15 Steps to Help Save Galapagos

At GCT we recognise that there is no quick fix.  Saving Galapagos requires a holistic approach, simultaneously tackling the current challenges and threats whilst seeking to put longer term solutions in place.  In order to achieve this GCT has compiled 15 Steps to Help Save Galapagos and supports projects that fall into one or more of these categories.

Island Restoration
Conservation projects need to link everything from species management to habitat restoration and tackling the human issues. Project Floreana is the first time this approach has been taken on an inhabited island and could, we hope, provide a blueprint for the future.

• Ecosystem restoration - e.g. Project Floreana 
• Tackling invasive species
• Species specific projects 
• Supporting cutting edge research
• Promoting Galapagos as a model for the world

Climate Change
As an island archipelago located where several currents meet, Galapagos is at particular risk from the impacts of climate change. Endemic species such as the Galapagos penguin could become extinct. Yet 50 years of research in the Islands could also provide vital insights into the nature of these changes and ways to manage and reduce their impact not just in Galapagos but for the world.

• Monitoring indicator species
• Marine management
• Waste and resource management issues
• Building a first class data bank & knowledge resource
• Minimising GCT's own environmental impact

Social Issues
People are an established species within Galapagos and hold the key to its future. We need to ensure that the systems are in place to guarantee a sustainable future for the Islands and to find ways for people and nature to live and work in harmony.

• Regulating development 
• Engaging the Local Community
• Sustainable employment 
• Responsible tourism
• Education in the UK about Galapagos