For a closer look at the programs and institutions your support sustains, visit the Our Work section of our site.
Thank You for helping us protect what the world too often overlooks.
Support Our Work
The Wagenknecht Society began not in a boardroom, but in disillusionment: when the promise of space exploration proved narrower than truth itself. What was once sold as limitless turned out to be bound by politics and convenience. Out of that collapse came a rediscovery—the ocean, overlooked and ordinary, is often the greatest frontier of all.
From hermit crabs dismissed as “wreckers,” to giant clams forgotten because they hold no profit, our work begins with what others abandon. Balance restored in a single aquarium grew into a mission: that overlooked lives matter, and that precision, persistence, and care can change the outcome.
The ocean is more than water—it is a living time capsule. It has borne witness to the rise and fall of kingdoms, colonies, and empires, and it will remain long after we are gone. The Society is committed to preserving not only species, but also the human relationship with the sea.
Why give?
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For the World
By a citizen of the world.
Our founder’s roots cross borders: Spanish and Chinese ancestry, born in the Philippines, with a mind shaped in the United States. Her mother was educated in a German school and passed that discipline on, and today Angelica is engaged to a German. These threads of heritage and experience shape a worldview that is both local and global—grounded in place, yet open to the world.
That perspective guides the Society’s work: building bridges across nations, supporting reef restoration, and funding research into overlooked species that sustain life far beyond any one shoreline.
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For the Nation
By one of its own.
Support the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute in Diliman, where researchers persevere despite leaking roofs and peanut jars used in place of specimen jars—a symbol of science enduring even when funds are diverted.
Assist the Philippine Navy with watercraft capable of outpacing poachers, giving guardians of the sea the means to defend it.
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For the Locals
By a fifth-generation local.
For the locals, by a fifth-generation local. This isn’t charity flown in from elsewhere—it’s continuity. Families like ours have lived beside these coasts for generations, and with that comes a responsibility to give back.
We work alongside fishermen, families, and coastal communities to build education programs, create sustainable livelihoods, and share guardianship of the reefs. Because caring for the sea is not ownership—it’s trust. A trust to be lived, taught, and passed down for generations.
FAQs
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To four specific areas of action:
1. University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute (UP MSI)
Funds support the museum and laboratory in Diliman. Contributions go toward modern lab equipment, specimen storage, and facilities that keep Philippine marine research at the global level.2. UP-MSI Giant Clam Sanctuary (Bolinao)
Located at the Bolinao Marine Laboratory, this is the only giant clam hatchery and sanctuary in the world. Your support helps breed and restock endangered clams, restore reefs, and sustain these keystone species that filter water, stabilize corals, and provide shelter for marine life.3. Local Coastal Communities
Contributions fund education programs, sustainable livelihood projects, and reef stewardship initiatives with fishermen and families who depend on the sea. Conservation becomes lasting when local communities are equipped and empowered.4. Research Station & Marine Museum (Bolinao)
A new research station and museum is in the works. It will house scientists, provide public ecological education, and promote sustainable ecotourism directly tied to conservation. -
Conservation often favors charismatic megafauna—whales, dolphins, sea turtles—because they are easier to promote. But ecosystems rely just as much on quiet custodians: hermit crabs that recycle shells, giant clams that filter water, and seagrasses that oxygenate the sea. Protecting them protects the balance of the ocean.
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We are modeled after historic societies, not marketing-driven NGOs. That means a focus on accuracy, integrity, and timeless stewardship—science as both truth and responsibility, not as branding.
Unlike groups that drop in for a season and move on, we’re rooted here. Angelica is a fifth-generation local, with family that has lived beside these coasts for over a century. Our roots are literally in the sand—and that means our commitment isn’t temporary. It’s home, and it’s for the long haul.
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The Society was formally incorporated in 2025, but its work began three years earlier in 2022, when Angelica first started documenting the overlooked lives of marine hermit crabs.
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Our roots are in the Philippines, where our founder’s family has lived along the coasts for generations. But our work connects globally: reef restoration, scientific exchange, and advocacy for overlooked species worldwide.
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Not at this time. Until 501(c)(3) status and structured field programs are in place, the best way to help is through contributions and amplifying awareness.
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Yes. We collaborate with scientists, universities, and local communities, ensuring that every project is grounded in both global research and local knowledge. Partnerships include the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute (UP MSI) and its UP-MSI Giant Clam Sanctuary (Bolinao), along with coastal communities who live closest to the sea.
The UP-MSI Giant Clam Sanctuary (Bolinao) is the only giant clam hatchery and sanctuary in the world.Your support helps breed and restock endangered clams, restore reefs, and sustain these keystone species that filter water, stabilize corals, and provide shelter for marine life.
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Before there was a jewelry line, there was a marine science blog. The jewelry business was born not as a separate pursuit, but as a bridge—a way to sustain the work and ultimately return its strength to science. What began in design now circles back to conservation.