How do you ensure the long-term protection of the areas?

We protect the areas we have selected exclusively through purchase with land registry entry and in countries with a high level of legal certainty. All three international foundations (Peru, Canada, Germany) are entered in the land registry as owners. No one can buy the forest areas we have purchased as foundations from us, and we are also no longer allowed to sell the forest areas. 

The organizational structure of the foundation prevents the rights to dispose of property from being held by a single person and ensures its long-term existence. Find out more about the longevity of the foundation concept here. Our statutes stipulate that the land must be left untouched and may only be visited for research and documentation purposes. 

Canada: 

Due to their remoteness and the undeveloped nature of the area, our protected areas in Canada can only be reached at great financial, material, and time expense, and not without risk. In addition, the high level of legal certainty in Canada ensures that damage to land is subject to severe penalties. The British Columbia Trespass Act clearly prohibits trespassing on private land. Violations are prosecuted in court, even if no damage has been caused. We also visit and monitor the areas as part of regular research trips and have partnerships with local companies that support us. In Canada, we also have the advantage that property has a very high cultural and historical value and is respected.

Peru:

In Peru, we have forest guardians on site whose daily tasks include monitoring our protected areas and preventing unauthorized entry. The use of drones allows the guardians to cover a larger area, and special sensors sound the alarm immediately if, for example, fires break out or the sound of chainsaws is heard. In addition, we work with the organization "Fauna Forever," which is also permanently based there and monitors our areas as part of its research projects.

In addition, the Forest Guardians are in direct contact with the local population, represent our conservation concerns in the community, put up 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 cutting it down. Should a conflict nevertheless arise, we report poachers and other individuals acting illegally to local law enforcement agencies (such as the police, lawyers, authorities) and work closely with them.