Landau 27th March 2024. One year ago, Gabriele Knauf, the founder and long-standing chairwoman of Sphenisco, passed away. She had been campaigning for Humboldt penguins and the protection of their habitat since 1994. Together with her husband, she initiated the association Sphenisco-Schutz des Humboldt-Pinguins e.V. in 2008 and managed the organisation until her death. It was her will and that of her husband to invest their joint assets in a foundation for the conservation of Humboldt penguins and their habitat and for measures to guarantee human rights for a healthy environment in the coastal regions of Chile and Peru. At the end of March, her will became reality. Prof Dr Matthias Reinschmidt and Dr Clemens Becker, board members of the Zoo Karlsruhe Species Conservation Foundation https://artenschutz.karlsruhe.de, and Werner Knauf founded the "Sphenisco Foundation" (1) with their signatures under the statutes and concluded the so-called foundation transaction (2).
The assets contributed are to be retained in the long term. The aim is to use the proceeds to support projects to protect the habitat of the Humboldt penguins and corresponding educational programmes as well as scientific work. In this way, the established and proven cooperation between the Sphenisco association and Chilean and Peruvian conservationists and scientists is to be financially supported and secured in the long term. The sub-foundation is managed by a board of trustees consisting of Werner Knauf as the founder, biologist Sandra Dollhäuptl, curator at Karlsruhe Zoo, and graduate translator Dr Veronica Abrego, founding member of Sphenisco.
Zoo Director Prof Dr Matthias Reinschmidt was delighted with this commitment: "It is Gabriele and Werner Knauf's life's work that we are able to continue here under the umbrella of the Species Protection Foundation. The couple's commitment over so many years deserves immense respect."
W. K.
notes
(1) Relationship between species conservation foundation and Sphenisco (sub)foundation.
§ 7 Tasks, passing of resolutions
(1) The Board of Trustees of the Sphenisco Foundation decides on the use of the Foundation's funds. The Species Protection Foundation has the right to veto this decision if it violates the statutes of the Sphenisco Foundation or legal or tax regulations.
§ 8 Foundation administration
(1) The Species Protection Foundation shall manage the Foundation's assets separately from its own assets. It allocates the funds of the Sphenisco Foundation in accordance with the purposes of the statutes and the resolutions of the Board of Trustees and carries out the funding measures.
(2) The Board of Directors of the Species Protection Foundation is responsible for managing the Foundation's assets and organising meetings and events.
(2) Foundation business
Werner Knauf transferred property to the Karlsruhe Zoo Species Protection Foundation.
translated by Claudia Fawer