What makes Wilderness International different from other NGOs?
We want to do something very concrete, highly effective and directly traceable, while giving every single person the opportunity to participate: to protect a unique piece of precious nature for all time.
- Concrete impact of our work and donations
Every donation protects a very specific square meter of ancient primary rainforest for all time. We work out of enthusiasm for the protection of the forests we love. Our gain is every square meter of virgin forest more that we can protect for all time. - Transparency
Thanks to coordinates, the use of the donation can be tracked down to the square meter. We also know the areas we protect very well because we visit them regularly on expeditions. Direct involvement is very important to us. We take students and partners on expeditions so that they can see the areas they protect for themselves and experience them first-hand. We also use technology to create transparency by taking high-quality, georeferenced aerial photos. - Effectiveness, urgency & irretrievability
Rainforests are habitats for an immense biodiversity, making them crucial for the preservation of species. They are also vital for the climate (CO₂ storage, cool surroundings, clean air, water storage, regular rainfall, nutrient-rich soils, etc.). They serve as places for peace and relaxation, among other things. In this sense, the rainforest is an all-around solution to the environmental problems of our time. Moreover, only 2.8% of the Earth's surface remains wild nature. This means that it is incredibly urgent to protect it. Once it is gone, it is lost forever. - Long-term
It is important to us that protection is absolutely secure and long-term, because we are guided by the life span of ancient ecosystems and trees that can survive for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. The organizational form of the foundation makes this long-term and secure protection possible. In this way, we protect forest areas in an absolutely sustainable way and not merely for the next 30 years (as many conservation concessions do) or only during our human lifetime. We only buy forest areas with land registration. This ensures the maximum permanent legal security of the protection. - Positive focus of our work, positive motivation
Instead of a guilty conscience, we focus on positive communication, on inspiration, motivation and enthusiasm. We don't try to make you feel guilty by showing you again and again all the bad things that are happening in the world and that we are responsible for. Instead, we want to show you solutions—practical, effective actions you can take right now to make a real difference and contribute to a livable future. Our goal is to positively motivate you by sparking your passion for wild nature and informing you about its importance. - The scientific foundation of our work
The diverse professional backgrounds of our active staff ensure a multidisciplinary approach. We ensure the quality of our work through cooperation with scientific partners such as the Environmental Research Center Leipzig, the Senckenberg Natural History Collections and Fauna Forever. We also conduct long-term studies on biodiversity and CO2 storage in our protected areas on scientific expeditions. - Everything from one source
From research and purchasing the land to long-term protection, as well as documentation through photos and films, CO₂ calculations, expeditions, and more—there are no intermediaries involved with us. We handle everything ourselves, giving us full control over and responsibility for the process. This also helps us save costs. - Small and flexible organization
Voluntary engagement is a cornerstone of our work. Wilderness International's administrative costs have always been below 10% since our founding, and in most years even below 5%.