Aerial view of a dense forest canopy with treetops in varying shades of green and grey.

Koster’s Family & Friends Forest

Protect forest now

Why Wilderness International?

We, the Koster family, believe in making decisions that have a lasting, positive impact – not only for ourselves, but also for future generations. That is why we support Wilderness International, an organisation dedicated to the long-term protection of some of the world’s last remaining old-growth forests. 

Wilderness International’s approach aligns perfectly with our values: it is clear, measurable and scientifically sound. For every euro donated, one square metre of rainforest is protected for ever. This land is legally secured, georeferenced and traceable – no vague promises, but tangible nature conservation with transparency and accountability.

Join in and protect your own piece of wilderness now – for yourself or as a gift!

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

What has moved us most is the sense of urgency. Old-growth forests store vast amounts of carbon, regulate the water cycle and are home to an irreplaceable wealth of biodiversity. Once they are lost, they cannot be restored. Protecting them is one of the most effective ways to combat climate change – and we can all play our part, one square metre at a time.
Familie Koster

Every contribution counts!

Here at Wilderness International, we have a grand vision: to protect the world’s last remaining true wilderness areas for ever!
To this end, we purchase ecologically valuable and critically endangered primeval forest areas by registering them in the land registry, thereby ensuring their protection in a legally secure, permanent and transparent manner. These purchases are funded by your donations and safeguarded for the long term. 

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How it works

  1. Select size

    On the donation form, select the size of the area of woodland you would like to protect.

  2. Fill in the donation form

    Fill in your details on the form – this will ensure that you receive all the information and your donation receipt.

  3. Design a certificate

    You can now add your name or the name of the person you’re giving the certificate to. If you like, you can also add an occasion.

  4. Received a certificate

    You can download the certificate containing the geographical coordinates of the protected area immediately after payment. It will also be sent to you by email, together with a link showing your personal protected area down to the square metre. 

You’ve already donated

23 Recent donations

Donate now
Two red macaws with blue wings flying over lush green rainforest canopy

someone

50 m²
Iridescent hummingbird with vibrant blue plumage feeding from a purple flower on a green stem.

Anabelena

500 m²
Brown bear sitting in tall grass, looking at camera with mouth open.

Björn

200 m²
Bald eagle in flight over ocean waters with wings spread and talons extended downward.

Britta

175 m²
An exotic bird with a distinctive crest perches on a branch. Its plumage displays brown and white coloring with striking blue eyes.

Marcus

500 m²
River otter swimming in green water, looking left, with blurred forest and vegetation in background.

Susannw

400 m²
Young bird with wings spread perched on a wooden branch, blurred green background.

De Visscher

200 m²
Alert deer standing on rocky terrain with large boulders and mountainous landscape in the background.

Robin

200 m²
Long-legged insect perched on yellow-green plant buds against a dark background

Victoria

150 m²
Two red macaws with blue wings flying over lush green rainforest canopy

Silvio

150 m²
Bald eagle in flight over ocean waters with wings spread and talons extended downward.

Lena and Luka

200 m²
Capybara sitting on arid ground beside withered grass with a black bird landing on its back

Kevin

100 m²
Capybara sitting on arid ground beside withered grass with a black bird landing on its back

someone

50 m²
Long-legged insect perched on yellow-green plant buds against a dark background

someone

25 m²
Young bird with wings spread perched on a wooden branch, blurred green background.

someone

25 m²
Two red macaws with blue wings flying over lush green rainforest canopy

Birgit

100 m²
Young bird with wings spread perched on a wooden branch, blurred green background.

Arne

250 m²
An exotic bird with a distinctive crest perches on a branch. Its plumage displays brown and white coloring with striking blue eyes.

Ruediger

150 m²
Long-legged insect perched on yellow-green plant buds against a dark background

Heiko

100 m²
Group of otters resting on weathered logs beside water in their natural habitat.

René

25 m²
Two orca whales swimming together in the ocean, displaying their distinctive black bodies and white markings.

Nora & Antonio

300 m²
A grey and brown wolf stands on rocky ground, gazing directly at the camera with alert eyes.

