A glimpse into the treetops of Canada’s temperate rainforest.
Campbell River Whale Watching is committed to the protection of endangered wilderness areas
Protect forest now opens in a new tabFor the conservation of biodiversity and wilderness
Ever since Wilderness International began protecting and researching the Toba Valley in Canada in 2014, Campbell River Whale Watching (CRWW) has been supporting the foundation with its expertise and logistical assistance. As a wildlife tour operator, CRWW depends on spectacular natural landscapes and intact habitats. It was therefore only natural that they should join us in protecting precisely these wild habitats.
Let’s continue on this path together and permanently preserve even more unique wilderness: you too can now help protect a part of the Campbell River Whale Watching forest.
Donations
have wilderness sponsors
m2 old-growth forest
protected for ever, thereby ensuring that
tonnes of CO2
remain permanently bound in the forest’s biomass
Get your square metre now!
Here you can personalise and download your certificate showing the exact geographical coordinates of your square metre in the Campbell River Whale Watching rainforest. You can also help protect more of the forest if you wish.
Campbell River Whale Watching and Adventure Tours is one of the leading whale-watching operators in the Vancouver Island region. Thanks to its many years of experience, the company continually introduces its customers to the wonders of nature in new and exciting ways. As an active member of the North Island Marine Mammal Stewardship Association, Campbell River Whale Watching is committed to responsible practices in wildlife observation.
The partnership with Wilderness International is incredibly important to us at Campbell River Whale Watching – it enables us to give something back to the wilderness areas on which we depend and to protect the ecosystems that our guests come to experience. Through this partnership, we can make a direct contribution to the conservation of unspoilt wilderness, which is under increasing threat.
Impressions from the temperate rainforest
The wilderness areas protected by Campbell River Whale Watching in the temperate rainforest are situated on Porcher Island on Canada’s west coast. They constitute the most biodiverse ecosystem in the Northern Hemisphere. Their ancient giant trees provide a safe habitat for an incredible number of animal and plant species.
The tail fin of a humpback whale.
A rare coastal wolf on patrol on the beach at Porcher Island.
The orcas off the coast of Canada feed mainly on salmon.
In the silence of the forest bog, the rare sundew catches flies with its sticky tentacles.
Transparency
Why old-growth forest protection with WI?
What particularly impressed Wilderness International about Campbell River Whale Watching was the transparent and specific way in which donations are used: a €1 donation protects 1m² of old-growth forest – permanently. Donors receive a certificate showing the geographical coordinates and an aerial photograph of the protected area, as well as a tax-deductible donation receipt.
You too can help protect a section of the Campbell River Whale Watching forest
Let’s continue on this path together and permanently preserve even more unique wilderness:
Your Wilderness Conservation Certificate
Immediately after making your donation, you will receive a personalised certificate detailing the piece of wilderness you have helped to protect.
Protect forest now opens in a new tab
Photograph with Campbell River Whale Watching wilderness in Canada
Convert donation amounts, protected forest area and offset CO2 directly into one another.
m2
kg CO2
About Wilderness International
The foundation, which has offices in Peru, Canada and Germany, acquires wilderness areas in a legally secure manner and protects them for generations to come. These acquisitions are funded by donations, which ensure the long-term protection of the areas and enable environmental education projects and research into CO2 storage and biodiversity.
Find out more
Frequently Asked Questions
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Who is Wilderness International, and what does the organisation do?
Wilderness International is a non-profit environmental organisation with a single goal: to protect the Earth’s last remaining unique forests and wilderness areas for ever. To this end, Wilderness International purchases plots of land through registration in the land register, thereby ensuring their legally secure and permanent protection. The land purchases are funded by donations towards so-called ‘wilderness sponsorships’. Wilderness sponsors receive a personalised certificate stating the exact geographical coordinates of the protected forest area.
WI Germany and WI Canada were founded in 2008 by 25 people from six countries, representing 24 different professional fields and aged between 18 and 69. In 2019, the Peruvian organisation dedicated to protecting the tropical rainforest joined the initiative. Today, Wilderness International consists of three sister foundations:
In addition to the founding donors, Wilderness International Germany is supported by eight members of the Foundation Board, three members of the Executive Board, our operational team, many volunteers and countless donors, partners, sponsors and supporters. You can find out more on the “Wilderness International Germany” page.
