Huge, centuries-old trees are key components of an old-growth forest.
YouTopia Community Forest
Together, we can protect the last remaining wilderness areas
Protect forest now
YouTopia 2025 – That’s a wrap!
YouTopia was another success for wilderness conservation in 2025! On 11 July 2025, the creators – including Jacob Beautemps, Robinga Schnögelrögel, Klengan, Rosemondy, Elquaria, Fibi, Nadine Breaty and Yonca – managed to protect more than 60,000 m2 of endangered rainforest in Peru for good in a thrilling race against time! As always, they were actively supported by their communities.
Our YouTopia forest is, of course, still growing – and you can still become part of it!
Our YouTopia forest is, of course, still growing – and you can still become part of it!
1,091
Donations
have wilderness sponsors
62,269
m2 old-growth forest
protected for ever, thereby ensuring that
3,735
tonnes of CO2
remain permanently bound in the forest’s biomass
Impressions from the nature reserve
In April 2025, Jacob Beautemps, Robinga Schnoegelroegel and Otto Bulletproof went to see for themselves the old-growth forest that we want to protect together in Peru.
The dazzlingly colourful macaws depend on vast areas of rainforest for their habitat.
Robin loved the diverse plant life of the rainforest.
Weighing up to 75 kg, capybaras are the largest rodents in the world.
Otto Bulletproof with his son Karl on a boat trip on the Tambopata.
The reason why we must protect these forests: on their way to the nature reserve, the Creators also passed numerous areas of clear-cutting.
Jacob is accompanying Chris Ketola on his bird research expedition.
A rare jaguar captured on a camera trap.
Jacob was particularly captivated by the sounds of the rainforest.
Howler monkeys love the variety of food that undisturbed rainforests offer.
Information about the
protected area: Location: Peru, Madre de Dios, along the Tambopata River, approximately 30 km south-west of the town of Puerto Maldonado. Click here for the online map
Ecosystem: tropical Amazon rainforest, floodplain forest and terra firme – a diverse habitat comprising forest, streams, oxbow lakes and palm swamps, with numerous niche habitats
Animals & plants: e.g. brown-throated sloth, jaguar, macaw, wedge-headed smooth-headed caiman, tortoise, tiger-spotted tree frog, ceiba tree, wandering palm, Brazil
nut tree Climate: Annual rainfall of up to 3,800 mm (compared to Germany: average 750 mm – 800 mm per year)
protected area: Location: Peru, Madre de Dios, along the Tambopata River, approximately 30 km south-west of the town of Puerto Maldonado. Click here for the online map
Ecosystem: tropical Amazon rainforest, floodplain forest and terra firme – a diverse habitat comprising forest, streams, oxbow lakes and palm swamps, with numerous niche habitats
Animals & plants: e.g. brown-throated sloth, jaguar, macaw, wedge-headed smooth-headed caiman, tortoise, tiger-spotted tree frog, ceiba tree, wandering palm, Brazil
nut tree Climate: Annual rainfall of up to 3,800 mm (compared to Germany: average 750 mm – 800 mm per year)
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!
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How it works
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Select size
Select the size of the forest area. -
Fill in the donation form
Fill in your details on the form. -
Design a certificate
Personalise the certificate with the recipient’s name. -
Received a certificate
Download the certificate straight after making the payment.
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.
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.
A look back – YouTopia 2024
2,097
Donations
have wilderness sponsors
102,732
m2 old-growth forest
protected for ever, thereby ensuring that
6,163.92
tonnes of CO2
remain permanently bound in the forest’s biomass
Together with all the participating creators, our guests and your overwhelming support, we’ve managed to protect more than 100,000 square metres of rainforest for good! We – Felix, Theresa, Rick and Jacob – are incredibly grateful and proud to have already achieved so much for our environment together with you!
On 17 November 2024, we rocked ‘YouTopia’ with some of Germany’s most influential creators – a six-hour charity live stream on YouTube and Twitch featuring exciting games and a variety of challenges. We welcomed guests from the media and cultural sectors, entertained thousands of viewers across 10 channels, and, as part of the event, opened the “Kahlschlag” hair salon to send a strong message against the clearing of the rainforest.
