Protect the rainforest

In Canada, we are aided by the high level of legal certainty – or rather, the legal framework – and the penalties, which even prohibit trespass, as well as the cultural and historical significance of property.

In Peru, we have also launched a programme for forest guardians in collaboration with local people. We have put several measures in place to ensure long-term protection. Generally speaking, we visit the areas on regular expeditions to check that everything is in order. We also work with local partners who inform us if necessary. The donations per square metre also already include the costs of property tax.

The legal form of the foundation, unlike any other, allows a (charitable) purpose to be realised permanently and independently of external interests, thereby achieving the desired long-term effects. It is thus the most long-term organisational structure currently known. Not even states, companies or national parks are designed with such a long-term perspective. This makes the foundation the only organisation oriented towards the lifespan of the ecosystems we protect.

We are absolutely convinced that it is only by working together with the local communities that we can sustainably protect the primeval forests in Canada and Peru. We are also committed to social sustainability and therefore involve as many stakeholders as possible in forest conservation. 

Local projects in Peru increase acceptance amongst landowners and offer them the opportunity to continue supporting the region’s natural environment in the future. We have also set up a forest ranger programme with local people. Our Forest Guardians regularly patrol the forest areas, ensure their protection, maintain contact with the local community, and, together with our researchers, develop environmental education materials and assist with biodiversity monitoring. To protect the Madre de Dios region sustainably, minimise the causes of deforestation and develop alternative sources of income together with local families, we launched our agroforestry project in December 2023 and joined forces with two local agroforestry pioneers – Camino Verde and Fundo Ten Paciencia. The aim of the project is to provide farmers with training on agroforestry and sustainable farming practices. In addition, the WI Peru team has launched an environmental education project designed to instil in local people a greater understanding of and enthusiasm for the rainforest and its inhabitants, and to provide them with reasons why it is important to actively protect this fragile ecosystem. This includes themed events in towns and communities, various projects in schools, and visits by schoolchildren directly to our research station in the Secret Forest.

In Canada, our existing protected areas are uninhabited, as they are quite isolated. The Wilderness International Canada team consists mainly of Canadians who are also promoting environmental education and our conservation goals within the country, for example through partnerships with organisations such as whale-watching agencies, which raise awareness of complex ecological interrelationships, or other local research or nature conservation organisations. In the past, we have organised environmental ambassador programmes, through which German school pupils were able to engage with local people and First Nations on environmental protection issues. We hope to be able to resume these programmes in the future. 

Looking ahead, we do not rule out the possibility of jointly purchasing plots of land for nature conservation in partnership with Indigenous peoples or First Nations in Canada. It is very important to us that this collaboration takes place on an equal footing. Of course, we would never displace anyone from their homeland for the sake of nature conservation. If our approach helps local people (whether Indigenous or not) to combine environmental protection with their traditions, ways of life and sustainable livelihoods, then we see such collaborations as a wonderful opportunity to generate synergies.

The involvement of local communities in our projects is also highlighted by Rainer Kant of BAUM e.V. in his independent process assessment: “The integrative approach is evident in the way Wilderness International links various sectors of society: environmental and climate protection are combined with educational work, technological innovations and economic financing models. Businesses, schools, researchers and local indigenous communities are actively involved, thereby creating synergies between civil society, business and academia.”