantastic, valuable nature that we can still save together.
All over the world, targets are now being set to reduce greenhouse gases. While this is a step in the right direction, it is unfortunately not enough. Even if we stopped using fossil fuels today, we could not stop climate change if we continue to destroy high-carbon ecosystems at the same time.
Many initiatives now plant trees. This is important but unfortunately, this does not prevent species extinction if the wild habitat disappears from the Earth forever. The good thing is:
We still have the chance to maintain a healthy climate and save the amazing biodiversity of the Earth.
And best of all: We have an ally! The savior of the climate and biodiversity has long existed: the forest.
When we preserve it, we preserve ourselves.
Let's give 100 %.
During the 2015 conservation expedition:
Foundation board member Anton Kamolz marvels at an ancient giant red cedar tree.
WHY WE NEED TO PROTECT OLD GROWTH FORESTS
In the Toba Valley, mountains and old growth forest stretch right to the banks of the glacier river.
Because old-growth forests are the all-round solution to the environmental problems of our time.
Because forests give us more than we think.
1 — Sufficient rain
The plants of the Amazon basin release 20 billion tons of water into the atmosphere every day. This is equivalent to twenty times the amount of water that evaporates over the sea!2 The forest creates the largest river of freshwater on Earth. By constantly evaporating and exhaling water vapor, the forest itself provides the rain it needs and which makes it a rainforest.
SDG 6 - Clean Water
Water-related ecosystems should have been protected and restored already by 2020. The functions of forests presented on this double page all contribute to the achievement of this SDG (= Sustainable Development Goal)
2 - Water storage
The rest of the rainwater seeps into the forest soil. Without the forest, rainwater would run off directly into the rivers, resulting in a lack of drinking water and rain in the region. This would make it much hotter and drier.
3 - Water purification
Our protected areas also contain rivers and wetlands such as forest bogs. Forests clean the water in streams and rivers. By protecting them, we contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal SDG 6.
When forests are cut down, their nutrient-rich topsoils are washed away by rain. This soil is washed into rivers, and then the sea, causing these waters to eutrophicate due to the excess of nutrients. By protecting forests and their rivers, we prevent marine eutrophication and pollution, helping to achieve SDG14.
SDG 14 - Life below water
SDG 14 calls for the prevention and significant reduction of all forms of marine pollution, especially from land-based activities, by 2025.
4 - Forests and oceans
View from the "Land of the Grizzly Bears" to the other side of the river.
5 - The forest as a sunshade
The dense foliage of forests ensures a moist and cool microclimate. You can feel it yourself when you take refuge in the shade of a tree on a hot summer day - the tree‘s evapotranspiration cools the immediate surroundings.
6 - Nutrient safe
With their roots, forests prevent the erosion of nutrient-rich soils. If the forest disappears, the nutrient-rich topsoils are washed out or washed away by the rain.
7 - Green lungs
Over thousands of years, trees have produced much of the oxygen that is vital for us humans. They therefore secure our livelihood. Forests also filter fine dust from the atmosphere, such as heavy metals, nitrogen oxides and soot particles, produced by industrial and car exhaust. Trees really are the "green lungs“ of our planet.
9 - Irreplaceable
8 - Domino effect
Deforestation of rainforests not only causes direct damage, it also has an indirect negative effect on remaining surrounding forests. Deforestation causes the surrounding forest to become drier, hotter, and ultimately less resilient; nutrient-rich soils from the deforestated areas are easily washed away depriving the remaining forest from essential nutrients. This creates a recipe for an unsuitable environment for the remaining forest.
Even reforestation can never restore the original conditions of an ancient rainforest. Thus, protecting existing forests is the top priority, even more important than planting new trees.3
BELOW A mossy maple grove in the Toba Valley
10 - Refuge of biodiversity
Wilderness areas are the only places where countless species find a suitable habitat. The older forests become, the greater their genetic diversity.4 Therefore, old growth forests guarantee the long-term survival of numerous species. The extinction of a single plant species is often associated with the extinction of 10 to 30 animal and other plant species, since most organisms in rainforests are interdependent.5
11 - Nature heals itself if it is left alone.
By protecting intact rainforests, we contribute to the achievement of SDG 15. By preventing deforestation, we halt the resulting land degradation and desertification. At the same time, we enable renaturation. For only if existing nature is preserved can biodiversity spread out from there again. This is an essential prerequisite for the restoration and rehabilitation of damaged forests, land and soils - especially those affected by desertification, drought and floods.
SDG 15 calls for the protection and restoration of terrestrial ecosystems, especially forests, by 2030.
For all these reasons, forests - especially old-growth forests - are our most important buffer against humaninduced climate change and the associated habitat loss and species extinction. Many scientists therefore believe it is more effective to protect existing forests than to plant new trees.
12 - Adventure & recreation
Last but not least, forests are places of rest and recreation. Their fantastic landscapes offer space for adventure, challenge, and reflection on our past. "Forest bathing" even has medically proven, positive effects on the human psyche and physique. It improves, for example, breathing, pulse, blood pressure and the immune system.
That is why we see the protection of intact old-growth forests as currently the most important measure in nature conservation.
SDG 15 - Life on Land
View of the lush vegetation of the Toba Valley growing to the river’s edge.
ca. 50m height
Brazil nut tree about 500 years old
LIVING TREE. LIVING SPACE.
Every euro protects one square meter of habitat. Sounds good? But it is even better.
With a donation of US$64 (CA$96) to Wilderness International, you protect a piece of forest that is 64 m2 (688 feet2) in size. This corresponds to 3200 m3 (473,000 feet3) of habitat with countless niche habitats for a huge variety of animals and plants that interact with each other in symbioses.
Our graphic shows just how much life the Brazil nut tree offers a home for, from the roots all the way to the canopy.
Breeding ground for mosquito larvae, worms & tadpoles
Here you can find a similar graphic of the temperate rainforest: https://en.wilderness-international.org/ inform/temperierter-regenwald/
Vines entwine the whole tree
Pygmy anteater
Fishtail Palm
Harpy eagle nest
Because we need to re-think our current practices.
The Earth's forests sequester as much CO2 as is stored in the entire atmosphere. When such high-carbon ecosystems are destroyed, they release more CO2 than would ever be possible to sequester again in a time span relevant to humans. 10 - 15 % of all annual emissions are caused by forest destruction and the draining of forest peatlands.
The loss of intact forest has a much greater impact on the atmosphere than the global aviation sector, which accounts for only 3.5% of emissions.
And worst of all, for every tree we cut down, we not only emit more CO2 into the atmosphere, we destroy greatest ally in the fight against climate change.
SDG 13 - Climate action
"Globally, old-growth forests are our most important buffer against human-induced climate change. Protecting them is a top priority if we want to save the climate."
Kai Andersch Forest Scientist & Chief Executive Officer
The global temperature increase is to be limited to 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2030. By protecting existing, high-carbon forests, we and our partners contribute to
12.2 million hectares of are cleared. Another 13 million hectares of boreal, subtropical and temperate forests are cut year after year. That's 25.2 million hectares of destroyed forest annually — an area equivalent to the size of Great
Lonely and alone, these last two trees stand in the middle of a clearcut on Vancouver Island.
Protect trees > Plant trees?