At Wilderness International Canada, alongside Tobias Hürten and Kai Andersch, Marco Lou, Tyler Bruce and Stephen Gabrysh also work directly on the ground to manage our partnerships, land acquisitions, expeditions and the protection of our forest areas. Volunteers, donors and supporters are also actively involved here. You can find out more under “Wilderness International Canada”.
At Wilderness International Peru, the seven founders form the board of trustees. On the ground, the organisation’s president, Dr Chris Kirkby, works alongside a team of forest rangers and the rest of the operational team to oversee the protected areas, carry out research and biodiversity monitoring in the forests, the search for and purchase of new plots of land, and projects with local schools, communities and partners. You can find more information on the “Wilderness International Peru” page.
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How do you ensure the long-term protection of these areas?
We protect the areas we have selected exclusively by purchasing them and registering them in the land register, in countries with a high degree of legal certainty. All three international foundations (Peru, Canada, Germany) are registered as owners in the land register. The forest areas we have purchased as foundations can no longer be bought from us, and we are also no longer permitted to sell them.
The foundation’s organisational structure prevents the rights to dispose of the property from resting with a single individual and ensures its long-term survival. You can find out more about the longevity of the foundation concept here. Our articles of association stipulate that the plots of land must be left undisturbed and may only be visited for research and documentation purposes.
In Canada:
Due to their remoteness and the fact that the area is undeveloped, our protected areas in Canada can only be reached at great financial, material and time-related expense, and not without risk. Furthermore, the high level of legal certainty in Canada ensures that damage to land results in severe penalties. The British Columbia Trespass Act explicitly prohibits trespassing on private land. Violations are prosecuted in court upon complaint, even if no damage has been caused. Furthermore, we visit and monitor the areas as part of regular research trips and have partnerships with local companies that support us. In Canada, we also benefit from the fact that property is held in very high regard for its cultural and historical value and is respected.
In Peru:
In Peru, we have Forest Guardians on the ground whose day-to-day duties include monitoring our protected areas and preventing unauthorised entry. By using drones, the Guardians can survey a larger area, and special sensors trigger an alarm instantly if, for example, a fire breaks out or the sound of chainsaws is detected. In addition, we work there with the organisation ‘Fauna Forever’, which also has a permanent presence on the ground and, as part of its research projects, patrols and monitors our areas.
Furthermore, the Forest Guardians are in direct contact with the local population, promote our conservation objectives within the community, erect information signs and actively work on community projects – such as our current agroforestry project – to show the local population ways to benefit from the rainforest without clearing it. Should a conflict nevertheless arise, we report poachers and other individuals acting illegally to the local law enforcement agencies (such as the police, lawyers and authorities), and work closely with them.
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What role does the temperate rainforest in Western Canada play?
When you think of Canada, images of dense forests and untamed nature spring to mind. And with good reason: 70 per cent of the country consists of large natural areas. 34 per cent of Canada’s land area is covered by forest, 53 per cent of which is primeval forest. In total, Canada is home to 20 per cent of the world’s remaining wilderness areas, yet this pioneer’s dream of endless expanses is fading.
Everyone is aware of the value of – and the threats to – the Amazon rainforest. Yet hardly anyone speaks of British Columbia’s forgotten ecosystem: it is home to the world’s last large contiguous area of temperate rainforest. This primeval forest is a wonder of nature. It is home to wild coastal wolves, salmon-fishing bald eagles, mystical spirit bears, rare carnivorous sundews and gigantic primeval giants such as maple trees, Alaskan cedars, Douglas firs and giant thuja trees, which can reach ages of up to 2,000 years and heights of 100 metres. This makes the primeval forests of western Canada the most species-rich ecosystem in the Northern Hemisphere. Furthermore, the forests, primeval giants and forest bogs in our Canadian protected areas are absolute champions of CO2 storage and one of the most important ‘sinks’ in the Earth’s carbon cycle.
And yet British Columbia, of all places, is one of the last jurisdictions in the world that continues to permit the large-scale felling of primeval giants aged between 600 and 1,800 years. Between 2003 and 2010, deforestation in British Columbia alone was responsible for higher annual CO2 emissions than the whole of Finland. The main causes are the timber industry, agriculture and infrastructure development.