1 m² of virgin forest is protected in Canada

A home for jungle giants

Protecting the ancient forests of Western Canada

When the mist from the rugged coastline clears, it reveals 1,800-year-old Alaskan cedars covered in moss and lichen. An otter emerges from its den between gnarled roots and glides noiselessly into the sea. The awe-inspiring howl of a pack of wolves echoes through the bay. Welcome to the wilderness. The rainforest of Western Canada's temperate climate zone is a wonder of nature. We all over the world benefit from its properties: like a natural air conditioning system, the mist and clouds above the forest cool the air in the atmosphere. The trees also produce oxygen, which we need to breathe. Temperate rainforests are forest ecosystems that, like tropical rainforests, are characterized by their special water balance. The long-term average rainfall here is more than 2,000 millimeters per year. In temperate latitudes, these amounts are achieved primarily on the slopes of coastal mountains. Canada's virgin forests counteract air pollution and climate change, but only about 25 percent of the impressive ecosystem has been preserved (Boreal Birds, 2020).

need

Protecting primary forests as habitats for biodiversity and as buffers against climate change.

activity

The Wilderness International Foundation purchases threatened, ecologically particularly valuable areas with land registry entries and protects them for the future.

Measurable performance

Number of square meters of temperate rainforest purchased and protected.

Result

Deforestation and CO2 emissions will be reduced. A large, contiguous wilderness conservation area will be created as a habitat for biodiversity.

Systemically relevant impact

The temperate rainforest ecosystem is protected in the long term and makes a global contribution to climate protection and the preservation of biodiversity.

background

The older forests become, the greater their genetic diversity and the better the reproductive conditions for their inhabitants (Mosseler, 2003). In this way, virgin forests guarantee the survival of countless species. Unfortunately, there are fewer and fewer virgin forests worldwide. The inestimable value of the Amazon forests and the threat to them are well known. But hardly anyone talks about the "forgotten" ecosystem of British Columbia: it is home to the last large contiguous area of temperate rainforest in the world (DellaSalla, 2010). In total, 57 percent of British Columbia's land area is covered with forest (Gilani and Innes, 2020). But British Columbia, of all places, continues to allow the large-scale deforestation of 600 to 1,800-year-old jungle giants and even supports it (Wu, 2019). The Canadian province is one of the world's largest exporters of wood fiber. In 2015, the forestry industry in British Columbia employed a total of 145,800 people in more than 7,000 companies (CPA, 2015). The forestry industry generates annual revenues of US$15.7 billion.

As a province with a tradition of forestry, British Columbia has long focused on how to cut down forests most efficiently. As a result, the technique of clear-cutting has become established - with devastating consequences: habitats disappear, biodiversity declines. The lack of rainfall leads to low water levels in rivers, which in turn makes salmon migration more difficult. Whole salmon populations collapse, and with them the food source for wolves, bears and eagles. The forest also then lacks important nutrients; the huge primeval forest trees can no longer grow. Between 2003 and 2010, deforestation in British Columbia alone was responsible for annual greenhouse gas emissions of 49.5 million tonnes (Wieting, 2015), slightly more than the total emissions of Finland (42.6 million tonnes). The causes of deforestation in Western Canada are mainly agriculture, forestry, urbanization, energy infrastructure and transportation (Gilani and Innes, 2020). The indigenous people of the region, the First Nations, are particularly affected by deforestation. For them, the forests are still the basis of their traditional food, culture and spirituality.

The good deed

Thanks to your good deed, 1 square meter of wilderness in the temperate rainforest of British Columbia will be placed under permanent protection today. This will prevent the destruction of the forests. This will preserve a unique habitat for species such as wolves, otters and giant arborvitae. You will also be making a significant contribution to climate protection, as the thousands of years old jungle giants and moors are gigantic stores of CO2 that would otherwise be released and accelerate global warming. The wilderness areas will be purchased and their acquisition will be recorded in the land register. Canadian property law means that the protection is legally secure and long-term.

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