Cost/benefit factor
These days, it feels like you can save the climate by planting a new tree with every purchase you make. That sounds excellent, but how effective is this method compared to protecting existing old-growth forests?
Biodiversity and biomass 7
Conclusion
Tree farms and planted forests achieve only a fraction of the species diversity and biomass compared to old-growth forests, even after 25 years of growth.
Where is money best invested for conservation? Climate change is a pressing problem. Fast and efficient measures are needed to stop it. If you had a limited budget, what would be the best option using trees to ensure a healthy environment?
Requirements
· 100,000 m² area
· Objective: fulfillment of all ecosystem services (air filtration and cooling, oxygen production, water storage and filtration, soil formation and erosion control, flood and avalanche protection, recreation and tourism, food supplier, research object, role model function (bionics), environmental human well-being effect, genetic resource).
Option A
Protect old-growth forest
• Donate US$100,000 to Wilderness International (WI)
• Protect 100,000 m² of old-growth forest without expiration date or additional costs
Option B
Plant trees
• Invest US$200,000 minimum
• Buy 50,000 m² of land and reforest it with site-appropriate, native and biodiverse tree and shrub species
Carbon storage
Tree plantations need about 25 years to become "climate positive". In the first years after planting, they carry a heavy "carbon backpack"is filled with the greenhouse gases emitted in the nursery and during planting. In addition, the soil emits additional CO2 for the first few years after planting.8
Conclusion
Please do not misunderstand us: It is beneficial to plant trees today!
It helps the climate as a CO2 “extractor” once established after 25 years, and especially makes sense when the forest has been extracted and will not regenerate quickly on its own.
Yet the most important measure to prevent climate change is to protect existing forests.
Fog shrouds the giant trees in the "Land of the Grizzlies".
Dear NATURE, THANK YOU for everything!
Without the forest, our air would be too polluted to breathe. There would not be enough reliable rain. Our water sources would dry up, drought and heat would plague us. Our soils would be washed out and lacking in nutrients. Instead of birds chirping and bees buzzing, it would be quiet.
That is why we think it is time to say “thank you” to nature. For all the free services it so naturally provides us with every day, without which, our lives would be impossible.
Together, we are giving back to nature by preserving and protecting the last intact, high-carbon, biodiverse ecosystems.
ABOVE Majestic Sitka spruce in the temperate rainforest
RIGHT A young grizzly bear learns how to catch salmon in the Toba River from his mother.
Mission.Vision. ACTION!
Mission
Protect wilderness areas from vanishing forever and preserve them for future generations.
By 2050, protect the last 2.8 % of our planet's remaining intact habitats through the purchase of secure title.
The Wilderness International team dedicates its daily work to the legal and secure purchase of ecologically valuable and acutely threatened wilderness areas around the world in order to protect them in perpetuity.
We still have the opportunity to save the last wilderness areas on Earth. This knowledge and the enthusiasm for nature drive us to implement our project step by step.
A mighty humpback whale off the coast of British Columbia.
How we protect wilderness: Our step-by-step guide to saving the world
2 1
Find Land Plot
In rapid assessments, we work with researchers to determine whether a forest area is worthy of protection. The decisive factors are whether the area has high biodiversity and carbon storage capacity, whether it is threatened, and whether it is located in a strategically important place.
Buy
in Advance
The purchase of the land is financed with loans. We do not collect donations for a piece of land that we do not yet own.
3
Receive Land Title
We work in countries with a high degree of legal security and only purchase land with clear and secure title. All three foundations are entered on title in the land register.
4
Create georeferenced aerial images
With the help of drones, we create highquality aerial panoramas of our land parcels. These are uploaded to our website. Each square meter is provided with exact geo-coordinates.
Refinance through donations
Everyone can donate for the protection of a specific piece of this wilderness area. The donation refinances the purchase and ensures long-term protection. Each square meter is allocated only once.
Donors receive a personalized certificate with the exact geo-coordinates of the forest they have helped to protect. This makes protection tangible and directly traceable. 5 6
Prove by certificate with geocoordinates
7
Research, document, communicate
Environmental ambassadors and researchers visit the areas, conduct research together and experience the forest they are protecting first-hand. They then use the research findings, photos and videos for environmental education in schools and to inspire others with their love for wild nature.
8
Ensure long-term protection
Regular visits, local partnerships, forest guardians, payment of property taxes and the foundation concept ensure the long-term protection and ecological integrity of the areas. Read more about this on p.40 (Why a foundation).
A TREE HAS WITNESSED HISTORY
Some of the giant trees in our protected areas are already 1,000 years old.
And they can live for another 1,000 years.
But how do we guarantee that they won't be destroyed before then?
1203
Tree is born 2015
1492
Discovery of America
1865
First industrial use of crude oil
1867
Canada becomes a nation
1872
Foundation of the first national park
Paris Climate Agreement
*oldest known individual
I would like to be as old as a tree... Why a foundation?
“During our short lives, we can only protect a tree in this short term. That is why we want to create structures that guarantee the protection of these ancient species for generations to come - regardless of political changes.
A foundation is the most long-term human construct currently known. Not even states, companies or national parks are designed for such a long term. This makes the foundation the only form of organization that is compatible with the lifespan of the ecosystems we protect.
* Our foundation purposes are:
1. Environmental protection, nature conservation, animal welfare
2. Related education, science and research
3. International understanding, development aid, art and culture for the support, implementation, and communication of climate, environmental, nature and animal welfare projects.
• A foundation operates independently of political constructs and sometimes even states.
• For the foundation's purpose* it receives the foundation's assets, which are always preserved.
• It is independent of individuals and cannot be inherited because it does not belong to anyone alone. A foundation always belongs to the community of people who are committed to its purpose at the time.
"The legal foundation under civil law is designed for perpetuity. [...] In Germany, for example, numerous foundations are very old, some of them more than a thousand years. [...] "
• since 1161 Johannishofstiftung Hildesheim
• since 1177 St. Johannis-Jungfrauenkloster Lübeck
• since 1184 Magdalenen Hospital Münster” 11
''The legal form of the foundation uniquely allows for the implementation of a (charitable) purpose permanently and independently of outside interests and thus makes it possible to achieve the desired effects in the long term.12
Some of the ancient giants on the West Coast of Canada can grow up to 100 m tall.
US$1 *
DONATION?
* all numbers based on actual spendings since our foundation in 2008
* Canada: $1.50 CAD protects 1 m²
5 %
Administrative costs
20 %
Environmental education and communication
This part goes directly into our projects, such as the Walk for the Wild and environmental education projects with schools, as well as workshops and into our web platform.
initial costs
long-term costs
38 %
Land purchase and purchase process
In addition to the costs for purchasing the land, this also includes costs for the notary and the land register entry as well as property taxes.
19 %
Preparing land purchase: finding, researching and documenting relevant nature conservation areas
In rapid assessments, we work with researchers to determine the area's biodiversity and carbon storage capacity. Aerial photos from drones help us to document the areas.
18 %
Long-term protection and research
Regular visits, local partnerships and forest guardians help to monitor and ensure the ecological integrity of the areas. Environmental ambassadors and scientists visit the areas, conduct research together and experience the forest they are protecting.
N50° 30' 53,872" W128° 12' 10,5" protected by Jane Smith and John Public with US$100, you have protected 100 m² of forest in Canada forever*
$150 CAD / 1077 ft²
Your donation to forest conservation: traceable down to the square meter.
