Background
The threatening acceleration of species extinction on our planet is one of the great challenges humanity is facing. Coordinated research and captive breeding is an essential element if we are to halt this trend. We still know far too little about many factors of coexistence within habitats to effectively protect these habitats. Understanding species offers a key to this. Where we fail temporarily or completely to conserve habitats, species will be able to persist in human care alone. We bear responsibility for the future of life on Earth.
Zoos, research institutions and many dedicated private owners have always been committed to the protection of animals and species. In Citizen Conservation, they join forces to counter the new dimension of the threat with a powerful set of instruments. In Citizen Conservation bündeln sie ihre Kräfte, um der neuen Dimension der Bedrohung ein leistungsfähiges Instrumentarium entgegenzusetzen.
Organization
As a non-profit limited liability company, the Citizen Conservation Foundation pursues exclusively idealistic goals. The articles of association state that the aim is “to contribute to the fight against global species extinction, with a focus on the coordinated conservation breeding in captivity.” Started in 2018 as a joint project of Frogs & Friends, with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Herpetologie und Terrarienkunde (DGHT) and the Verband der Zoologischen Gärten (VdZ) the non-profit limited liability company was founded in 2022 with the three initiators as shareholders.
Partners
Citizen Conservation is open to all institutions and people who are committed to animal and species conservation and see the current wave of extinction as a challenge for society as a whole.
The following partners contribute financially to the development of Citizen Conservation: Kölner Zoo AG, Zoologischer Garten Basel AG, Zoologischer Garten Augsburg GmbH, Deutsche Tierpark-Gesellschaft e.V. (DTG), Zoologisch-Botanischer Garten Stuttgart (Wilhelma).
The following cooperation partners support Citizen Conservation with benefits for CC participants: Six feet to eat.
Organizational structure
The shareholders’ meeting, formally the highest body of the gGmbH, is composed of the respective chairmen of the associations, namely Prof. Dr. Jörg Junhold, PD Dr. Mark-Oliver Rödel, Dr. Markus Monzel and Marco Schulz.
A supervisory board chaired by Dr. Tim Schikora (Director of Schwerin Zoo) was established as a controlling body, in which, in addition to representatives of the shareholders, other key content and financial partners are given a voice.
The operational business is run under a management agreement in joint operation between Frogs & Friends and Citizen Conservation under the management of Björn Encke.
The Scientific Advisory Board serves to support the management in the professional and entrepreneurial development of CC. In addition to various individuals, it also includes the respective advisory boards for the individual animal groups. These are composed of private and institutional experts and are significantly involved in the selection of species as well as the design of the CC programs.
![](https://citizen-conservation.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/23-06-30_CC_Organigramm_EN-scaled.jpg)
Members of the Supervisory Board and Advisory Board of CC
Members of the Supervisory Board | |
Dr. Tim Schikora (Chairman) | Director Schwerin Zoo, treasurer Association of Zoological Gardens (VdZ) |
Saskia Kress (Deputy Chair) | CEO Filmtank GmbH, CEO Interactive Media Foundation gGmbH |
Dr. Markus Monzel | Chairman German Society for Herpetology and Terrarium Science (DGHT) |
Marco Schulz | Chairman German Society for Herpetology and Terrarium Science (DGHT) |
Dr. Stephan Hering-Hagenbeck | Director Schönbrunn Zoo |
PD Dr. Mark-Oliver Rödel | Chairman Frogs & Friends |
Gert Emmrich | President German Zoo Society (DTG) |
Dr. Olivier Pagan | Director Basel Zoo |
Members of the Scientific Advisory Board | |
Volker Ennenbach | Owner Tropenparadies Oberhausen |
Alexander Kühnen | CEO Bahlsen GmbH & Co KG |
Dr. Arne Schulze | CEO Zoological Society for the Conservation of Species and Populations (ZGAP) |
Dr. Tobias Kohl | CEO Stiftung Artenschutz |
Matt Goetz | Head of Herpetology Durrel Wildlife Conservation Trust/Jersey |
Amphibian Advisory Board | |
Prof. Dr. Thomas Ziegler | Curator Aquarium & Coordinator Conservation Projects Cologne Zoo |
PD Dr. Tobias Eisenberg | Veterinary specialist in Microbiology, Head of Veterinary Medicine Department, Hessian State Laboratory, Giessen |
Dr. Karl-Heinz Jungfer | private animal keeper |
Dr. Axel Kwet | CEO German Society for Herpetology and Terrarium Science (DGHT) |
Dr. Joachim Nerz | private animal keeper |
Fish Advisory Board | |
Anton Weissenbacher | Curator Tiergarten Schönbrunn |
Stefan Inselmann | Project Manager Sander Aqua Design |
Ariel Jacken | Seniorcurator Zoo Leipzig |
David Kasih | Curator 1000-Arten-Project |
Dr. Holger Kraus | Curator Exotarium Zurich Zoo |
Benjamin Wilden | Project Manager Paroshpromenus Project |
Stefan Karl Hetz | Scientific Officer for Pets and International Relations at Zentralverband Zoologischer Fachbetriebe e.V. (ZZF) |
Reptile Advisory Board | |
Dr. Philipp Wagner | Curator for Species Conservation Allwetterzoo Münster |
Markus Auer | Collection Manager/Technician, Senckenberg Natural History Collections Dresden |
Gregor Geisler | Private animal keeper and Veterinary |
Felix Hulbert | Private animal keeper & Employee Zoo Frankfurt |
Christian Langner | Director International Center for Turtle Conservation, Allwetterzoo Münster |
Thomas Lindner | Private animal keeper & Independent herpetological expert |
Anna Rauhaus | Head of animal keeping Terrarium Cologne Zoo |
Fabian Schmidt | Curator Zoo Basel |