Galapagos giant tortoise: photographer Wendy Galbraith

Galapagos Conservation Trust: Conservation > Current Programmes > Project Isabela

PROJECT ISABELA

Control of Invasive Species

Project Isabela is a world class campaign to protect native animals and plants from invasive species on the island and restore the biodiversity of Northern Isabela Island.

For full background information, visit Project Isabela.

May 2004: News from Project Isabela

Having moved from the testing grounds of Santiago Island to a temporary camp established at the abandoned radar base of Punta Albermarle, Project Isabela helicopters have entered a new, high flying phase. In just 13 days and 104 hours of flying time this month, comprehensive grid patterns were flown over Ecuador, Wolf and the northern slopes of Darwin volcanoes where variable densities of goats were encountered, with a 90 to 100% removal of animals in the areas worked.

Thanks to the Santiago experience, work on Northern Isabela is now well ahead of schedule, raising confidence levels to new heights for the ecological restoration of these extraordinary volcanoes, where flight crews report seeing large numbers of giant tortoises and land iguanas in rarely visited areas.

Source: Victor Carrion and Felipe Cruz, Isabela Project

February 2004: News from Project Isabela

After years of work and preparation, on Friday 6th February Victor Carrion and Felipe Cruz of Project Isabela proudly announced that a joint project from the Galapagos National Park Service and Charles Darwin Foundation is starting. The team got the official permits which allow the start of aerial operations for the eradication of ungulates in Santiago and northern Isabela islands. The pilots, hunters and mechanics with their two helicopters are now ready to begin work jointly with the ground hunters of Project Isabela.

The team is in Santiago island. For the rest of February they will be following a programme of training on Santiago island for the Project Isabela hunters in the aerial hunting techniques, with the expectation of starting work in northern Isabela in March 2004.

Congratulations and good luck to Project Isabela!

Dog boots, Project Isabela: Photograph by Anabel Curry

Boots for Dogs Appeal

You may be wondering why dogs should need boots - especially dogs in Galapagos. These are special dogs and special boots.

Project Isabela needs dogs to help eradicate the goats from Isabela. These dogs are used to help find the goats that are doing so much of the damage to the north of the island. One of the reasons why eradicating the goats is so difficult is that the terrain is very rough. The dogs need to wear boots to protect their feet...

Visit Boots for Dogs Appeal for further information.

Interview with Felipe Cruz, Director of Project Isabela... for the Swiss Friends of Galapagos: May 2003
December 2002 Update from the Technical Director of Project Isabela
Urgent appeal for Project Isabela ... 11 October 2002
Update from the Technical Director of Project Isabela ... 25 April, 2002

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