Amazonian giant otters live in large family groups. They love the rainforest lakes that have formed from the river’s oxbow lakes.
Our success to date
Donations
have wilderness sponsors
m2 old-growth forest
protected forever, thereby ensuring that
tonnes of CO2
remain permanently bound in the forest’s biomass
Save the rainforest now
Playful monkeys, mysterious jaguars and vine-draped jungle giants – the Peruvian Amazon rainforest is the most biodiverse place on Earth! Together with Wilderness International, you can help protect this habitat for ever.
About the Secret Forest
As the sun rises above the forests along the Tambopata River, the jungle begins to breathe. Warm, damp mist rises above the treetops, casting the sunlight in warm shades of red.
Streaks of sunlight pierce the dense canopy of the mighty jungle giants, which stand on buttress roots metres high and are completely covered in lianas.
Online map
On the online map, you can see all the areas currently covered by the Secret Forest, as well as their location on the globe. Our latest aerial photographs are available there, and you can also see which areas are already permanently protected through sponsorship schemes.
View map
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- Name: Secret Forest
- Country: Peru
- Region: Madre de Dios
- Location of the protected area: along the Tambopata River, approximately 30 km south-west of Puerto Maldonado
- Area: 197.7 ha
- Ecosystem: tropical Amazon rainforest, floodplain forest and terra firme
- A diverse habitat comprising forest, streams, oxbow lakes and palm swamps, with numerous niche habitats
- Climate: Annual rainfall of up to 3,800 mm (comparison with Germany: average 750 mm – 800 mm per year)
- Animals:
- Brown-throated sloth
- Jaguar
- Macaw
- Wedge-headed smooth-browed caiman
- Turtle
- Tiger maki frog
- Trees:
- Ceiba tree
- Wandering palm
- Brazil nut tree
Key information about your donation at a glance:
- Practical application: €1 protects 1 m² of old-growth forest
- Good for the climate: Every square metre sequesters 60 kg of CO2
- Transparent: You’ll receive a personalised certificate with the geographical coordinates and an aerial photograph of the section of forest you’ve helped protect
- Lasting impact: Your one-off donation guarantees the long-term protection of the area
- Tax-deductible donation with a donation receipt
Would you like to visit Peru one day?
Then visit our interactive forest! There, you can take a virtual journey through our conservation areas, explore the different regions in a 360° view and discover lots of fascinating audio clips, videos and photo galleries from our expeditions. This way, you can stand beneath a mighty primeval forest giant and experience the forest you’re helping to protect (almost) up close!
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I’m impressed by the direct approach of their work. Instead of expensive awareness campaigns, WI actually protects unique wilderness areas. And it’s not just the ‘how’ that makes sense – the ‘what’ does too. Areas are selected on the basis of the acute threat they face, their ecological importance or their strategic location. Anyone can verify all of this using geographical coordinates. You can’t get any more transparent than that!
Impressions from the Peruvian jungle
The Amazon rainforest in the Tambopata region, which you are helping to protect through your donation, is a diverse ecosystem comprising a variety of habitats. Its trees, riverbanks, oxbow lakes, palm swamps and other bodies of water provide a suitable habitat for a vast array of animals and plants.
Weighing up to 75 kg, capybaras are the largest rodents in the world.
A strikingly colourful blue-crested trogon, which is found exclusively high up in the treetops.
A shy brown-backed tamarin peeks out from behind a branch.
Surveying the giant trees in our protected areas to calculate biomass and CO2 sequestration.
As the sun rises over the forests along the Tamboata River, the forest begins to breathe.
Transparency through drones
Find out moreEight Steps to Protect the Forest
How we restore and protect wilderness areas
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Site Assessment
Our teams conduct thorough on-ground assessments to evaluate the ecological state of the target area and identify key threats. -
Community Engagement
We work closely with local communities to ensure their knowledge, needs, and rights are respected throughout the restoration process. -
Land Protection
Legal instruments and agreements are established to formally protect the land from deforestation, illegal logging, and encroachment. -
Seed Collection
Native seeds are collected from healthy forest remnants nearby, ensuring genetic diversity and local adaptation of the new plantings. -
Nursery Production
Seedlings are carefully grown in our field nurseries for several months before they are ready to be planted in the restoration site. -
Reforestation
Trained planting teams and community members work together to plant thousands of native trees across the protected area each season. -
Monitoring & Care
Planted trees are monitored regularly. Failing seedlings are replaced, invasive species are managed, and growth data is recorded. -
Long-term Stewardship
Local rangers and partner organizations maintain ongoing surveillance and protection of the forest for decades after initial restoration.
How much does it cost to protect the forest?
Transparent use of funds
Every euro goes directly towards protecting valuable woodland. This is how we use your money.
1 € schützt
1 m2 Wald!
1 m2 Wald!
One-off costs
38 Cent
Buying land and the purchase process
19 Cent
Preparing to buy land
Long-term costs
20 Cent
Environmental Education and Communication
18 Cent
Long-term protection and research
5 Cent
Administrative costs
Frequently Asked Questions
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What rights of disposal apply to the land purchased?
The land is purchased by our three sister foundations in Germany, Canada and Peru through entry in the land register. Wilderness International therefore holds sole rights of disposal. Our articles of association stipulate, in accordance with the foundation’s purpose, that the plots of land must be left undisturbed and may only be visited for research and documentation purposes. They may not be resold. The foundation’s structure ensures that the rights to dispose of the property do not rest with any single individual. Rather, the foundation – and therefore its land – always belongs to all those involved in the foundation at any given time. -
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 – or rather, the legal framework – and the penalties, which even prohibit trespassing, as well as the cultural and historical significance of property.
In Peru, we have also launched a programme for forest guardians in collaboration with local people. We have put several measures in place to ensure long-term protection. Generally, 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, allows a (charitable) purpose to be realised 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 with such a long-term perspective. This makes the foundation the only organisation oriented towards the lifespan of the ecosystems we protect.
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How do you work with the local community?
In Peru, for example, we work closely with local people as part of our forest guardian programme. They patrol the areas regularly and promote our conservation work within the community. For instance, they put up signs, talk to local people about our forest conservation projects and, where necessary, intervene to stop unauthorised access. In this way, the forest guardians also earn a sustainable livelihood.
In Canada, we not only work with partner organisations but can also look back on some fantastic collaborations with First Nations. These include a wilderness run and several nature conservation expeditions with the Cowichan of Vancouver Island, as well as our joint efforts to protect the Peel River Watershed with the Gwich’in of Fort McPherson.
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What does Wilderness International do?
Wilderness International purchases wilderness areas in a legally secure manner and protects them for the long term. 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.
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
What can you do to help the climate? Calculate your carbon footprint now and offset it by supporting old-growth forest protection!
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