Karen Vera
Entomologist
Karen Vera is a Galapagos entomologist and graduated in biology from the Universidad Estatal Península de Santa Elena in 2020. She worked as a volunteer at the Charles Darwin Foundation in 2019 in the marine collection, assisting in the reorganization of marine invertebrates. During 2021, she collaborated in the identification of insects collected from 40 farms in the agricultural zone of Santa Cruz Island. Currently, she is in charge of monitoring terrestrial invertebrates on Floreana Island to gather information on its biodiversity. She also collaborates in other projects, such as the ecological restoration of the Scalesia forest.
Karen's stories
Karen's programs
Land
Scalesia forest restorationScalesia forests once thrived on the Galapagos Islands, forming a unique humid ecosystem for plants, insects, giant tortoises and birds. Today, only 1% of the forests’ original distribution remains, with several endemic species, including the Scalesia themselves, struggling to survive. We are working to restore this important habitat and given the rapid rate of forest loss, it is a race against time.