September 2008 Archives

Around 600 guests spent a wonderful evening celebrating GCT's Galapagos Day on 24th September at the Royal Geographical Society. More than £40,000 was raised from the event and the raffle, with a record-breaking £4,000 taken on the night!

'This is such an important fundraising event in GCT's calendar,' said GCT's Chief Executive, Toni Darton. 'Without the dedicated efforts and contribution of members and friends, we would not be able to support those projects in Galapagos that are crucial to its conservation.'

Guests listened to the challenging exploits of keynote speaker, Ben Fogle. A life-changing trip to Galapagos with his father while he was still a teenager, was the inspiration for his whole career, he told the audience. His adventures since have included a year as a castaway on a remote Hebridean island, rowing across the Atlantic, taking park in the gruelling Marathon des Sables in the Sahara and a 100,000 mile journeying through the world's remotest places.

His fellow speaker, Dr Graham Watkins, Executive Director of the Charles Darwin Foundation gave the audience food for thought with his talk - Galapagos, Two sides of the Coin - speaking about the dangers inherent in the indirect effects of the growth of tourism and the threats posed. You can read a short synopsis of Dr Watkins's talk. The full list of raffle winners.

Scientists in Galapagos who have been anxiously incubating the eggs of the world's only surviving Pinta Tortoise are hopeful that 14 of Lonesome George's eggs may be fertile.

Naturalists were initially sceptical when rangers from the Galapagos National Park on Santa Cruz Island found a clutch of eggs in the enclosure Lonesome George shares with two Espanola Tortoise females. Tortoises, like chickens, often lay eggs without any male input.

And now the rangers, who have taken care of the world's loneliest batchelor at the Charles Darwin Research Station since he was moved from Pinta Island in 1972, have found another three eggs in a nest in his enclosure.

These three, all of perfect size and weight were immediately transferred to incubators - two being coddled at a temperature of 29.5º C to hatch females and one at 28 ºC to ensure a male.

'This is such exciting news after all the years of waiting,' says Toni Darton, Chief Executive of GCT, which has been funding the tortoise breeding programme at the Research Station for many years.'

Charles Darwin Foundation for the Galapagos Islands (CDF) has announced the selection of a new Executive Director. Gabriel López, PhD, will assume leadership of the organization from its current leader, Graham Watkins, PhD, effective January 1, 2009.

López is an anthropologist with 25 years of experience in sustainable development, conservation, education and poverty alleviation. He will continue with the reorganization process started by Watkins, in which CDF restructured its scientific research area, strengthened bonds with the community and local institutions in Galapagos, and consolidated its role as advisor to the Ecuadorian government, which is responsible for conservation of Galapagos.

López will leave his current post as Director of Global Strategies for IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature), in Gland, Switzerland, and formerly held leadership positions of The Ford Foundation, USA. CDF warmly welcomes López and looks forward to supporting his efforts to lead the organization./p>

You can read more details on the Charles Darwin Foundation website.

He and his wife Kathleen, who are both retired, joined the Trust after their first trip to Galapagos in 2007.

'We've never won anything like this before. I can't quite believe it yet!' he said when he heard the news that he held the lucky ticket.

The couple quickly booked their dream trip for next summer.

Second prize of a two night stay at Downhall Country House Hotel in Hatfield Heath, donated by Veladail Hotels, was won by Mrs S Welford of Bury St Edmunds.

Twelve bottles of award winning Kendermanns wines, donated by Reh-Kendermann, was won by Mrs B Thomson from South Queensferry.

The selection of exotic island coffee, including some from Galapagos, went to Mr P Kerlogue from London.

Mrs V Townsend from Welling in Kent won a signed copy of Albatross: Their World, Their Ways donated by the book's co-authors, Tui De Roy, Julian Fitter and Mark Jones.