We’re thrilled to announce that 31 passionate conservationists from 18 countries will be coming to Frankfurt this February to take part in the Frankfurt Spring School 2025! United by their dedication to wildlife and biodiversity, they will form the next generation of conservation project managers.

A special highlight: Through the KfW Stiftung Fellowship, six outstanding participants from the Global South will develop their own conservation projects in their home regions. This year, we proudly welcome:

 

Alex Stewart – Guyana, and his project on fishing pressures on Giant River Otters within the Kanuku Mountains Protected Area.

 

Godbless Monyo – Tanzania, aiming to strengthen air support for African Rhinos in the battle Against Poachers in Serengeti National Park.

“I am enthusiastic about strengthening my managerial skills to enhance conservation impact and create a well organized and efficient working environment for my team.”

 

Isnaini Marliana – Indonesia, and her project on Sustainable Snapper and Grouper Fisheries Management in Aceh Province.

“The program aligns perfectly with my goal of improving conservation management strategies to build both biological and economic sustainability.”

 

 

Christelle Razafindrakoto – Madagascar, aiming to improve the status of Chondrichthyans in Antongil Bay – Makira Masoala Baie d’Antongil landscape.

Jacob Mphasi – Zambia, with the goal to enhance fence integrity and wildlife monitoring through Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tools (SMART).

“I look forward to connecting with conservationists worldwide, learning more about the organization’s commitment to conservation.”

 

 

Asri Lestari – Indonesia, and her project on private managed conservation areas as the Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECM).

“I am deeply honored to receive this scholarship, as it holds great significance for my career and personal development.”

 

 

 

We’re super excited to share that Andhani Hartanti a Frankfurt Spring School alumni has just been recognized with a major award: the KfW-Bernhard-Grzimek-Price 2024.

 

So who is Andhani? She participated in 2019 in the Frankfurt Spring School as a KfW fellow, developing a project on orangutans in Sumatra. For the past eight year she has been fighting to protect the last large lowland rainforest area on the island, working tirelessly to establish a new, self-sustaining orangutan population in the Bukit Tiga Puluh region. As a dedicated vet and head of the FZS’s jungle school, she’s been caring for orphaned orangutans and getting them ready to thrive in the wild again.

As Andhani came to Frankfurt for the award ceremony we were able to squeeze in an interview to look back at her time in the FSS.

She really liked the course, the mentors and the friends that she made from all over the world. As a KfW fellow her favorite part was working on her project with the group. The four weeks impacted her quite a lot, because they gave her lots of skills and tools to work in conservation. And also a huge motivation boost to continuously develop further skills and connect with other conservationists all over the world.

Her advice for the young generation is: if you love to work in the field and in conservation, join FSS, it’ll give you a head start for your career!

Her dedication is truly inspiring, and we’re so proud to celebrate her success.

Another successful Frankfurt Spring School has come to an end. The course took place from 19th of February to 15th of March and was an immersive experience with courses covering topics from project idea to the development and management of a project.

The international group of 32 participants from over 20 different countries had the chance to engage with experts forming them in various topics and sharing their rich knowledge in classes but also evening events like Speed Dating (where they could meet & talk to practitioners in a nice setting) and Conservation Cafés (discussion evenings). Due to their diverse backgrounds participants were further inspiring each other and created a great atmosphere throughout the four weeks.

As for every Spring School 3 projects received grants from the KfW Stiftung, this year they went to Madagascar, Peru & Zambia.

For more impressions you can check out our Instagram and LinkedIn profiles.

Exactly a year ago, the Frankfurt Spring School took place and among the participants was also Rinzin Phunjok Lama. He is one of the first conservationists of the Humla district in north-western Nepal and has led several conservation efforts to protect snow leopards, Himalayan wolves, blue sheep and pikas across Nepal’s snow leopard landscapes. In 2018, he and some colleagues managed to photograph snow leopards in the Humla region – it was the first evidence of snow leopards outside of the protected area in Nepal. They also confirmed the recolonization of wolves in the Manang region after more than four decades of its local extinction.

Now, Rinzin won the WWF Nepal Conservation Award, an award that recognizes and honors individuals and organizations at the grassroots level that have made significant contributions to protect Nepal’s rich biodiversity. We congratulate Rinzin to this great achievement and wish him all the best of luck with his work as conservation biologist and conservation program director at Third Pole Conservancy and as executive board member of Mountain Spirit.

Rinzin in the Phu Valley of Manang, Annapurna Conservation Area during a snow leopard and blue sheep survey in the Spring of 2019. © Marc Filla