Protecting the rainforest in partnership with erlebe Fernreisen

Unique and biodiverse natural environment

The tropical rainforest of the Madre de Dios region is a unique ecosystem. Its primeval forests are home to the world’s greatest biodiversity. Nowhere else on Earth has such a diversity of life forms developed. Mysterious jaguars and playful monkeys are just as much at home here as clumsy tapirs and vine-draped jungle giants. There are ten times as many reptiles and amphibians here as in Germany; around 10 per cent of the world’s bird species can be observed here; and in one hectare of forest, you can find more tree species than in the whole of Europe – to name but a few examples.

Climate preservation

The rainforest plays a major role in the greenhouse effect – the warming of the atmosphere – in two ways.

Firstly, large quantities of CO₂ are sequestered in the rainforest’s biomass. When the forest is cleared, huge amounts of CO₂ are released into the atmosphere, where they contribute further to climate change. This happens, for example, through slash-and-burn practices, which are unfortunately still carried out – for instance, to make way for cattle farms – and which release very large quantities of CO₂. Estimates suggest that around 10–15 per cent of annual CO₂ emissions are attributable to slash-and-burn practices.

Furthermore, tropical forests are of paramount importance for the climate because they balance out temperature differences and regulate global rainfall patterns.

Greenhouse gases are distributed evenly throughout the atmosphere. According to the principle of carbon neutrality, it is therefore irrelevant where emissions are produced or reduced. What matters far more is that the global concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is reduced. Protecting Peruvian rainforests is therefore a tangible contribution to climate protection. You can find out more here

Wilderness has positive global effects

The protection of wilderness areas has many positive effects: stable rainfall, clean air, clear water, biodiversity, climate preservation, havens of tranquillity for retreat and relaxation, fantastic landscapes, space for adventure and challenge, and a reconnection with our roots. Where we protect these places has no bearing on the extent to which we can benefit from these positive effects globally.

There is still wilderness in Peru

Wilderness, or unspoilt nature, is the only place where natural processes can unfold undisturbed. It is only here that countless species find a suitable habitat. Wilderness areas are therefore a refuge where species can survive in the long term. When nature reserves are established, biodiversity can spread outwards from there. In Germany, too, there were once primeval forests with ancient trees stretching across the entire country. The fact that nothing remains of them today shows that wilderness cannot be taken for granted. It is our responsibility to protect the remaining wilderness areas, wherever they may be.

Saying thank you to nature

The natural balance can only be maintained if we stop merely taking and start giving in return. It is therefore time to finally give back to nature. Let us say thank you for everything it provides us with – let us protect it.

Legal certainty and permanent protection

The land is purchased by Wilderness International and our sister foundations, Wilderness International Peru and Wilderness International (Canada), via entry in the land register. Our articles of association stipulate, as part of the foundation’s purpose, that the plots of land must be left untouched and may only be visited for research and documentation purposes. The foundation’s structure prevents the rights to dispose of the property from resting with any single individual. Rather, the foundation – and therefore its land – always belongs to all those involved with the foundation at any given time. This ensures the long-term protection of the purchased areas. We always pay for the purchase of plots of land up front. Your donation is used to refinance the purchase. In this way, we ensure that your donation is used to protect precisely the piece of woodland you have selected. In Peru, board member Chris Kirkby is on the ground working with our partner organisation, Fauna Forever. In addition, as part of our forest ranger programme, the local community monitors the protection of these areas and thereby earns a living.

Imminent threat

The scientific community describes the effects of rainforest destruction as the greatest natural disaster since the last Ice Age. According to the FAO, around 10 million hectares of tropical rainforest were lost each year between 2015 and 2020, with the Amazon region suffering the most damage annually (FAO and UNEP 2020). Amazon Conservation (ACCA) estimates that over 2 million hectares of primary forest were lost in the nine participating countries in 2020 – an area the size of Israel. Peru holds the grim distinction of ranking third in this regard (Finer/Mamani 2020). The extinction of a single plant species is often linked to the extinction of a further 10 to 30 animal and plant species, as most organisms in the rainforest are interdependent (Spitzer et al. 2004). Millions of species have thus disappeared along with the forest in recent decades.

The remaining areas are exposed to various threats, such as gold mining, deforestation and slash-and-burn farming, or conversion to cattle pasture.

70 per cent of Canada consists of large natural areas. 34 per cent of the country is covered by forest, 53 per cent of which is virgin forest (1,2).

Everyone is aware of the threats facing the Amazon rainforest and its value. Yet at the same time, hardly anyone talks about Canada’s forgotten ecosystem: British Columbia (BC) is home to the world’s last large contiguous area of temperate rainforest (3). Unlike in Germany, there is still virgin forest there. And yet, unfortunately, the timber industry in Canada is one of the most important economic sectors, and BC, of all places, is one of the last jurisdictions on earth that continues to permit the large-scale felling of 600–1,800-year-old primeval forest giants (4). Between 2003 and 2010, deforestation in BC alone was responsible for annual
CO₂ emissions of 49.5 megatonnes (5), more than the whole of Finland.

Consequential problems include the erosion of nutrient-rich soils, a lack of rainfall, low water levels in rivers, a loss of air filters and water reservoirs, a heated microclimate, the loss of entire genetic libraries, the disruption of salmon spawning cycles in Canada, and increasing global CO₂ emissions, which contribute to climate change. Around 13 per cent of global CO₂ emissions stem from deforestation (6), far more than from the aviation sector (7).

A unique and species-rich natural environment

The temperate rainforest is a unique ecosystem. Its primeval forests are home to a unique diversity of species and giant trees that are thousands of years old. Rare ghost orchids are native to this area, as are bears, wolves and eagles. 

