Board & Team

Fully committed to the rainforest

Board

The board of the Regenwald der Österreicher association is the core team that coordinates activities in the areas of public relations, fundraising, and fund management. Implementation takes place in close cooperation with partners, particularly the La Gamba Tropical Station in Costa Rica, which oversees the COBIGA project. Regular board meetings serve the ongoing implementation and further development of the association’s goals, while a general assembly takes place once a year. The association’s office is located in Vienna.

Mag. Dr. Anton Weissenhofer

Chairman

is a tropical botanist at the University of Vienna and co-founder of the La Gamba Tropical Station. Since 1993, he has been working scientifically in the Regenwald der Österreicher in Costa Rica and is committed to rainforest conservation. He has been chairman of the association since 2022.

Mag. Dr. Werner Huber

Vice Chairman

has been working scientifically in La Gamba for over 30 years. Together with Anton Weissenhofer, he founded and directs the La Gamba Tropical Station. Research, nature conservation, and environmental education are at the center of his life.

Roman Salomon, MA

Secretary, Head of Public Relations

began his commitment to the association in 2010 by managing the social media channels. He has been a member of the association’s board since 2016. As a practicing Stoic, Roman enjoys spending time with family, friends, and music.

Ingrid Fankhauser, MA

Treasurer

studied Interdisciplinary Latin American Studies and coordinates Latin American research at the University of Vienna as well as the Science Program at the Austrian Latin America Institute. Her passion is nature and photography, and she enjoys spending time in the rainforest or at her alpine pasture in Salzburg. She has been treasurer of the association since 2025.

Anita Marilovic BA

Administration & Public Relations

Anita studied Human Resource Management at the University of Applied Sciences Vienna and brings many years of experience in finance, controlling, as well as quality and risk management. She already knows the Regenwald der Österreicher from an impressive visit to Costa Rica that left a lasting impression on her. Since 2025, she has been strengthening our team in administration, website maintenance, and donation management.

Prof. i.R. Michael Schnitzler

Honorary Chairman, Association Founder

founded the Regenwald der Österreicher association in 1991. As long-time president, he has significantly shaped the association into what it is today—a forward-looking nature conservation organization that is known and valued far beyond Austria’s borders.

Emil Ebenhöh

Public Relations, Schools & Corporate Communication

completed his civilian service (international service) at the La Gamba Tropical Station in 2022/23. Inspired by the work in the COBIGA project, he decided to pursue studies at BOKU. Since 2025, he has been actively involved with the association—including in public relations, fundraising, and communication with schools.