Temperate rainforest in Canada: Preserving it not only protects habitats but also helps to stabilise the climate.
Schultz Möbel is committed to protecting endangered wilderness areas
Protect forest now opens in a new tabFor the conservation of biodiversity and wilderness
The family-run company Schultz has been manufacturing furniture for over a century – whilst acting responsibly towards the environment. Schultz Möbel offsets the emissions generated by its manufacturing operations and day-to-day office activities through wilderness conservation. Furthermore, Schultz has donated a complete set of office furniture to Wilderness International.
Let’s continue on this path together and permanently preserve even more unique wilderness: you too can now help protect a part of the Schultz Möbel rainforest.
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
Schultz has been manufacturing furniture for over a century. Three generations currently work hand in hand at this family-run business. Together with selected partners, Schultz produces furniture – predominantly regionally – for offices, home offices, conference rooms and the home. For its print advertising, Schultz uses only paper sourced from certified and sustainably managed forests, and the printing process is CO2-offset. The company ensures that the distribution of its print media is accompanied by the appropriate CO2 offset through Deutsche Post’s GoGreen project.
The Schultz Furniture Forest in Canada
The wilderness areas protected by Schultz Möbel 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.
Magnificent crested jays can be heard and admired in the nature reserve.
A mink catches seafood amongst the dense seagrass on the beach.
A rare coastal wolf on the prowl on the beach at Porcher Island.
In the silence of the woodland bog, the rare sundew catches flies with its sticky tentacles.
Transparency
Why old-growth forest protection with WI?
What particularly impressed Schultz Möbel about Wilderness International was the transparent and specific use of donations: a €1 donation protects 1m2 of old-growth forest – forever. 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 own a piece of Schultz Möbel Wald
Let’s continue on this path together and permanently protect 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
Sagittarius with Schultz Furniture in the Canadian wilderness
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 the long term. 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
-
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. -
Why is it important to protect the rainforest?
It is important to protect the rainforest because this is the only way we can halt species extinction and climate change. They are home to the greatest biodiversity in the world and store huge amounts of CO2. It is also important to protect rainforests because they are the basis of our existence: they provide us with clean air, clean water and a stable rainfall pattern. They also help to cool the surrounding environment. -
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.
-
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.
-
What role do wilderness areas and primeval forests play in the global climate? Why do we need to protect them?
Wilderness areas are the only places where natural processes can take place undisturbed. It is only here that countless species can find a suitable habitat and a refuge in which to survive. Even when areas are restored to their natural state, biodiversity can only spread again from ecologically intact areas. Rainforests are of particular importance to us because they are the most species-rich ecosystems on Earth and are therefore incredibly important for species conservation.
Rainforests, along with their palm swamps and forest bogs, are also essential for a healthy global climate. They store vast quantities of CO2, cool the surrounding environment and ensure stable rainfall. Furthermore, they form an important part of our livelihood: many of our everyday products come from them, ranging from foodstuffs such as bananas and coffee, through timber, to personal care products and medicines.
In general, wilderness areas – wherever they may be – have many positive effects on us and the entire planet: clean air, clear water, nutrient-rich soils, biodiversity and climate preservation. They offer havens of peace for retreat and relaxation, stunning landscapes, as well as space for adventure, challenge, or even a return to our roots.
Natural areas largely untouched by human activity are becoming increasingly rare and are therefore treasures for us and future generations. Natural environments altered by industrialisation, mining or agriculture can only be restored at great expense and with a huge amount of effort. That is why we are convinced that protecting ecosystems that are (still) intact brings the greatest benefit to environmental conservation.
In Germany, too, there were once vast primeval forests with ancient trees. The fact that nothing remains of them today shows that wilderness cannot be taken for granted. It is our responsibility to protect the remaining 2.8 per cent of intact wilderness areas on our planet. 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 once more. Let us say thank you for everything it provides us with, and let us protect it.
-
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.