Wilderness is the only place where countless species can find a suitable habitat. This is because the older forests become, the greater their genetic diversity and the better the reproductive capacity of their inhabitants. In this way, primeval forests guarantee the survival of countless species and are essential for the conservation of biodiversity (8). Only by preserving existing natural habitats can biodiversity spread out from there once more. This is an essential prerequisite for the restoration and rehabilitation of damaged forests, land and soils, particularly those affected by desertification, drought and flooding.
Following deforestation, some functional groups – such as fungi, lichens and beetles – take up to 180 years to recover and never again reach the levels found in a primeval forest. These slow recovery rates of certain functional groups, which are essential for the functioning of the ecosystem, make primary forests an irreplaceable resource for biodiversity (9).

Climate protection

Temperate rainforests are global leaders in CO₂ sequestration. Trees and peatlands, some of which are up to 2,000 years old, play a crucial role in climate protection. Nowhere else do trees and forest peatlands sequester as much CO₂ – over 60 kg per square metre in the Misty Forest! Furthermore, trees with a large diameter store disproportionately large amounts of carbon (10). By protecting them, we ensure that the carbon remains sequestered and does not return to the atmosphere as CO₂, where it would accelerate global warming. Greenhouse gases are distributed evenly throughout the atmosphere. According to the principle of carbon neutrality, it is therefore irrelevant where emissions are produced or avoided. What matters far more is that the global concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is reduced.  
Furthermore, we safeguard other important functions of the forest that contribute to a stable climate: for example, its cooling and water-storage functions, without which vital rainfall would be absent, leading to increasingly hot and dry conditions. Furthermore, forests produce vital oxygen and filter the air.
Protecting Canadian rainforests is therefore a tangible contribution to climate protection. 

Wilderness has positive global effects

The protection of wilderness areas has many positive effects: stable rainfall, clean air, clear water, biodiversity, climate preservation, havens of peace for retreat and recreation, fantastic landscapes, space for adventure and challenge, and a reconnection with our roots. Where we protect these places has no bearing on the extent to which we can benefit from these positive effects.

There is still wilderness in Canada

 In Germany, too, there were once primeval forests with ancient trees stretching across the entire country. The fact that nothing remains of them today shows that wilderness cannot be taken for granted. It is our responsibility to protect the remaining wilderness areas, no matter where they are.

Saying thank you to nature

The natural balance can only be maintained if we stop merely taking and start giving as well. It is therefore time to finally give back to nature. Let’s say thank you for everything it provides us with – let’s protect it.

Legal certainty and lasting protection

Canada is a country governed by the rule of law with strict regulations on property rights. This makes arbitrary expropriation impossible. Unlike in countries with less robust legal certainty, causing damage therefore results in comprehensive sanctions. The British Columbia Trespass Act clearly prohibits trespassing on private land. Violations are prosecuted in court upon complaint, even if no damage has been caused. A fence, natural boundaries or signs should be in place, which is why our plots of land are marked with signs. Furthermore, due to their remoteness and the fact that the area is undeveloped, our protected areas can only be reached at great financial, material and time-related expense, and not without risk. We monitor the protected areas during regular expeditions. The land is purchased by Wilderness International and our Canadian sister foundation, Wilderness International (Canada), through registration in the land register. Our articles of association stipulate, in accordance with the foundation’s purpose, that the plots of land must be left untouched and may only be visited for research and documentation purposes. The foundation’s structure prevents the rights to dispose of the property from resting with a single individual. Rather, the foundation – and therefore its land – always belongs to all those involved with the foundation at any given time. This ensures the long-term protection of the purchased areas. We always pay for the purchase of plots of land up front. Your donation refinances the purchase. In this way, we ensure that your donation is used to protect precisely the piece of woodland that you have chosen.

Imminent threat

Only around 25 per cent of the original area of temperate rainforest remains in Canada. These remaining areas are exposed to various threats:

• Logging in primeval forests
• Agricultural land is displacing the forests
• Urban sprawl and the construction of infrastructure such as roads
• Canada’s withdrawal from the Kyoto Protocol

See also ‘Why no local projects?’ and ‘Why aren’t Canadians taking action themselves?’

Sources:
1: Mongabay (2010). Canada Forest Information and Data. Retrieved on 4 February 2022. 
2: Watson, James E. M., Allan, James R. et al. (2018). Protect the last of the wild. Nature 563, pp. 27–30 (2018). 
3: DellaSala, D.A. (ed.), 2010. Temperate and boreal rainforests of the world: Ecology and Conservation, Island Press, Washington, D.C.
4: Wu, K., 14 September 2019. What will it take to save B.C.’s old-growth forests?, Vancouver Sun, Vancouver.
5: Wieting, J., 2015. B.C. Forest Wake-Up Call: Heavy Carbon Losses Hit 10-Year Mark, Sierra Club BC, Victoria.
6: Quarks (2018). Why the destruction of the rainforest is worse than you think.
7: Ritchie, H. (2020). Climate change and flying: what share of global CO₂ emissions come from aviation? Our World in Data.
8: Gibson, L., Lee, T.M., et al. (2011). Primary forests are irreplaceable for sustaining tropical biodiversity. *Nature* 478, 378–381 (2011).
9: Spake, R., Ezard, T.H.G., Martin, P.A. et al. (2015). A meta-analysis of functional group responses to forest recovery outside the tropics.
10: 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).

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

In Peru, we have also launched a forest ranger programme 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, enables it to fulfil a (charitable) purpose 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 to last that long. This makes the foundation the only organisation oriented towards the lifespan of the ecosystems we protect.