Aerial view of the "Land of the Wapitis" in the Toba Valley.
View your donations, from the air.
We protect forests - 100% transparently. We show exactly where your donation has been used, down to the square meter. To do this, we create high-resolution aerial photos of our protected areas and place the net of exact geo-coordinates over them.
High Tech. Low Budget.
The company Quantum Systems supports us in this endeavor. This allows us to create unprecedented highresolution aerial images of large scale forest areas in the shortest possible time. We also conduct flights with LIDAR and multispectral cameras. These enable us to create 3D pictures and thermal images of the forest and to determine information about tree height, carbon storage and biodiversity in the forest areas.
This saves large amounts of time and donation money that otherwise would have been spent on costly and sometimes dangerous walk-throughs. Moreover, we can explore current and future protected areas without entering them and disturbing them by creating trails.
Thanks to our cooperation with the software company Pix4D, we can then assemble a large aerial image from these thousands of individual aerial photographs in just a few hours.
Watch this video: https://youtu.be/RXaJw6ki8ss
ABOVE The teams of Quantum Systems and Wilderness International during the 2021 Peru expedition.
LEFT A LIDAR image of the protected areas along the Tambopata River.
ABOVE The Trinity drone takes off for the first high-resolution aerial photos of the forest.
With US$8000 you could buy...
160g 5.9m² 0.19
of residential land in Berlin
8.000
Aerial view of the "Land of the Wapitis" in the Toba Valley.
During the winter, huge waves crash on the rugged coast of Vancouver Island, Canada.
Massive buttress roots, covered in epiphytes, provide stability to this giant Ceiba tree along the Malinowski River.
In
wildness
lies
the preservation of the world.
Fog over the tropical forests in our Peruvian protected areas creates a mystical atmosphere.
A rare coastal wolf on beach patrol in the "Land of the Otters" on Porcher Island.
Thick layers of moss in the canopy of this maple tree in the "Land of the Grizzlies" speak of its impressive age.
"What motivated me to join WI, and what continues to convince me, is the directness of the work. Instead of expensive awareness campaigns, WI actually protects unique wilderness areas. And not only the how, but also the what is sound. Areas for protection are selected based on acute threat, ecological importance, or strategic location. All of this can be tracked by anyone using geo-coordinates. It can't get more transparent than that!"
Jenin Ziemens Environmental Ambassador
"As a biologist and conservationist, I see how habitat destruction is not only driving species extinction around the world, but I also know that this is a big driver of climate change. When I stumbled across WI, I knew right away that I wanted to be a part of this work. The principle is simple and highly effective. We protect ancient, intact habitats with an abundance of species and at the same time we prevent the emission of additional greenhouse gasses.
No frills but very targeted and transparent wilderness protection, what more could you want?"
Fabian Mühlberger Biologist and National Geographic Nature Photographer
Three sisters. One mission.
Local organizations working together for international wilderness conservation.
Wilderness International consists of three sister NGOs in Peru, Canada and Germany.
Each was co-founded by local people and in each of them, locals are actively involved. There are always local projects such as the forest guardians in Peru or tree planting events in Germany. But above all, the three organizations work together on an international level for wilderness protection and environmental education. This includes exchange projects with First Nations like the Gwich'in and the Cowichan for the protection of their traditional territory. In addition, all three foundations are always registered on title in the land registry to strengthen the security of protection.
The three sisters: Peru, Canada & Germany
Carnivorous sundew catches flies amidst the silence of the bog.
The WI team well-dressed in front of a giant Ceiba tree in Peru, thanks to outdoor clothing donated by Craghoppers.
Conservation for the future - not from the past.
For our foundation to exist in the long term and function in the best possible way, it has to keep growing from the bottom up. Our participatory structure and team-based approach allow us to exchange thoughts across generations and to grow with new ideas again and again. This means that today, we are already working for the generations of tomorrow.
Tobias Hürten
before 2012 Participant Walk for the Wild 2014 Environmental ambassador
2015-2017 Volunteer service
2017-2023 since 2017 Team member, responsible for partnerships WI Canada Board of Directors
Henriette Wessel before 2012 Participant Walk for the Wild 2014 Environmental ambassador
2015-2017 Volunteer service since 2017 Full-time team member, responsible for communication, WI Peru Management board
Anton Kamolz
before 2013 Participant Walk for the Wild 2013 Environmental ambassador
2014 Voluntary Ecological Year since 2018 Member of the Governance Board
Charlotte Voigt
before 2012 Founded an environmental action group at Frankfurt International School
2013, 2014, 2018 Scientific assistant on expeditions since 2018 Member of the Governance Board
Carina Büder
2017 Voluntary Ecological Year since 2021 Member of the Governance Board
ENOUGH THEORYNOW IT GETS REAL!
What we have achieved so far.*
10,777,720 15,186,681
119,299
individual donations.
m² of forest purchased, of which... trees planted in the "My Tree - My Dresden" project
m² are already protected permanently by...
646,663 101,804
116
School environmental projects
metric tons of CO2 sequestered
74
56 Partners (Cooperation & Conservation)
Environmental Ambassadors
*As of 01.01.2024
The Gwich'in-German team on the first expedition for the protection of the Peel River Watershed in 2008.
Nature couldn't agree more: Money can buy happiness.
In 2021 alone, we were able to buy as much land as in the previous 13 years! This is a success story. If we maintain this rapid growth, we can expect to purchase over 100,000 hectares per year and protect them together before 2030!
In total, we have acquired land with a total area of 1012.98 ha as of December 31, 2021. This corresponds to 1,417 soccer fields or the size of the Phi Phi Islands in Thailand.
WHERE WE ARE ACTIVE
Maria Laura Tolmos measuring trees to calculate their carbon storage.
PERU TRO
PICAL RAINFO
REST
The most biodiverse place in the world
Only few rays of sunlight break through the dense canopy of the jungle's giants. They stand on tall buttress roots and are covered in liana and epiphytes. High up in the treetops, a brown-throated sloth gently stretches to savor the juicy leaves of a cycropia tree. In the afternoon, cicadas start chirping like a clockwork, drowning the sound of almost everything else. Only the following thunderstorm and strong rainfall quiet them.
The Amazon rainforest is famous worldwide for its biodiversity. It stretches from the Atlantic coast of Brazil all the way to the Andes in the west of the continent. This makes it the largest contiguous rainforest on Earth.
However, species are not evenly distributed here, and so even in this cradle of life, there are isolated hotspots of species diveristy. The Madre de Dios region is considered the most biodiverse place in the world.
Amazon
Madre De Dios
Our protected area
Andes
PACIFIC OCEAN
Machu Picchu
Lima
BRAZIL BOLIVIA
CHILE
COLUMBIA
ECUADOR
Lake Titicaca
A rare view of the treetops of the tropical jungle giants.
Why Peru?
Are there any old-growth forests left?
More than half of Peru's surface is covered by forests. The country has the world's fourth-largest stock of tropical rainforest. Of this, 87% still consists of old-growth forest (2018)13 .
Are the existing habitats important for the preservation of biodiversity?
The rainforests of the Madre de Dios region are considered the most biodiverse place in the world. Because of the favorable climatic conditions and geological developments, there are 10 times more reptiles and amphibians here than in Canada. Approximately 10% of all bird species of the world can be observed here, and on one hectare of forest you can find approximately 400 tree species - that is more tree species than in the whole of Europe north of the Alps.
