Dr. Christof Schenck is Executive Director of the Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS) and has been a part of our organization for more than 30 years.
As a biodiversity conservation expert, over the decades he developed FZS from an NGO with a handful of employees into an internationally respected conservation organization. Additionally, he significantly increased its international network and professionalized its conservation program. Christof Schenck not only leads an organization that now has around 1,300 employees in 19 countries, he also represents FZS in scientific discussions, public events, and the media.
Bringing attention to the three main human-made crises, the dramatic loss of biodiversity, climate change, and the increased risk of pandemics due to the destruction of ecosystems, is imperative to Dr. Schenck. As a scientist, he seeks solutions to address these crises. As a biologist and conservationist, he is, in his own words, “by nature, an optimist” and never tires of drawing attention to the precarious situation of our planet.
Innovative approaches
Christof Schenck tirelessly promotes innovative ideas and approaches in nature conservation. For example, the Legacy Landscapes Fund (LLF). Established in 2020, it aims to provide stable, long-term funding for national parks. Dr. Schenck helped push for its implementation by the federal government.
For many years, he has been the driving force behind the development of the Frankfurt Conservation Center (FCC) and, as Managing Director of the Frankfurt Conservation Center gGmbH (FCC), which was founded in 2020, he is responsible for the implementation of this complex project. At the FCC, which is expected to start construction in 2026, experts from a wide range of disciplines will work together to find solutions to the most pressing problems of our time.
Numerous recognitions
In 2022, Christof Schenck received the German Environmental Prize (Deutscher Umweltpreis), one of the most prestigious and highly endowed awards in Europe. He was recognized for his commitment to protecting large wilderness areas, especially tropical rainforests.
Previously, in 2017, he was awarded the NatureLife Environmental Prize. In 2021, he received the One World Medal, awarded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) for outstanding personal commitment to the implementation of the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
Extensive experience
His involvement with FZS began in 1990 as a project manager in Peru’s Manú National Park. For research purposes, he lived in the rainforest for several years with his wife Dr. Elke Staib. Together they developed a concept for the protection of the highly endangered giant otters. In 1996, he completed his doctorate on the topic “Occurrence, habitat use and conservation of the giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis) in Peru” at the Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich.
After his doctorate, Dr. Schenck became a research associate for FZS in Frankfurt am Main. Later, in 2000, he took over the management of the organization. He is convinced that successful conservation cannot happen from a desk. As such, he regularly visits FZS project countries to exchange ideas with international teams and to learn about the developments on the ground.
Christof Schenck is a member of numerous foundations and committees. For our sister organization Frankfurt Zoological Society US (FZS-US), founded in 2007, he is chairman of the board. He is vice-chairman of BioFrankfurt, a board member of the Brandenburg Natural Landscapes Foundation, the Eleonore Beck Foundation, and the Romanian Foundation Conservation Carpathia.
Dr. Schenck is also a member of the Frankfurt Polytechnic Society, represents the Help for Threatened Wildlife Foundation in the Frankfurt Foundations Initiative, and is on the jury of the KfW-Bernhard-Grzimek-Award.
(Status January 2025)