We moor the boat on a small island and have to carry our luggage on foot to the other side. I hoist a duffel bag onto my shoulder and wade into the glacial water, which is 5 degrees.
Kanadafieber is committed to protecting endangered wilderness areas
Save the old-growth forest now opens in a new tabFor the conservation of the temperate rainforest
Together with Wilderness International, Kanadafieber is committed to the conservation of the temperate rainforest. Since 2018, the tour operator has been helping to protect Canada’s rainforest with every trip. In the early years, donations were used to place the rainforest in the Toba Valley – home to one of the last healthy grizzly bear populations – under protection. Since 2023, the conservation contribution from every trip has been channelled into the temperate coastal rainforests on Porcher Island.
Let’s continue on this path together and permanently preserve even more unique wilderness: you too can now help protect a part of the Kanadafieber 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
For over 30 years, the tour operator Kanadafieber (SK Touristik) has been organising bespoke holidays that create lasting memories – from motorhome and hire car holidays to wilderness adventures. Kanadafieber has always been committed to the conservation of Canada’s wilderness. In collaboration with Wilderness International, over 100,000 square metres of Canadian old-growth forest have already been protected. In addition, customers have the opportunity to help expand the Kanadafieber Forest through additional donations – as a sustainable holiday souvenir.
Canada fever in the Toba Valley
Carsten Siegel from SK Touristik accompanied the Wilderness International team on an expedition to the Canadafieber rainforest in September 2018 to see for himself, first-hand, the work carried out by the foundation and the impact it has. A travelogue.
Every now and then, another huge bald eagle flies low over the river. A half-eaten salmon lies on the bank and the whole sandbank is covered in fresh grizzly tracks – this seems to be a prime spot for fishing!
It’s incredible how green, diverse and vibrant everything is. I’m particularly impressed by a maple tree that’s around 700 years old. The tree’s two trunks are covered in a thick layer of moss.
Further down, I come across several wolf dens.
As we make our way along, we keep coming across scratch marks on the trees, large grizzly bear paw prints and bear dens. It dawns on us: we’re right in the middle of the bears’ living room.
The temperate rainforest in the Toba Valley is truly a unique piece of nature. And getting there was a real adventure.
Ahead of us, the salmon river; behind us, the rainforest; above us, the eagles; and all around us, the grizzlies. An unforgettable experience!
This expedition has certainly deepened my respect for true wilderness even further, and I am proud that we at SK Touristik are able to play our part in preserving these unspoilt habitats!
Impressions from the nature reserve on Porcher Island
The wilderness areas that Kanadafieber has been protecting in the temperate rainforest since 2023 are situated on Porcher Island on Canada’s west coast. They constitute the most species-rich ecosystem in the Northern Hemisphere. Their ancient giant trees provide a safe habitat for an incredible number of animal and plant species.
A glimpse into the canopy of Canada’s temperate rainforest.
Rare coastal wolves roam the woods on Porcher Island.
Orcas also make their home in the protected coastal areas off the west coast of Canada.
In the silence of the forest bog, the rare sundew catches flies with its sticky tentacles.
Transparency
Why old-growth forest protection with WI?
It wasn’t just the shared enthusiasm for Canada that convinced SK Touristik to partner with Wilderness International – it was also the transparent and specific use of the donations: a €1 donation protects 1 m² 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 help protect a patch of the ‘Canada Fever’ forest
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
Protect the temperate rainforest with ‘Canada fever’
Convert donation amounts, protected forest area and CO2 offsets 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
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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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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.