Is the ecosystem important for a healthy climate?
The forests of the Amazon basin are the largest contiguous rainforests on Earth. They even create their own weather: a unique water cycle, starting at high altitudes, brings heavy clouds from the Atlantic Ocean over 5,000km all the way to the west of the continent.14 What sustains this water cycle: the vast extent of the contiguous rainforests.
Property rights: can we buy land with legal certainty and protect it for perpetuity?
The land law in Peru works reliably. There is land with land title (which we buy for longterm conservation), "constancias" that can be converted into land with title, and lease concessions for forestry, mining, but also conservation.
Are the forest areas threatened?
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), about 10 million hectares of tropical rainforest were lost annually between 2015 and 2020, with the Amazon region suffering the most annual damage.15 In 2020 alone, an area of primary forest as large as El Salvador disappeared. Peru holds a sad record of third place. The main causes are agriculture, forestry and mining.
Macaws at the "Chuncho clay lick" in the Tambopata National Reserve.
Things to know about Peru
633,879,426
Hectares of forest
Hectares of old-growth forest in the south lies part of the second driest desert in the world annual precipitation of up to 3,800mm in the rainforest
47
are spoken in Peru
528,958,249 indigenous languages more than Rain brings out the many shades of green in the forest.
View of the tropical primary rainforest.
CANADA TEMPERATE RAINFOREST
A natural wonder
When the fog lifts over the lush green rainforests of the west coast, it reveals 800-year-old giant red cedars, covered to their loftiest heights with lichen and thick blankets of moss. On the shore, deer and cougars have left their tracks in the sand. The awe-inspiring howl of a pack of wolves sounds through the valley. Welcome to the wilderness.
The temperate rainforest of western Canada is a wonder of nature. Its untouched forests are home to wild coastal wolves, salmon-fishing bald eagles, rare carnivorous sundew and towering forest giants such as maples, red and yellow cedars, Douglas firs and other massive trees, up to 2,000 years old and 100 m tall.
Deadwood provides important habitat and food for insects and birds.
ATLANTIC OCEAN PACIFIC OCEAN
ARCTIC OCEAN
Our protected areas
Why Canada?
Are there any old-growth forests left?
Large natural areas make up 70% of Canada. 34% of the country is covered in forest, of which 53% is still old-growth.16 In total, Canada is home to 20% of the world's remaining wilderness areas.17
Are the existing habitats important for the preservation of biodiversity?
The temperate rainforest is a unique ecosystem. Its old-growth forests are home to a unique biodiversity and giant trees that are thousands of years old. Rare ghost flowers are at home here, as well as bears, wolves and eagles.
Is the ecosystem important for a healthy climate?
The forests and coastal bogs in our protected areas are champions of carbon storage and one of the most important "sinks" in the Earth's carbon cycle. They also make an important contribution to cooling and purifying the air and storing water.
Property rights: Can we buy land in a legally secure way and protect it in the long term?
Canada is a constitutional state with strict regulations regarding ownership. This makes arbitrary expropriation impossible. Damage results in comprehensive sanctions. The British Columbia Trespass Act clearly prohibits trespassing on private land. Violations are prosecuted by court action.18
Are the forest areas threatened?
Everyone knows about the value of the Amazon rainforest and the threats it faces. But hardly anyone talks about the forgotten ecosystem of British Columbia: it is home to the last large contiguous area of temperate rainforest in the world.19 And yet British Columbia, of all places, is one of the last jurisdictions in the world that continues to allow large-scale logging of ancient tree giants as old as 600 to 1,800 years.20 Between 2003-2010, logging in BC was responsible for higher annual carbon emissions than all of Finland.21 The main reasons for deforestation are logging, agriculture, and infrastructure construction.
Fallen trees, thick layers of moss and ferns make up the undergrowth of an old-growth forest.
So-called "nursing logs," old fallen forest giants, provide nutrients for young seedlings.
Things to know about Canada
347,000,000
22,600,000
Nation with the
Hectares of old-growth forest in British Columbia
but only 36,000,000 inhabitants
Hectares of forest in Canada second largest land area on the Earth as a comparison: Germany is 26x smaller but has more than twice as many inhabitants
diverse, ancient First Nation
View of the rugged northern coast of Porcher Island.
An imposing bald eagle monitors its territory from the air.
PROJECTS WE ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT
The Toba River, bathed in sunlight, in the middle of undisturbed temperate rainforest.
Our core: Forest protection through sponsorships
Every US dollar donated through a wilderness sponsorship guarantees the permanent protection of 1m² of primary rainforest on the Canadian west coast or in the Amazon rainforest of Peru. Wilderness sponsors receive a personalized certificate with the exact geo-coordinates and an aerial photo of their protected forest.
15,186,681 m² of forest purchased by WI
10,777,720 m² permanently protected by sponsorships through
119,299 individual donations from private individuals, schools and companies
There are many ways to contribute to nature conservation through donations. But unfortunately, only few organisations also show measurable, traceable success. What makes Wilderness International's work different? We want to do something tangible, highly effective and directly traceable, and we want to give everyone the opportunity to participate: to protect a very specific
piece of invaluable wild nature for all time.
It is important to us that the protection is absolutely secure and long-term. Therefore, we purchase ecologically valuable and acutely threatened wilderness areas, currently in the temperate rainforest of Canada and the tropical rainforest of Peru.
In 2014, environmental ambassadors Felix and Henriette were able to walk to the exact area of forest that their school protected in the Toba Valley, thanks to a GPS device and the geo-coordinates on the certificate.
We are registered in the land registry so that the purchases are legally secure for perpetuity. The protection of the areas is transparent and tangible. Every USD donated directly guarantees the permanent protection of 1m² of primary forest with thousand year old trees and unique animals on the Canadian west coast or in the Amazon rainforest of Peru. The donation refinances the purchase and at the same time enables us to ensure the long-term protection of the area, as well as support environmental education and research. All wilderness sponsors receive
a personalized certificate with the exact geo-coordinates and a high-quality aerial photograph of their protected forest. This way they can see exactly what their donation was used for and what piece of unique wilderness they have preserved forever.
We know the areas we protect very well because we regularly visit them on expeditions. We take students and partners on these trips so that they can see the areas they protect and experience them first-hand.
Carbon footprint calculator and offsetting
No matter if you are a company, an individual, a household, a traveler or if you are hosting an event - we have developed several specialized carbon footprint calculators that enable you to calculate, analyze and reduce your carbon footprint, free of charge. In addition, we offer a voluntary compensation project that enables you to protect the most biodiverse forest on Earth and thus save biodiversity and reduce the effect of climate change.
The advantages of our calculator
Transparency & Traceability
We use only publicly available data for the calculation and disclose all emission factors used in the calculation.
Thoroughness
The emission factors were selected based on numerous quality criteria and from relevant scientific sources. The data is regularly updated, optimized and expanded in scope and quality.
Holistic
As far as the availability of data permitted, we included the entire life cycle of a product or activity in the calculation of its carbon footprint. In addition, we use CO2 equivalents, which means that other greenhouse gasses such as methane are also included in the calculation.
