View from the Executive Office

Graham Watkins, Executive Director, Charles Darwin Foundation

The Galapagos have been in crisis since the early 1990s. Over the last 15 years, rapid economic change has altered the social, cultural and ecological fabric of the islands. The existing direction of development in Galapagos will not result in their long-term conservation. In the past, uninhibited market forces decimated whales, fur seals and tortoises; today, sea cucumber harvests and tourism are booming and busting.

Many of you have experienced these extraordinary and unique islands; and I am sure you are wondering how we can turn this situation around.

Conservation of these islands requires a change in the direction of their development. We hope that you will join with us in supporting the leadership of the President of Ecuador and UNESCO who have recognized the crisis and have indicated the kinds of changes required.

Over the last 15 years, the tourism economy has grown at approximately 14% per year – it has grown exponentially. Tourism has been relatively well managed at the level of sites and visitors still enjoy access to the sights and experiences of 20 years ago. Unfortunately, tourism has several negative indirect impacts. The tourism economy has driven growth in the local towns and increased ship and plane access, so decreasing the isolation of the islands from invasive species. Tourism visitation has grown from 40,000 to 145,000 visitors in 15 years; in the same period the numbers of registered introduced species has grown from 619 to 1,321.
« more »    « how to help »

Increased air traffic - invasive species get new wings

Multiple flights arrive daily to Galapagos

The rising number of planes traveling to Galapagos is outstripping the ability of the quarantine program to prevent the introduction of invasive species. Based on recent studies funded by the Global Environmental Facility, CDF urgently recommend that the Galapagos Quarantine and Inspection System (SICGAL) be strengthened and that procedures for disinfection of planes be improved and strictly enforced.

Serving the needs of unprecedented tourism and population growth, flights to the islands have increased by 193% since 2001. There are multiple daily flights from mainland Ecuador. Private planes have arrived directly from other countries and could bring new pests and diseases such as West Nile virus. Other private planes leave from airports on the Ecuadorian mainland where no or only limited inspection is possible due to insufficient resources. Said Charlotte Causton, CDF’s head of invertebrate research, “SICGAL inspectors have been reduced by 20% when the number of passengers, luggage and freight has more than doubled, making efficient inspection impossible.”

No quarantine system can be 100% effective but the risk can be significantly reduced if air access to the islands is limited to specific routes where strict quarantine measures can be taken. Says David Cruz, CDF’s technical advisor to SICGAL, ”Improving the ability of SICGAL to manage increased air traffic must be a top priority if pests are to be stopped entering the islands. The unique species, the very reason why people come to Galapagos, are at great risk."
« more (pdf - Spanish only) »

Introduced rats - is eradication possible?

The black rat, Rattus rattus

The black rat, Rattus rattus, and the common house mouse, Mus musculus, are two of the most invasive and destructive invasive species to have arrived in Galapagos since the discovery of the islands in 1535. During a workshop arranged by the CDF and the Galapagos National Park Service, local management authorities, scientists and international experts on invasive species control discussed how these rodents could be eradicated.

According to Linda Cayot, the workshop coordinator & CDF researcher, “The combination of expertise at this workshop has already created an exciting plan for Pinzon Island which will provide a testing ground for the eradication of [introduced] rodents from the entire archipelago.”

While representing a huge challenge for scientists and managers, the plan for Pinzon Island is strategically designed to look to the future, when the knowledge and technology exist to eradicate introduced rodents from the larger, more complex islands. Introduced rodents are having major – and potentially irreversible – detrimental effects on biodiversity both in the Galapagos and elsewhere. Together the CDF and GNPS aim to develop a state-of-the-art rodent eradication program that will serve as a model for other island ecosystems worldwide.

« more »

Students get a green "thumbs up" for native plant project

Students prepare site for new garden

Twenty students from the Santa Cruz Island branch of Central University and supervised by CDF botanists prepared hundreds of native plants for the Miguel Cifuentes Memorial Garden, opened on June 5th - World Environment Day - by Santa Cruz Island Mayor Leopoldo Buchelli. The students worked for three months in the CDF nurseries in Bellavista and Puerto Ayora, collecting and planting seeds and seedlings and tending the plants. Their goal was to “green” an abandoned space in front of the new Environmental Management offices of the Santa Cruz municipality. “We have created a place where people can relax and enjoy the unique flora of the island.” said Dario Morales, student coordinator. This CDF project, supported by the Nordic Friends of Galapagos, showcases how to create beautiful gardens that are both unique and present no threat to biodiversity.

“By encouraging people to plant native gardens we hope to curb the spread of invasive ornamentals,” said CDF introduced plants specialist, Rachel Atkinson. “'Out of place' decorative plants can affect agriculture as well as biodiversity, as their control requires significant financial investment.”

The garden honors Miguel Cifuentes, ex-mayor of Santa Cruz and ex-CDF president, who was a role model for many young Galapagos people and a renowned conservation expert and visionary. It is fitting that with his passing away in April the new native garden will be a tribute to his passion for all things Galapagos and his belief in people working together in harmony with nature.

The history of science in Galapagos now on-line

Galapagos Research

The CDF science journal Noticias de Galápagos (renamed Galapagos Research in 2005) is now available online for the first time. Since the first volume was published in 1963 it has grown into an international, peer-reviewed scientific journal. Part of the Gayle Merlen-Davis Online Library, these fascinating articles trace the discoveries and news over the decades that CDF has led conservation research in Galapagos.

CDF Grants Manager Freda Chapman, who compiled the online archive in her free time, says: “It took much longer than I thought, because I kept being distracted by reading the articles. We spend a lot of time planning for the future in the CDF, but it’s equally important to understand our history and that of science in the Galapagos”.

