Education on Floreana

Project Floreana

'Linking ecosystem restoration with the lives and aspirations of local residents'

For the first time a plan has been developed to restore the whole of an inhabited island, Floreana.  The Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) and Galapagos National Park (GNP) are taking a holistic approach to removing introduced species, working with the local population and restoring all of the factors that make up its ecosystem in order to return Floreana to its original state.

Floreana was the first island in Galapagos to be inhabited.  Since the early 1800s, the presence of humans has resulted in habitat destruction, species loss, and the introduction of invasive species. Using this new holistic approach to conservation in Galapagos, Project Floreana will link ecosystem restoration with the lives and aspirations of local people, and integrate ecosystem restoration into the livelihoods of inhabitants.

This multifaceted project has been broken down into smaller projects and in 2007 a group of GCT supporters funded a project that focused on educating a group of young men living in the sparsely populated islands of Floreana and Isabela, where employment opportunities are uncommon.

Education on Floreana

A group of GCT supporters funded a project that focused on educating young residents living on Floreana.  Seven individuals were chosen to attend a month long training course on Santa Cruz Island, organised by the GNP and CDF.  The course concentrated on the basic field skills essential for wildlife technicians, especially those skills needed for the control of invasive plant species and for the monitoring of rare endemic plant species in Floreana.

Francisco Moreno was one of those selected to participate in the programme who said 'It has been good to work as part of a team. I have met new people and we have good working relationships with each other, the GNP and local farmers. This is a good experience for the community, people on Floreana support each other'.