2034 compensations completed (most of them for travel)
> 273,904 m² of old-growth forest protected
16,434.23 t CO2 offset
For example, not only do we include emissions from the gasoline combustion of the car, but also the emissions from raw material extraction, production and disposal of the vehicle.
Calculation and offsetting in one!
Following the calculation, you can directly offset your carbon footprint by protecting a piece of primary rainforest.
Carbon footprint compensation
Old-growth forests store huge amounts of carbon. By protecting them directly and permanently, we prevent the release of stored carbon. This makes more of a difference for the climate than by stopping flying (see p.24). Aside from carbon storage, mature forests have many other functions that contribute to a healthy, stable climate and to life on Earth, which we find much more important and worthy of protection (see p.16).
"Ensuring a healthy climate is not a luxury, but a duty we have to our children. But we won't manage to keep to the 1.5° limit if we don't step on the gas. That's why the foundation's carbon footprint compensation campaign is a great thing. It combines climate protection with saving incredibly beautiful primary forests."
Prof. Dr. Bernd Klauer
Deputy Head Department of Economics Helmholz Centre for Environmental Research and Professor of Sustainability & Water Resources Management at University of Leipzig
“The goal of offsetting should not just be to compensate for unavoidable emissions. Rather, offsetting should aim at preserving life on Earth itself."
Kai Andersch Forest Scientist & Head of Management Board WI
Our mission: to change climate change.
Walk for the Wild & environmental education
Students look for sponsors and do physical activity to protect wilderness.
Before the Walk for the Wild, we go to their school for environmental education presentations.
58 Walk for the Wild events between 2012-2020 at 68 schools throughout Germany
> 40.000 students have participated in our class sessions and in the Walk for the Wild
> 17.000 of them have actively protected wilderness themselves
Environmental Education
Before the Walk for the Wild, we go to all participating groups in the registered schools and give multimedia presentations. We talk with the students about the rainforest ecosystem, its characteristics and the threat to the last remaining wilderness areas worldwide. The students have the opportunity to ask questions and to challenge and expand their existing knowledge. It is also important for us to point out solutions. The Walk for the Wild offers a practical way to get active for nature conservation.
After the Walk for the Wild, we go back to the schools for evaluation sessions. During these, the students can see their impact and realize their potential to make a positive change in the world, as individuals and as a community. This environmental education work is a fundamental part of the Walk for the Wild. That is how we contribute to the achievement of SDG 4.
SDG 4 - Quality education
This SDG seeks to ensure "that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to promote sustainable development, including through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles."
Highly motivated elementary school students at the Walk for the Wild in Dresden 2021.
The Walk for the Wild
Our sponsored runs are an opportunity to get active for our environment: for the world's most biodiverse rainforests, for a healthy global climate and for greener schools at home. During the Walk for the Wild, students have one hour to run as many laps as possible. Before running, they voluntarily look for sponsors. For each lap the student runs, the sponsors donate a chosen amount of money to support wilderness conservation.
TOP Participants take off at the Walk for the Wild in Dresden.
School environmental projects
20% of the donations collected during the Walk for the Wild can be used by the school for environmental projects. With this money, schools across Germany have created ponds, gardens and insect hotels, and planted trees.
116 projects financed and implemented
Nature conservation begins on our own doorstep. That's why 20 % of the sponsorship money collected during the Walk for the Wild can be used to implement the school's own environmental projects. Together, we create natural habitats for native plant and animal species, and make school grounds and interior spaces greener. Habitat that becomes open-air classrooms: for animal observation or the study of plants, water and soil.
"In the end, we protect only what we love, and we love only what we understand, and we understand only what we have come to experience."
22x Establishment of habitats in the form of ponds, orchards and dry habitats
2x Soil aeration and tree planting
13x Green classrooms
7x Interior spaces made greener
18x School gardens: renaturation, raisedbed gardening
5x
Insect hotels, beekeeping, nest boxes
27x Schoolyard/house greening: tree and shrub planting, roof greening
22x Environmental education: butterfly monitoring, field trips, environmental library, equipment (e.g. binoculars), bat projects, workshops
Students of the Lößnitzgymnasium Radebeul create a school pond and plant greens around it.
Renewal of the school pond at Freinet School Moritzburg, Germany
A green roof for the St. Benno Gymnasium in Dresden
Baba Dioum Forestry Scientist
Conservation is not rocket science. But it needs to be scientifically based.
David MacDonald measuring a tree to determine its biomass and subsequently carbon storage.
Research expeditions
We visit our protected areas before and after purchase for scientific research and documentation, in addition to environmental education.
28 research expeditions and environmental ambassador trips
48 scientific projects & publications*
*for example, on the subject of Canadian yarrow in cancer therapy
Wilderness expeditions are the base of our nature conservation concept. During our visits, we focus on the documentation and scientific recording of unique wilderness areas. On the basis of "rapid assessments" (short, target-oriented data collection) on ecological integrity, biodiversity and carbon storage, we decide which areas are to be purchased and protected in the long term. A special highlight are the trips together with the local community, e.g. with Canadian First Nations in the temperate rainforests and in the Western Arctic.
Scientists, photographers and filmmakers also accompany us on our expeditions. They show partners and interested people from around the world the uniqueness of our protected areas.
Follow our ongoing expeditions live on our blog:
www.wilderness-international.org/blog
LEFT Dr. Matthias Nuss (Senckenberg World of Biodiversity) and Environmental Ambassador Blanka Schubert on their way to do biodiversity research in the old-growth hotspot Koksilah Forest, BC, Canada.
Environmental ambassadors
“Wisdom SeekersKnowledge Keepers“
Thanks to a scholarship, young people can experience first-hand the wilderness areas they have helped to protect. Back at home, they inspire many others for the protection of nature. They also contribute to the foundation's work in many ways.
of them have become full time
team members
With our scholarship program, we want to give young people the opportunity to directly experience nature conservation, regardless of their financial situation. Students who have already participated in the Walk for the Wild and who convince us in a multi-stage application process are accepted into the program.
On the expedition, they can experience the areas they have previously protected up close and form an opinion about our nature conservation concept. Thanks to the support of scientists and local guides, the environmental ambassadors discover the unique flora and fauna of the rainforest through their own research projects.
The environmental ambassador class of 2014 in front of a giant two-trunk Oregon maple tree in "the Land of the Grizzlies".
In exchange with knowledge keepers and youth from the local Indigenous communities, students learn about our hosts’ culture and their relationship with the environment. After the expedition, the scholarship holders raise awareness through lectures, media reports and exhibitions. As passionate ambassadors, they inspire many thousands of fellow students to become active for a sustainable future and a healthy planet. Most of the environmental ambassadors have maintained close ties with us and continue to contribute inspiring ideas to the foundation.
“When you listen to the silence in the rainforest, you learn to distinguish the important from the unimportant. It has become important to me that our children's children can experience this later on.”
Astrid Environmental ambassador
ABOVE Canoeing in the Salish Sea during the 2010 expedition with the Quw’utsun.
RIGHT Environmental ambassadors learn about the forest and how to survive in the wilderness during the 2016 expedition.
Collaboration with First Nations/local communities
It is very important to us to collaborate with Indigenous Peoples, who are the caretakers and stewards of their traditional territory since time immemorial. In collaboration with Indigenous Peoples, we seek to incorporate Indigenous knowledge into future scientific endeavours and conservation management decisions.