Galapagos aficionados can now read most of those articles on their own computer. Browse the archive from http://www.darwinfoundation.org/en/library/pubs/gal-research

Please note: These are large files and may take some time to download.

Freda’s favorites
1969 – Eye-witness accounts of the collapse of the Fernandina caldera (crater) (English)
1978 – Diego, patriarch of the Espanola tortoise dynasty, returns to Galapagos to begin saving his species (English)
1996 – A rare Galapagos plant, thought to be extinct, found clinging to life on the edge of a crater on Santiago (English)

CDF General Assembly members in the spotlight

Professor Irenaeus Eibl-Eibesfeldt at CDRS

CDF’s General Assembly reflects the international and multidisciplinary character of the CDF, and several members have been honored recently for their contributions to science and conservation.

Professor Irenaeus Eibl-Eibesfeldt was awarded the Condecoracion de la Orden Nacional al Merito en Grado de Comendador by the Ecuadorian Government in April for service to the country. This award commemorates the 50th anniversary of his efforts that directly led to the establishment of both the CDF and the Galapagos National Park in 1959. Eibl-Eibesfeldt’s extraordinary vision is reflected in the restoration of much of the archipelago’s ecosystems today with the GNP and the CDF at the forefront as world leaders in the management of invasive and endangered species.

Emma Flor de Tejada, representing the Isabela Island fisher wives cooperative, Pescado Azul, received the United Nations Development Program Equator prize worth US$30,000 in Berlin, Germany in May. One of just six winners chosen from over 300 participants representing 70 countries, the women of Pescado Azul, were recognized for their products such as smoked fish that provide alternative revenue for the artisanal fishing sector and demonstrate sustainable use of natural resources. CDF, through the Funds for Local Conservation provided by Lindblad Expeditions’ Galapagos Conservation Fund, gave these pioneering women a way to turn their great idea into a successful and model enterprise.

It was a double celebration for Drs. Peter and Rosemary Grant in May. Peter Grant was elected as Foreign Associate of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States (NAS) at its annual meeting in recognition of his distinguished and continuing achievements in original research. Rosemary Grant was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of the National Academy of Science of the UK and the Commonwealth, for her research on Darwin's finches, among the most significant evolutionary field studies of all time. Said Peter Grant, ”I hope these two elections will also be seen as recognition of what Ecuador, and specifically Galapagos, has to offer its citizens in scientific exploration and discovery: both inspiration and material value.” The Grants have worked through CDF during their entire research career on Galapagos studying the Darwin Finches.

The Andina University in Quito paid homage to founder Dr. Plutarco Naranjo by awarding him an honorary degree and Emeritus Professorship. This recognition is for his life’s work and much published and high profile achievements with the curative properties of plants as a medic, professor and scientist. Dr. Naranjo was nominated an honorary member of the CDF last October, after having been an active member for many years.

Goodbye to good friends

Miguel Cifuentes

Galapagos conservation lost one of its great leaders with the passing of Ecuadorian born conservation leader Miguel Cifuentes this April. For many years Miguel was based in Costa Rica where he founded WWF Centroamerica. He was internationally recognized for his academic and professional achievements and as a conservation expert and visionary in Latin America. His influence in Galapagos is legendary. As director of the Galapagos National Park Service and later president of the CDF he was a force behind the creation of a shared vision for institutions working together to achieve sustainable use of natural resources.

CDF sadly learned of the passing of Olga Herrera MacBryde in May at her home in Virginia USA. A scientist with Catholic University in Quito (PUCE), and later a renowned Smithsonian botanist for more than 20 years, Olga was also an international conservationist. She worked for CDF in 1981 to improve our education program in Galapagos and on mainland Ecuador.

Support Galapagos while shopping

Buy Lonesome George: The Life and Loves of a Conservation Icon by Henry Nicholls from Amazon.com™ and each purchase will generate donations to the CDF. Read Nicholls’s portrayal of the solitary giant tortoise that touches all who see him or hear his story. His status as the last Pinta Island tortoise embodies the practical, philosophical and ethical challenges of preserving our fragile planet.

Visit www.darwinfoundation.org/en/get-involved/support/amazon/lonesome-george

CDF has partnered with Amazon.com™, the online retailer, to provide an opportunity to support CDF while saving money on books, DVDs, and many more of life’s little luxuries and necessities. There are two ways to do this:

Galapagos Field Guides: Look forward to your trip by reading up on the wonderful wildlife you will see – or give one as a gift to others planning a visit. The CDF’s web list of field guides and maps is the place to start, and for each purchase Amazon will send CDF a commission!
Visit www.darwinfoundation.org/en/library/pubs/field-guides

Amazon sells everything! Buy books on every topic you can think of, DVDs, CDs, magazine subscriptions, video games, electronics, office supplies, tools and auto parts, food, clothing and pet supplies.… and more! Use CDF’s Amazon.com™ web link to start – and Amazon will send us commission.
Visit www.darwinfoundation.org/en/get-involved/support/amazon

Most purchases from Amazon.com™ will be shipped from the United States. Spanish language books are also available.

Contact us

Charles Darwin Foundation (aisbl), Puerto Ayora, Isla Santa Cruz, Galapagos, Ecuador.
Tel. (+593) 5-2-526-146/147
E-mail: cdrs@fcdarwin.org.ec

Web site: www.darwinfoundation.org

Subscribe | Forward to a Friend | Feedback  | Unsubscribe  | Privacy Policy

© 2007 Charles Darwin Foundation (aisbl), Galapagos, Ecuador. Design, text and images are the intellectual property of the CDF unless otherwise acknowledged, and copies may not be made without prior permission from CDF.