Wilderness International

Wilderness International is a German non-profit foundation (Stiftung) headquartered in Dresden and Berlin, founded in 2008 by 26 founders from six countries. Its mission is to legally purchase ecologically valuable and acutely threatened wilderness areas and protect them permanently, primarily in the Amazon rainforest of eastern Peru and the temperate rainforest of western Canada. The organization operates through three sister foundations — Wilderness International Germany, Wilderness International Canada (based in Stony Plain near Edmonton), and Wilderness International Peru (based in Puerto Maldonado) — which work together on international wilderness protection and environmental education. The foundation's core activity is buying land in rainforest regions on a pre-financed basis and having itself entered in the land register (Grundbuch), thereby securing legal and permanent protection. Using drones, it creates high-resolution, georeferenced aerial images of the forest parcels. Land purchases are refinanced through donations from individuals and organizations, who in return receive a certificate with the exact geocoordinates of 'their' piece of forest. As of January 1, 2022, the foundation owned 10.1 million square meters of threatened rainforest. Its donation model is transparent: 1 euro protects 1 square meter of forest forever and secures that 60 kg of CO2 remain bound in the forest's biomass. Beyond land acquisition, Wilderness International runs environmental education programs, including the 'Wildnislauf' (wilderness run) sponsorship events under the motto 'Take a Walk for the Wild' with school students across Germany, and an environmental ambassador program called 'Wisdom Seekers, Knowledge Keepers' that awards scholarships to participants to travel to and research the protected areas. The foundation also collaborates with companies seeking to offset their carbon emissions, such as Outdoor magazine, DIAMIR Erlebnisreisen, and Fjordkind-Reisen, and since 2021 has partnered with Robert Marc Lehmann and his association Mission Erde e.V. The organization is recognized as a provider of Bundesfreiwilligendienst (Federal Volunteer Service) and Freiwilliges Ökologisches Jahr (Voluntary Ecological Year). It has received the Phineo 'Wirkt!' seal, confirming its work has a verifiable impact and that it is a high-performing and transparent organization. Its vision is to protect the last 2.8% of still-intact habitats on Earth through legally secure purchases by 2050.

Wilderness International was founded in 2008 in Germany and Canada by 26 people from six countries, 24 different professional fields, and aged 18 to 69, united by a love of impressive wild nature and the desire to preserve it for future generations. The organization began with an enthusiasm for giant trees. In 2019, a Peruvian organization for rainforest protection was added, creating three sister foundations with one mission: to protect the last unique forest and wilderness areas forever. Each of the three organizations was co-founded by local people and involves locals in its work, such as forest guardians in Peru and wilderness runs in Germany. All three foundations are always entered in the land register to strengthen the security of protection. The foundation's core method is the legally secure purchase of ecologically valuable and acutely threatened forest and wilderness areas. It buys land in the rainforest in Canada and Peru on a pre-financed basis and has itself entered in the land register. Using drones, it creates high-resolution, georeferenced aerial images of the forest parcels. The land purchase is refinanced through donations from individuals and organizations, who in return receive a certificate with the exact geocoordinates of 'their' funded piece of forest. As of January 1, 2022, the foundation owned 10.1 million square meters of threatened rainforest. Wilderness International works with companies that want to offset their carbon dioxide emissions. Examples include Outdoor magazine, which supports Wilderness International in buying rainforest to offset CO2 released by paper consumption; DIAMIR Erlebnisreisen, which according to its own statements offsets 50% of the calculated emissions of all its own group trips (flights, transport, and overnight stays), with the other half to be voluntarily covered by travel participants; and Fjordkind-Reisen, which donates 20 euros for each booked trip, intended to buy 20 square meters of forest, with customers encouraged to donate 10, 20, or 50 euros when booking. Since 2021, Wilderness International has had a partnership with Robert Marc Lehmann and his association Mission Erde e.V. For the book 'Mission Erde' by Robert Marc Lehmann, money is donated to the Wilderness International foundation so that it can buy and permanently protect 1 square meter of rainforest in Peru or Canada per copy sold. The same applies to products in the Mission Erde shop. The foundation also works with children and young people to raise awareness of nature and environmental protection. For this purpose, sponsorship runs called 'Wildnisläufe' are held under the motto 'Take a Walk for the Wild' with students from all over Germany. In preparation, students receive lectures providing insights into environmental protection and information about the rainforest ecosystem in western Canada and Peru and its threats. According to the foundation, 80% of donations flow directly into wilderness protection. The foundation covers the event costs through its own sponsors. 20% of the funds raised can be claimed by schools for their own local environmental projects. From 2012 to 2020, a total of 55 wilderness runs took place, with over 40,000 students participating. Since 2008, Wilderness International has awarded scholarships approximately every two years to participants of the wilderness run. Students selected after an application and interview process have the opportunity to travel with the foundation to the areas they helped protect. Through the nature and cultural experience in Canada, expedition participants are to broaden their view of the world and their understanding of the fragile ecosystem. During their stay in Canada, they work with an international research team on their own research projects. In Germany, they then give lectures and create public exhibitions. A fixed component of the so-called environmental ambassador program is also the exchange with youth and elders of the First Nations. The environmental ambassador program is aimed at students in grades 9 to 11 who have already participated in one or more wilderness runs. The foundation is recognized as a provider of Bundesfreiwilligendienst (Federal Volunteer Service) and Freiwilliges Ökologisches Jahr (Voluntary Ecological Year). Men and women can generally work for the foundation for 12 months as Bufdis or FÖJler. The German Central Institute for Social Issues (DZI), which examines donation organizations for their seriousness, could not provide an assessment of Wilderness International in 2015 because the foundation did not provide information to the DZI.

• 2022

  As of January 1, 2022, the foundation owns 10.1 million square meters of threatened rainforest.

• 2021

  Partnership with Robert Marc Lehmann and Mission Erde e.V. begins.

• 2019

  Peruvian sister organization for rainforest protection added, creating three sister foundations.

• 2015

  German Central Institute for Social Issues (DZI) could not provide an assessment because the foundation did not provide information.

• 2012

  First wilderness runs (Wildnisläufe) begin; from 2012 to 2020 a total of 55 runs take place with over 40,000 students.

• 2008

  Wilderness International founded in Germany and Canada by 26 founders from six countries.

Transparent, legally secure, square-meter-precise rainforest protection funded by donations and corporate partnerships.

• Rainforest land protection certificate

  Donors receive a certificate with aerial image and geocoordinates of the protected forest parcel.

• Wildnislauf (Take a Walk for the Wild)

  Sponsorship runs with school students across Germany; 80% of donations go to wilderness protection, 20% to schools for local environmental projects.

• Environmental ambassador program (Wisdom Seekers, Knowledge Keepers)

  Scholarships for students in grades 9-11 to travel to Canada, work with researchers, and engage with First Nations youth and elders.

• Corporate CO2 offset partnerships

  Companies such as Outdoor magazine, DIAMIR Erlebnisreisen, and Fjordkind-Reisen support rainforest purchases to offset emissions.

• Take a Walk for the Wild
• Mission Erde partnership

1. 1Startseite | Wilderness Internationalwilderness-international.org
2. 2Die Stiftung | Wilderness Internationalwilderness-international.org
3. 3Team | Wilderness Internationalwilderness-international.org
4. 4Wie wirkt meine Spende? | Wilderness Internationalwilderness-international.org
5. 5Wilderness Internationalwikidata.org
6. 6Wilderness Internationalde.wikipedia.org