So far, we have been fortunate to work alongside the Teetl'it Gwich’in of the western Arctic, and the Cowichan Tribes of Vancouver Island.
With youth and knowledge keepers of the Teetl'it Gwich’in, we embarked on two expeditions to raise awareness for the protection of the Peel Watershed in 2008 and 2017. In addition, the Teetl'it Gwich’in visited our teams in Germany.
In working with the Cowichan Tribes, thousands of students were inspired to protect Canada’s wilderness through lectures and Walk for the Wild events in Germany. In 2010, 2011, and 2012, we embarked on a joint expedition into the old growth forests of Western Canada.
Accompanied by knowledge keepers, we were honored to learn about their culture and connection to the environment. We were also invited to participate in many important cultural events such as potlatches, drum making, and hat weaving. To give back, we helped organize a Walk for the Wild event to help support a conservation project led by the Cowichan Tribes, and organized several cultural exchanges to Germany.
In 2013, the city of Cologne hosted a particularly meaningful event: Master carver Yut’xwam Harold Joe and his assistant George Rice, both members of the Cowichan Tribes, made a unique, 8 meter totem pole from a red cedar tree.
ABOVE Conversations with Hwiemtun, a knowledge keeper from the Quw’utsun Nation on the 2011 expedition
LEFT Yut’xwam Harold Joe, a Quw’utsun elder demonstrates the traditional art of carving
Protection of the Peel River Watershed with the Gwich'in
Together with members of the Teetl'it Gwich'in, we worked to protect the Peel River Watershed from 2007-2018 - and we won! It is a unique, ecologically intact mountain wilderness area the size of Austria in the remote Northwest of Canada.
The Peel River Watershed is home to the largest land mammal herd in the world, the caribou. It is also home to rare Barren Ground grizzly bears and wolves. Three rivers give it its name, all feeding the Peel River, the lifeline of the North. The region is the very basis of life for the Teetl'it Gwich'in's food, history and culture - it is their identity.
And yet, the Yukon territorial government decided to open 71% of this watershed to mining corporations.22 Subsequently, an unprecedented court case in conservation began, led by three First Nations and two Canadian NGOs. It was the first to go all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada.
In cooperation with the Teetl'it Gwich’in, we organized two joint expeditions in which youth and elders visited their traditional territory. In addition, the Teetl'it Gwich’in traveled to Germany where they shared their culture and raised their voices for the protection of their homeland. In combination with numerous media publications, including newspaper articles and a movie (aired on APTN), we were able to draw international attention to the issue.
In 2017 the great decision came: 80% of the area will be permanently protected! That's 55,858 km² of valuable mountain wilderness - an area larger than Costa Rica - that will remain untouched by industry.
ABOVE During an adventurous conservation expedition with the Teetl'it Gwich'in in rafts on the Snake River, 2008.
RIGHT Aerial view of the Peel River.
Forest guardian program
In Peru, we need to show presence in our forest areas and be in contact with the local population to ensure the protection of the land. This task is performed by local forest guardians.
Forest Guardians are local people with a lot of experience and knowledge of their forests. Everyday, they work to preserve the forest by regularly walking through protected areas, setting up signs, staying in touch with the people in the region about our projects, and if necessary, confront and report any illegal activity on the land.
As guides, they also lead and support our international expedition teams, through document collaboration and aiding in research projects. In the process, they also share some of their knowledge of the forest in short videos and other educational materials that we create together. The forest guardian program offers a sustainable livelihood that provides an alternative to gold mining, logging or agriculture and its negative long-term impact.
The forest guardians are also responsible for the training of new team members, thus passing on their knowledge and experience to the local community. They take part in regular training courses; for example, learning to use drones and specialized GPS devices to help them in their work, to document their routes and mark points of interest in the forest.
Our forest guardian Santiago "Chiki" Durand in front of a huge Ceiba tree along the Malinowski River.
My Tree - My City (Dresden)
This project started in 2019 in Dresden as a blueprint for independent tree planting initiatives. Non-politically and collectively, citizens green their city and thus improve climate, biodiversity and the quality of life.
101,804 trees planted
220,000 € donated*
3 other cities have adopted the project
*in partnership with Startnext via a crowdfunding campaign
550,000 people live in Dresden. That's how many trees and shrubs we want to plant together, in Germany's largest tree planting initiative. We plant native trees and shrubs. We improve biodiversity and create habitats. For cleaner air. For butterflies, wild bees and songbirds. For a healthy community. For a greener and more sustainable Dresden. And as a model for the rest of the world!
Donations allow us to purchase plants and to plan and implement the project, while the voluntary provision of land makes the plantings possible. The joint activities during the planting campaigns promote the cohesion of neighborhoods, workforces, and groups of friends. Together, we create a sustainable space for a positive attitude towards the environment and life!
SDG 11 — Sustainable Cities and Communities
With this project, we contribute to the achievement of SDG 11. It aims to improve air quality, ensure access to safe and inclusive green spaces, and increase the number of cities and towns implementing projects to mitigate climate change, adapt to climate change, and promote resilience to disasters.
Volunteer Natalie at the first planting event in Dresden.
Macaws stay with their partner for the rest of their lives – so it is only natural that sometimes, quarrels occur.
THE BEST PARTNERS NATURE COULD ASK FOR
We protect better when we do it together.
Without our corporate partners, protecting the amount of old-growth forest we currently have would not have been possible.. With their commitment to nature conservation, they take responsibility and, in some cases, even lead the way as pioneers in their industry.
SDG 17 — Partnerships for the goals
In line with SDG 17, we form effective civil society partnerships to promote sustainability, especially in the private sector.
Achieve more together
Company partners protect a piece of old-growth forest with every product or service they sell. Or they calculate and reduce their carbon footprint and offset the remaining emissions by protecting forest. They usually involve their customers, who receive their own certificate with geo-coordinates. Customers can also make the company forest bigger with further donations. In this, we contribute to SDG 12.
SDG
12 – Responsible consumption and production patterns
This sustainability goal calls for initiatives that encourage companies to adopt sustainable practices and include sustainability information in their reporting.
