By: H. E. Corley Smith
By 1963, when David Snow arrived from England with his wife and small child, construction was well under way, and by the time he left the original Charles Darwin Research Station was virtually complete and operational. Already the first visiting scientists had begun to use the station's modest facilities.Some of these early researchers continued to return in various capacities for many years, among them were Mike Harris, Tjitte de Vries, Syuzo Itow, Bob Bowman, I. Eibl-Eibesfeldt and Peter Kramer.
A laboratory, a storehouse, dormitories, roads, electricity supply and tanks to collect rainwater for drinking were completed and progress was made with the organization of a library, a herbarium and a collection of zoological specimens.With the installation of a second generator it became possible to operate a seismographic unit, furnished and financed by the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey, a development of some significance as the Galapagos are among the most active oceanic volcano groups in the world.
The systematic marking and registering of the Santa Cruz tortoise went steadily ahead and the de fence of the "strict tortoise reserve" was made more effective. Snow considered that the protection of this "inviolable sanctuary" should continue to be given the highest priority with no human development allowed within its boundaries. The concentration of effort on the one race in this restricted area illustrates how limited were the conservation expectations in those early years. However, there was some mildly encouraging news of the continued existence of two other races of giant tortoise previously thought to be extinct. A Norwegian settler informed the station that he had seen two young tortoises on San Cristóbal Island and, about the same time, Snow was able to report that "one tortoise was found on Hood (Española) feeding on a fallen Opuntia in company, and in competition with 15 goats". Neither observation guaranteed that either of these subspecies could be saved but at least they were not already extinct.Snow's later explorations revealed the existence of at least a few surviving tortoises on Santiago and other islands but he lacked the means to make a thorough survey. Before Snow left, the New York Zoological Society voted funds to employ a full time conservation officer. This three year appointment enabled the station to initiate a more positive and wide ranging conservation programme. The long-term outlook was further improved by Snow's largely successful efforts to reconcile the 2000 or so local inhabitants to the research station's conservation projects.
Among Snow's parting recommendations was the eradication of goats on Española and Santa Fe islands, projects that took several years to achieve. His proposal for a marine laboratory took even longer. Despite some opposition, his insistence that scientists should not be allowed to collect specimens without specific permission in each case became effective almost immediately
THE INAUGURATION
Progress with the construction work made it possible to hold the formal inauguration of the Charles Darwin Station (CDRS) on 20 January 1964. The ceremony was attended by General Gándara and Colonel Freile, (member of the ruling Military Government), Victor Van Straelen, the Ambassadors of the countries supporting the Foundation and representatives of UNESCO and the universities of Ecuador.The inauguration was planned to coincide with the arrival by sea from California of 66 members of the Galapagos International Scientific Project. This project, administered by Robert L. Usinger and Robert I. Bowman, was funded by the University of California with support from the National Science Foundation. From the beginning, a trickle of visiting scientists had been using the station as a base for their investigations but this invasion put Galapagos research on a new scale. There was no building big enough to house the gathering so the ceremony, marshalled by Harold J. Coolidge, was held in a clearing amid the cactus under the blazing equatorial sun.
A few weeks later, on 14th February 1964, the basic agreement between the Republic of Ecuador and the Charles Darwin Foundation was signed in Quito by the acting Minister for External Affairs, Armando Pesantes García, and Victor Van Straelen. The agreement defined the terms on which the Foundation could own and operate the Charles Darwin Research Station and promote conservation and scientific investigation in the Galapagos for the next 25 years, and was renewable for further periods of 5 years. This was a day of triumph for Van Straelen as the agreement crowned his years of devoted labour to save the Galapagos for posterity. Alas, his signature on the document was his last achievement as he died on his return to Belgium.
The inauguration marked the end of the first, one might even say the heroic stage of the CDRS. Life was still difficult and, later that year, David Snow reluctantly left as his wife was expecting a second child. Although being an ornithologist herself made life more bearable, she found that the combined effects of isolation, the daily struggle with primitive living conditions and the difficulty of obtaining suitable food were too extreme for her to raise her family. It would require a separate chapter to pay adequate tribute to the contribution of Directors' wives to the success of the CDRS. Living conditions gradually improved, but for the next six years the Director was an English bachelor, Roger Perry.
A brief visit in 1964 by HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, had consequences in later years. He made his first tour of the islands accompanied by Aubrey Buxton of Anglia Television and G.T. Corley Smith, the British Ambassador in Quito.All three became and remain devoted supporters of Galapagos conservation. Prince Philip eventually became Patron of the Foundation as well as President of WWF International. Corley Smith served for ten years as Secretary General of the CDF and for twelve as editor of Noticias. Buxton sent out his crack camera team (Alan and Joan Root) to make a brilliant, hour-long, colour film in Anglia Television's "Survival" series for which Prince Philip wrote and spoke the commentary. This film, "The Enchanted Isles", brought the Galapagos into millions of homes all over the world.