A huge thank you also goes to the YouTopia partners, such as MediaMarktSaturn, Ben & Jerry’s, Ortlieb and many more!
Our YouTopia forest is, of course, still growing – and you can still become part of it!
What was it all about? – The event was held under the slogan “Cut against Cut” – a concept in which creators opened a hairdressing salon and cut their community’s hair in exchange for voluntary donations. The six-hour live stream also featured exciting talks, as well as a variety of challenges and entertainment segments.
Who? – The four YouTopia hosts – Jacob Beautemps (“Breaking Lab”), Felix Michels (“Tomatolix”), Rick Azas and Theresa Kirchner – were joined by a line-up of celebrity guests: These included creators such as Nadine Breaty, Alicia Joe, Rewinside, Starletnova, Ronny Berger, HeyMoritz, Regina Hixt, Simon Will, Adrian Amaru, Noel Dederichs, Yvonne Pferrer & Jeremy Grube, Marie von Wurzelwerk, Kim ‘freiraumreh’ Adam, Klein aber Hannah, Doktor Whatson, Lydia Benecke and OttoBulletproof, as well as leading voices in nature conservation such as Louisa Schneider, Micha Fritz (co-founder of Viva con Agua), Fabian Kahl (known from “Bares für Rares” on ZDF), Dr Eckart von Hirschhausen (science journalist and founder of the Healthy Earth – Healthy People Foundation), Tobias and Johanna Wohlleben (Wohlleben’s Forest Academy), Jean-Paul Laue (klima&so) and Sacha Hübner (Acker.co).
You can find more information here.
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Jacob Beautemps (Breaking Lab)
Content Creator & WI – Wilderness Ambassador“Let’s make a difference together, because only by working together can we bring about change and leave our mark.”
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Felix Michels (Tomatolix)
Content Creator & Wilderness Ambassador“Let’s work together now to protect the last remaining wilderness areas. Together, we can ensure that future generations, too, can live alongside these ecologically valuable and biomass-rich rainforests.”
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Theresa Kichner
Content Creator & Wilderness Ambassador“Let’s work together to make a difference and protect the rainforest, so that future generations can also enjoy a sustainable future.”
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Rick Azas
Content Creator & Wilderness Ambassador"It is our responsibility to protect the rainforests – for the future of our world and for biodiversity. The rainforests are the green lungs of the planet and help regulate the climate. By preserving them, we are securing a future for everyone!"
Highlights from our expedition to Canada
Felix found a whale bone that had washed up on the beach.
Felix and Jacob are building an underwater camera with the marine biologist Tyra Bain.
Theresa, Rick, Jacob and Felix are exploring the temperate rainforest.
An expedition into the mystical raised bogs in our nature reserves.
Rick even jumped into a bog for one of his challenges!
Our camp on the beach at Porcher Island, Western Canada.
Our camp is guarded by a bald eagle in its nest.
Felix, Theresa and Rick see for themselves what happens if we fail to protect the temperate rainforest in Canada.
Rick demonstrates, by doing a handstand, just how tall some of the felled primeval forest trees were.
It’s incredible how many people are coming together once again under the YouTopia banner. The approach of ‘making a difference together’ is making its mark and shows that, together, we can bring about change. After all, ‘working together rather than against one another’ is motivating and ensures that many people identify with the issues we champion. The important thing is that none of us is perfect, not even when it comes to sustainability. But we can all take important, small steps and, together, make a big difference. We need this positive approach more than ever before.
What exactly is a temperate rainforest?
Find out moreFrequently Asked Questions
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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.
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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.
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
Contact
Wilderness International Deutschland
CHARITABLE FOUNDATION UNDER CIVIL LAW
Grundstraße 1
01326 Dresden
Germany
competent supervisory authority: Dresden Nord Tax Office
01326 Dresden
Germany
competent supervisory authority: Dresden Nord Tax Office