Conservation Partners
These conservation partners have been with us for more than five years or have protected at least 8,000m² of forest with us.*
• Canadian airline
• Carbon footprint compensation of 4 flights, also forest protection as a Christmas gift and at events
• 8 free flights as well as numerous pieces of free luggage for our expeditions
• Production and distribution of dental medical equipment
• Carbon footprint compensation and protection of 1m² rainforest for orders over 100€ in the dental medicine store
• Canadian tour operator for whale & wildlife watching
• Carbon footprint compensation
• Guests receive a personalized certificate for 1m² of Canadian old-growth forest; can protect even more forest themselves
• Received by 1,052 guests so far
• Tour operator for small groups and individual travel worldwide
• One of our first major corporate partners, joined in 2015
• Carbon footprint compensation of 50% of each trip; customers are motivated to offset the other half
• 110% customer participation within 5 years; unprecedented in the industry
• Comparable compensation projects have 0.5% participation
• Consulting and architecture company
• Protection of 6,400m² of forest annually
• Canadian whale & wildlife watching tour operator
• Carbon footprint compensation through 1% for the Planet, wildlife fee
• Great commitment to the environment: school environmental projects about nature conservation in the Greater Victoria area
• Family trips to Scandinavia
• Carbon footprint compensation
• Motivates customers to donate extra - very well received
• Producer of natural cosmetics, medicines and medicinal baths
• Part of the proceeds of the “Need You”
• natural cosmetics line goes towards rainforest protection in Canada, as well as towards tree plantings in Dresden
• Nature conservation organization of research diver, filmmaker and photographer Robert Marc Lehmann and team
• Protection of 1m2 of forest for every "Mission Erde" book and carbon footprint compensation of other media products
• Joint expedition in Peru
• Vineyard in Mainz, which is located on the same latitude as our protected areas in the Toba Valley
• For each bottle of Riesling “50° Nord” sold, 4m² of forest in the Toba Valley are protected
• Innovative community of companies and start-ups in a historic commercial building in Berlin
• Carbon footprint compensation
• Motivates tenants to compensate their core business, development of new direct partnerships between tenants in Goerzwerk and Wilderness International
• Media company with focus on leisure and the automotive sector
• Outdoor Magazine: writes about work of Wilderness International
• Specialist for Canada travel
• Carbon footprint compensation
• Organizes tailor-made school trips, study trips and group trips
• Protects 1m² of forest per person traveling and compensates carbon footprint
• Manufacturer of innovative, plastic-saving products for personal care
• Protection of 1m² of rainforest per product
• Producer of innovative mattresses
• Protection of 2m2 per mattress since 2014
• Carbon footprint compensation since 2020
• Production and sale of baby slings
• With every order through their online store, Storchenwiege® protects 1m2 rainforest
Carsten Herold, one of the owners of our long-time conservation partner “Herolé Klassenfahrten” on an expedition to get to know the protected areas in the Toba Valley.
Cooperation partners
Thanks to them, your donations can go directly towards wilderness conservation.*
Support our expeditions with equipment such as tents, hammocks, oudoor clothing, food, etc.:
This is only a selection of our partnersyou can find all cooperation partners at: https://en.wilderness-international.org/partner
Support transparent forest protection with drones, pilots, and software to create high-quality aerial images:
Support of our office and administrative work with office furniture, technology and the creation of financial statements:
Anton and Johann prepare for a comfortable night in the jungle in one of our protected areas in Peru - thanks to the sleeping equipment donated by Hennessy Hammocks.
Scientific partners
support our scientific work and research projects*.
• Peruvian research & conservation organization
• Comprehensive support of local tasks for our conservation projects in Peru, including research data on biodiversity and biomass of our protected areas, local environmental education projects and forest guardian program
• Research on the compatibility of a healthy environment and social development
• Scientific partner in researching the carbon storage capacities of our protected areas
• Supervision of joint scientific work
• Research on ethnobotany together with the Gwich'in First Nation in the Western Arctic and on the flora of the temperate rainforests of western Canada
• Prof. Dr. Thomas Efferth, Head of the Institute of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, coordinates scientific studies with us
• Broad international research projects and environmental education (in museums about nature conservation)
• Scientific partner in biodiversity research of our protected areas, for example, together with Dr. Matthias Nuss on insect diversity etc.
• One of the largest technical universities in Germany and one of eleven German “Universities of Excellence”
• Scientific partner for the research of environmental management systems and sustainability strategies for universities & colleges
• WI is a partner organization in the interdisciplinary "Service Learning praxiSDG" This
Founders: Agnes S. Weiland, Ellen Weiland, Georg H. Merker, MD, Gert Andersch, MD, Dr. agr. Guido Richter †, Hans Dierstein, Henner Kollenberg, Johanna Diehl, Kai Andersch (WI Germany, Peru and Canada), Kathrine Kollenberg, Marit Richter, Matthias Burchert, Matthias Kappelhoff, Nelli Theyel, Niels Hahmann, Jürgen Thiele, Sandra Zügge, Sebastian Reuter, Sissel Hammerstrøm, Dr. med. Steffen Kolschmann, Stephan Hürten, Tom Andersch, Dr. med. Ulrich Zügge, Vera Philipps, Yvonne Sirtl, David MacDonald (WI Canada and Peru), Maria Laura Tolmos Coquelet (WI Peru), Fabian Mühlberger (WI Peru), Tobias Hürten (WI Peru), Henriette Wessel (WI Peru), Chris Kirkby (WI Peru)
Co-founders: Petra England, Prof. Dr. Bernd Klauer, Thomas Kimmel, Henrik Voigt, Anton Kamolz, Charlotte Voigt, Thomas Mach, Carina Büder
Scientific support
Dr. Friedrich Ditsch, Prof. Thomas Efferth, Hannes Holtermann, Prof. Andreas Huth, Chris Ketola, Chris Kirkby, Prof. Dr. Bernd Klauer, Dr. Richard Mally, Fabian Mühlberger, Dr. Matthias Nuss, Gudrun Pflüger
TOP LEFT
To identify species of trees, Dr. Chris Kirkby examines their leaves.
TOP RIGHT
David MacDonald measuring a tree to determine its biomass
LEFT
Dr. Matthias Nuss identifying species of moths and butterflies
Image directory
We are proud to say that all photographs shown in this impact report were taken during our expeditions and other endeavors and were created solely by our team.
Many thanks to all photographers!
