Massive rainforest tree at sunrise with golden light filtering through mist and dense foliage.

Your Wilderness Will

A forest teeming with life, which will remain forever.
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Protect the last remaining wilderness with your legacy

Are you wondering what will remain of you on this earth when you’re gone? How about leaving behind a place that couldn’t be more full of life, one that will remain forever and bear your name? With a bequest in your will, you can protect a very special place, down to the exact square metre: the last wilderness – the very foundation of life for future generations: untamed nature, the greatest biodiversity on the planet, clean air and clear water – in short, life itself. After all: the preservation of the world lies in the wilderness.

Join us in protecting what matters

Together, we can ensure the long-term protection of unique habitats.

More than 1,000 years: that is how old some of the giant trees towering over our protected areas are. They are teeming with life right up to their treetops, their roots reach several metres deep into the ground, their tough bark protects them from external influences, they are a symbol of endurance, and they bear witness to countless generations and historical events. And they will continue to do so in the future – if we allow it.

Yet these giants are under threat – more than ever before. That is why Wilderness International was founded in 2008 by 26 people. The aim: to protect the last remaining unique forest and wilderness areas for ever. Today, we share this aim with more than 300,000 donors and supporters who care just as much about the green lungs of our world as we do. 

Even though a human life is but a fraction of a tree’s lifespan, it is now up to us. What we do in our lifetime will determine the future of coming generations.

By making a bequest to Wilderness in your will, you become part of this effort and, beyond your own lifetime, help protect the life of the old-growth forests, countless animal and plant species – and, with them, the survival of us all.

Drawing up a will
Towering rainforest tree with distinctive buttress roots reflected in still water, surrounded by lush green canopy.

Which place would you like to remain just as it is, forever?

‘We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.’ Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
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A forest teeming with life – your gift to the future


Monkey on green leaf with Wilderness International wildlife protection certificate displayed behind.
You will receive a certificate bearing the name you have chosen for the forest, along with its exact geographical coordinates
Woman marking a tree trunk with red tape in lush jungle forest for research or inventory purposes.
A memory ribbon that you have labelled beforehand is tied around one of the giant trees in the area you are protecting, and may remain there forever.
Collage of wildlife: sloth, monkey, reptiles, woodpecker, birds, manatee, and bears in their natural habitats.
The piece of land you have protected may remain as it is from now on, for ever. And we will protect it for you and its inhabitants – for ever.

The path to your forest for eternity

  1. Get in touch

    Get in touch with us and tell us about your ideas for a bequest, and ask any questions you may have – with no obligation whatsoever.

  2. Discover a woodland area

    We’ll find a suitable patch of woodland and show you exactly where it is, and tell you more about its characteristics and the creatures that live there.

  3. Set your donation

    You decide on the bequest in your will and the area of woodland.
With Erblotse’s free will generator, you can draw up your will online.
Drawing up a will

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Download information material free of charge

We at Wilderness International cannot, of course, replace or provide the legally sound advice of a notary or solicitor. Here you will find general templates and ideas for various testamentary arrangements. The sample clauses below take into account common life situations. It is important that you describe your personal situation and your wishes in your will in detail. No two wills are the same; everyone has their own individual circumstances and wishes. So adapt the wording and give free rein to your wishes.

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Effect

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My grandmother often used to say: “You have to give with warm hands”. The finest gifts I can give today are moments spent in nature – nature that will be protected forever – together with my eleven-year-old son. And when I sometimes walk across the metre-thick mats of moss in the Canadian old-growth forest, I’m overcome by a feeling of pure joy at how much we’ll be leaving behind for future generations by protecting this natural world. And how much this makes everyone who contributes to it a little immortal.
Kai Andersch Executive Board, CEO of WI Germany, Director of WI Canada, Land Management

Natural Heritage: How orcas, capuchin monkeys and kapok trees pass on their legacy

Two black orcas surface together in calm ocean water, their tall dorsal fins cutting through the sunlit sea.

Orca mothers pass on their knowledge

The orca mothers and grandmothers off the coasts of our marine protected areas pass on their hunting knowledge, their migration routes and even specific dialects to the younger generation. They pass on vital knowledge for survival, which they have received from their ancestors.

Beaver in shallow water beside dry reeds and branches, its distinctive flat tail visible.

A beaver dam for many generations

During their lifetimes, Canadian beavers build dams and embankments that create new wetlands. These structures are used and expanded over many generations of beavers and even benefit other species.

Squirrel monkey with black cap and white face clinging to a branch surrounded by green foliage

The legacy of the capuchin monkeys

Capuchin monkeys in the Peruvian rainforest use stones to crack open nuts or fish insects out of holes with sticks. This knowledge of how to use tools is not instinctive – it is passed on from older animals to younger ones.

Upward view of a towering tree with lush green canopy and textured bark against a clear blue sky.

Ecological heritage: When a kapok tree dies

A kapok tree falls and gives rise to life: hundreds of species find food and shelter. Birds, insects, plants – they all benefit from this single tree. That is ecological heritage – the wilderness sustains itself.

Close-up of a white bald eagle with dark eye and black hooked beak against a blurred green background.

Harpies pass on their nesting sites

Pairs of harpies often use their nesting sites for decades. When an adult bird dies, a young pair can take over the established nest and the defended hunting grounds – a legacy vital to their survival, which gives them a better chance of reproducing and ensuring the survival of the species.

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