Stiftung Naturschutz Schleswig-Holstein

The Stiftung Naturschutz Schleswig-Holstein, founded in 1978 by the state of Schleswig-Holstein, is a public law foundation with the central goal of promoting nature conservation in Schleswig-Holstein through the securing and development of agricultural and forestry areas.

The foundation is committed to the preservation and promotion of biological diversity, the protection of endangered species, and the restoration of near-natural habitats. It advocates for a colorful and livable Schleswig-Holstein by bringing not only professional expertise but also passion, creativity, and courage for innovative solutions into its work. The foundation operates on the basis of flat hierarchies, where every employee takes responsibility and mistakes are accepted as part of the learning process[5].

• Land Securing and Management: The foundation manages an extensive network of about 38,000 hectares of foundation land, which provides important habitats for endangered species. This includes the renaturation of moors, the restoration of floodplain landscapes, and the maintenance of semi-open grazing landscapes, the so-called "Wilden Weiden," where animals such as Konik wild horses, Galloways, and Highland Cattles graze[1][3][5].
• Climate Protection: A central concern of the foundation is biological climate protection. For this purpose, moors are re-wetted to prevent CO2 emissions and promote active CO2 storage. By 2030, the foundation plans to renature 20,000 hectares of drained peat soils[2][3].
• Species Protection Projects: The foundation conducts over 300 nature conservation projects aimed at increasing biodiversity and protecting endangered animal and plant species such as wild thyme, the common lizard, or the black-tailed godwit[3][5].

• Renaturation of Moors: The foundation has over 45 years of experience in re-wetting drained moors and is working to ensure that they can function again as carbon sinks[2].
• Landscape Management: By collaborating with local farmers and hunters, nature conservation requirements are implemented to maintain and develop the landscapes. About half of the foundation land is leased to approximately 1,000 local farmers[1][5].
• Public Participation: The foundation offers various events and excursions to raise public awareness and involve them in conservation efforts. These include frog concerts, extra tours, and excursions, as well as the opportunity to stay overnight at the trekking sites of the "Wildes Schleswig-Holstein" network[3][4].

The foundation finances its projects from various sources, including interest income from the foundation's assets, project-related state grants, federal and EU funds, donations, rental income, and funds transferred as compensation for interventions in the natural balance. The foundation is led by a two-member board and supervised by a 15-member foundation council. The Ministry of Energy Transition, Agriculture, Environment, Nature, and Digitalization of the state of Schleswig-Holstein acts as the supervisory authority[1][5].

The Stiftung Naturschutz Schleswig-Holstein is a reliable partner in nature conservation, developing and implementing sustainable conservation goals through cooperation with all relevant stakeholders, from authorities to municipalities to local farmers and hunters.

• 1 - https://www.wo-ist-greta.de/was/gretas-helfer/stiftung-naturschutz/
• 2 - https://www.betterplace.org/de/organisations/29650-stiftung-naturschutz-schleswig-holstein
• 3 - https://www.stiftungsland.de
• 4 - https://www.stiftungsland.de/wer-wir-sind/die-stiftung/
• 5 - https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stiftung_Naturschutz_Schleswig-Holstein