--Press Release-- On the 6th of December, the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) for the Galapagos Islands received the Gran Collar San Francisco Award, due to its hard work of 60 years in the construction of knowledge and preservation of the Columbus Archipelago, also known as the Galapagos Islands.
The award was held during the Solemn Session, for the 485th year of the foundation of Quito, organized by the Municipality of this city. President Lenín Moreno and Vice President Otto Sonnenholzner were at the event, along with the Mayor of Quito, Jorge Yunda. The President of the FCD, Hans van Poelvoorde, who received the Grand Collar from the President of the Republic, was also at the event. In addition, the Executive Director of the FCD, Arturo Izurieta, representatives of the board of directors, Gabriela Sommerfeld and Alfredo Carrasco, members of the General Assembly, Tijtte de Vries, Luis Maldonado and Juan Manuel Carrión, attended.
"As CDF we are honoured to have the highest recognition of the Municipality of Quito, Capital of Ecuador, to the contribution for the conservation of Galapagos and the image of Ecuador to the world. The detail that the Great Collar was delivered by the President of the Republic is a message of trust from the Ecuadorian State to our scientific work." Said, Arturo Izurieta.
During this ceremony and complying with ordinance 001, the capital lobby additionally presented various decorations to outstanding individuals or institutions of the country, such as the Gran Collar Luis Héctor Chislain De Carondelet award, delivered to Tijtte Vries, who has dedicated his life to teaching and researching Ecuador's biodiversity, including the Galapagos. More than 40 years ago he decided to leave his native Netherlands and settle in Ecuador.
De Vries was one of the first ecology researchers in Ecuador. The researcher arrived in the Galapagos Islands in 1965 to work at the Charles Darwin Research Station. He joined this organization a year after its opening, at the request of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco), after obtaining his doctoral university degree.
During his speech as representative of the decorated, Dr. DeVries thanked the Municipality of Quito and emphasized the importance of reflecting, not only on what has been done for the capital, but on what the city has done for all citizens.
Andres Cruz
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