Last Friday, 6 November 2015, the Turtle Foundation was awarded with one of the prestigious environmental awards of the Binding Foundation.

The Binding Foundation was founded in Schaan (Liechtenstein) by Dr. Karl Binding, a nephew of the founder of the Binding Brewery in Frankfurt (Germany), and by his wife Sophie Binding. Since 1986, each year the foundation honors individuals or projects that have made outstanding contributions to the protection of nature, landscape, and environment. With this award, the Binding Foundation recognizes the sustained and successful efforts of the Turtle Foundation on behalf of the protection of the sea turtles and their marine environments. The Binding Awards belong to the most important environmental awards in Europe.

The award was accepted by members of the German, Swiss, and Liechtenstein subsidiaries of the Turtle Foundation (top image, from left to right: Martin Gabathuler, board member of TF Switzerland; Dr. Hiltrud Cordes, Program Director; Svea Meier, board member of TF Liechtenstein; Dr. Otto Jockel, President of TF Germany; Margrit Roduner-Gabathuler, board member of TF Switzerland). The acceptance speech was given by the President of Turtle Foundation Germany, Dr. Otto Jockel. In his speech he stressed that the Turtle Foundation “is not only appealing for compassion towards sea turtles” but is placing emphasis on “highlighting the special position and role of sea turtles in marine ecosystems”.

We are extraordinarily pleased about this special award for our successful conservation work with endangered sea turtles, and cordially thank the foundation council and the curatorship of the Binding Foundation. The award will be a great motivation for us to continue and to expand our conservation projects. Further, we would especially like to thank our employees, rangers, and volunteers working for our projects in Indonesia and in Cape Verde including members of the Cape Verdean armed forces helping in beach protection on Cape Verde, and of course also the many supporters of the Turtle Foundation, without whom our work would not be possible. We will use the prize money of 10,000 Swiss Francs (about 9,230 EUR or 10,050 US$) to continue our conservation projects in Indonesia and Cape Verde.

Link: Binding Foundation