Christiane

500 m²
Two red macaws with blue wings flying over lush green rainforest canopy

Jana

250 m²

Your Wilderness Conservation Certificate

Immediately after making your donation, you’ll receive a personalised certificate detailing the piece of wilderness you’ve helped to protect – complete with its exact geographical coordinates. It also makes a brilliant gift, by the way!
Protect forest now
Wilderness protection certificate from Wilderness International for Toni Tropenwind featuring rainforest, bird and family photos.

Impressions from the tropical rainforest

Wilderness International’s Peruvian protected areas are situated in the Madre de Dios region – the most biodiverse place in the world.
Upward view of a towering tree with lush green canopy and textured bark against a clear blue sky.
These gigantic trees can grow to over 40 metres in height – and never fail to leave us speechless.
Person walking through lush jungle trail surrounded by towering trees, dense green foliage, and fallen logs.
You can really lose yourself in the rainforest’s myriad shades of green. 
Vibrant red bottlebrush flowers with dense green foliage in a lush garden setting.
But there are also a few splashes of colour – such as these flowering vines … 
Four red macaws with blue and green wing feathers perched on branches among green foliage.
... or the macaws, whose calls can be heard from far away.
Brown capybara sitting upright on sandy ground with one front paw raised.
The little agoutis play a vital role in the rainforest: they are the only animals responsible for dispersing the seeds of the Brazil nut tree (Bertholletia excelsa), enabling it to spread further.
Reddish-brown ape hanging from branch surrounded by lush green leaves in forest canopy.
You can’t fail to hear the impressive howler monkeys either – the loudest animals in the jungle.
Crocodile's head above murky green water, with visible eyes and teeth, partially submerged
There is also plenty to discover in and around the Tambopata River. From caimans ...
Capybara wading through shallow water near the riverbank with driftwood and vegetation in the background.
... on to the cute capybaras, the world’s largest rodents.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What does Wilderness International do?

    Wilderness International purchases wilderness areas in a legally secure manner and protects them for generations to come. These purchases are funded by donations, which not only ensure the long-term protection of the areas but also enable environmental education projects and research into CO2 sequestration and biodiversity. Donors receive a personalised certificate showing the exact geographical coordinates of the protected forest area, so that the protection can be directly traced. We are currently active in the temperate rainforest of western Canada and the Amazon rainforest of Peru, where we are protecting ancient primary rainforests.

  • What obligations does sponsorship entail for me?

    There are no further obligations on your part. The donation is a one-off payment and enables us, as a foundation, to ensure the long-term protection of the area. The sponsorship is symbolic. The woodland remains the property of the foundation.

  • How can we ensure that the protected area is preserved for all time?

    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.

  • Why is it important to donate NOW?

    The rainforests in Peru and Canada are among the last 2.8 per cent of intact wilderness areas on our planet – and are, unfortunately, under acute threat (Plumptre et al., 2021). 10–15 per cent of all annual emissions are caused by the destruction of these forests and their peatlands – which is why we must act now!

    Numerous studies confirm the threat to the rainforests in Peru and Canada. Everyone is aware of the value of – and the threat to – the Amazon rainforest. Yet hardly anyone talks about the forgotten ecosystem of British Columbia:
     

    • It is home to the world’s last large contiguous area of temperate rainforest (DellaSala, 2010). And yet, of all places, British Columbia is one of the last jurisdictions in the world that still permits the large-scale felling of primeval giants aged between 600 and 1,800 years (Wu, 2019).
    • Between 2003 and 2010, deforestation in BC was responsible for higher annual CO2 emissions than the whole of Finland (Wieting, 2015). The main causes of this are the timber industry, agriculture and infrastructure development.
    • The Ancient Forest Alliance’s online map (2016) provides a striking visualisation of how deforestation in south-eastern BC had progressed by 2016.


    If we lose the last remaining intact rainforests, this will have catastrophic consequences for our planet. The concept of planetary boundaries states that there are certain ecological limits; exceeding these endangers the stability of the Earth’s ecosystem and, consequently, the future of humanity. Numerous studies show that we are well on the way to exceeding at least five of the nine planetary boundaries, also known as ‘tipping points’. One of these is the loss of the tropical rainforest. We can already feel the effects of climate change, but we still have the chance to avert the worst consequences, as the summary of the book ‘Earth for All’ shows.

     

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Overhead view of a large group of approximately 50 people posing on green grass with raised hands.

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