Titel
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Fabian Mühlberger, 2019
Sami Fayed, 2014
Robert-Marc Lehmann, 2021
p.8 Mathias Kamolz, 2015
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Sami Fayed, 2014
Sami Fayed, 2014
Sami Fayed, 2014
Sami Fayed, 2014
Sami Fayed, 2012
Sami Fayed, 2014
p.28 Kai Andersch, 2007
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Fabian Mühlberger, 2018
Thomas Kimmel, 2016
Fabian Mühlberger, 2019
Sami Fayed, 2014
p.42 Tobias Hürten, 2016
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Fabian Mühlberger, 2021
p.45 Brock Ryder, 2021
p.45 Quantum Systems, 2021
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Tobias Hürten, 2016
Fabian Mühlberger, 2018
p.50 Kai Andersch, 2021
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Fabian Mühlberger, 2019
Fabian Mühlberger, 2019
p.58 Ronny Scholz, 2016
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Reinhard Mink, 2012
Tom Andersch, 2021
Fabian Mühlberger, 2019
Robert-Marc Lehmann, 2021
Johanna Diehl, 2008
Fabian Mühlberger, 2019
Fabian Mühlberger, 2018
Fabian Mühlberger, 2018
Fabian Mühlberger, 2019
Fabian Mühlberger, 2019
Sami Fayed, 2014
Fabian Mühlberger, 2019
Sami Fayed, 2012
p.100 Reinhard Mink, 2012
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Fabian Mühlberger, 2021
p.104 Sami Fayed, 2020
p.107 Sami Fayed, 2014
p.113 Ronny Scholz, 2021
p.114 Kai Andersch, 2016
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Brigitte Heyduck, 2011
Brigitte Heyduck, 2019
Brigitte Heyduck, 2016
Fabian Mühlberger, 2019
Robert Pohle, 2012
p.123 Sami Fayed, 2014
p.124 Sami Fayed, 2010
p.125 Ronny Scholz, 2016
p.127 Robert Pohle, 2011
p.127 Sami Fayed, 2012
p.129 Johanna Diehl, 2008
p.129 Johanna Diehl, 2008
p.130 Kai Andersch, 2021
p.133 Tobias Ritz, 2019
p.134 Fabian Mühlberger, 2019
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Fabian Mühlberger, 2019
Fabian Mühlberger, 2019
p.146 Robert-Marc Lehmann, 2021
p.151 Fabian Mühlberger, 2019
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Fabian Mühlberger, 2019
p.151 Robert Pohle, 2011
p.157 Erik van de Perre, 2018
Plumptre, Andrew J., Baisero Daniele, Belote R. Travis et al. (2021). Where Might We Find Ecologically Intact Communities? Frontiers in Forests and Global Change 4 (21) https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/ffgc.2021.626635/full
2 Quarks (2019). Amazonas Regenwald: So legt die massive Abholzung Brasilien trocken. https://www.quarks.de/umwelt/so-legt-die-massive-abholzung-brasilien-trocken/
3 Butler, Rhett A. (2011). Old-growth forests are irreplaceable for sustaining biodiversity. Mongabay. https://news.mongabay.com/2011/09/old-growth-forests-are-irreplaceable-for-sustaining-biodiversity/
4 Mosseler, A. et al., 2003. Old-Growth Forests in Canada: A Science Perspective, Environmental Review 11, Ottawa. https://www.fao.org/3/xii/0042-b1.htm
5 Siebert, Sebastian (2011). Infoblatt Artensterben und Artenschutz. In: Haack Weltatlas-Online. Leipzig: Klett. https://www2.klett.de/sixcms/list.php?page=infothek_artikel&extra=Haack%20Weltat las-Online&artikel_id=108115&inhalt=klett71prod_1.c.139753.de
6 Netz, Hartmut. Zu wenig Natur macht krank. NABU. https://www.nabu.de/natur-und-landschaft/natur-erleben/natur-tipps/27790.html
Ritchie, Hannah (2020). Climate change and flying: what share of global CO2 emissions come from aviation? Our world in data. https://ourworldindata.org/co2-emissions-from-aviation
7 Spake, R., Ezard, T.H.G., Martin, P.A. et al. (2015). A meta-analysis of functional group responses to forest recovery outside of the tropics. https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.12548
Butler, Rhett A. (2011). In the Amazon, primary forest biodiversity tops that of secondary forest, plantations. Mongabay.
https://news.mongabay.com/2007/11/in-the-amazon-primary-forest-biodiversity-topsthat-of-secondary-forest-plantations/
8 Niedermeier, Nathan (2022). Neue Bäume als Klimaretter - was bringt's?. ZDF. https://www.zdf.de/nachrichten/panorama/baeume-pflanzen-klimaschutz-100.html
Mildrexler, D. J., Berner, L. T., Law, B. et al. (2020). Large Trees Dominate Carbon Storage in Forests East of the Cascade Crest in the United States Pacific Northwest. Frontiers in Forests and Global Change 3(20). DOI: 10.3389/ffgc.2020.594274
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/ffgc.2020.594274/full
9 Nemoto, S., Finkel, Toren (2004). Das Wunder der über 120-Jährigen. SPEKTRUM DER WISSENSCHAFT, November 2004. Heidelberg https://web.archive.org/web/20140223102732/ http://www.zmbh.uni-heidelberg.de/Gruss/Teaching/Einfuehrung_Biologie/12A.pdf
10 Kullman, Leif (2004). Tree-limit landscape evolution at the southern fringe of the Swedish Scandes (Dalarna province) – Holocene and 20th century perspectives. Fennia 182: 2, S.73–94. Helsinki. ISSN 0015-0010 https://fennia.journal.fi/article/view/3739/3530
11 https://www.stiftungsindex.de/deutschland/
12 https://www.mehrwert.nrw/werkzeuge/rechtsform-stiftung
13 Mongabay (2018). Deforestation statistics for Peru. Abgerufen am 04.02.2022. https://rainforests.mongabay.com/deforestation/archive/Peru.htm
14 Butler, Rhett A. (2019). Ecology of the Amazon rainforest. Abgerufen am 04.02.2022. https://rainforests.mongabay.com/amazon/rainforest_ecology.html
15 FAO and UNEP. 2020. The State of the World’s Forests 2020. Forests, biodiversity and people. Rome https://doi.org/10.4060/ca8642en
16 Mongabay (2010). Canada Forest Information and Data. Abgerufen am 04.02.2022. https://rainforests.mongabay.com/deforestation/2000/Canada.htm
17 Watson, James E. M., Allan, James R. et al. (2018). Protect the last of the wild. Nature 563, S.27-30 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-018-07183-6
18 https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/18003
19 DellaSala, D. A. (Hg.), (2010). Temperate and boreal rainforests of the world: Ecology and Conservation. Island Press, Washington, D.C.
20 Wu, Ken (14.09.2019). What will it take to save B.C.’s old-growth forests? Vancouver Sun, Vancouver.
21 Wieting, Jens (2015). B.C. Forest Wake-Up Call: Heavy Carbon Losses Hit 10-Year Mark, Sierra Club BC, Victoria. https://sierraclub.bc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Forest-Emissions-Detailed-Back grounder_June22.pdf
22 Watson, James E. M., Allan, James R. et al. (2018). Protect the last of the wild. Nature 563, S.27-30 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-018-07183-6
23 Vgl. Perú. Ministerio de educación: „Lenguas originarias de Perú“. Abgerufen am 04.02.2022. http://www.minedu.gob.pe/n/noticia.php?id=42914
24 Mongabay (2010). Canada Forest Information and Data. Abgerufen am 04.02.2022. https://rainforests.mongabay.com/deforestation/2000/Canada.htm
25
Watson, James E. M., Allan, James R. et al. (2018). Protect the last of the wild. Nature 563, S.27-30 (2018).
https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-018-07183-6
26 https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/18003
27 DellaSala, D. A. (Hg.), (2010). Temperate and boreal rainforests of the world: Ecology and Conservation. Island Press, Washington, D.C.
28 Wu, Ken (14.09.2019). What will it take to save B.C.’s old-growth forests? Vancouver Sun, Vancouver.
29 Wieting, Jens (2015). B.C. Forest Wake-Up Call: Heavy Carbon Losses Hit 10-Year Mark Sierra Club BC, Victoria. https://sierraclub.bc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Forest-Emissions-Detailed-Back grounder_June22.pdf
30 The State of Canada’s Forests: Annual Report 2020. Natural Resources Canada. https://d1ied5g1xfgpx8.cloudfront.net/pdfs/40219.pdf
31 Gilani, Haris & Innes, John (2020). The State of British Columbia’s Forests: A Global Comparison. Forests. 11. 316. 10.3390/f11030316.
32 Yukon Conservation Society. Peel History http://protectpeel.ca/our-story/timeline_story/
33 Gignac, Julien (2019). It’s official: most of the Peel watershed is now protected. Yukon News.
https://www.yukon-news.com/news/its-official-most-of-the-peel-watershed-is-now-pro tected/
Bear track on a sandbank along the Toba River
Publisher Wilderness International
Grundstr.1
01326 Dresden
wilderness-international.org
Published on 01.01.2024
Layout, design, conceptual consulting
Robert Pohle (schnellebuntebilder.de)
Uli Streckenbach (streckenbach.tv)
Text and other contents
Henriette Wessel, Kai Andersch
