February 2009 Archives

Royal Mail celebrates the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin's birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, with ten specially designed stamps.

Issued today, the ten stamps celebrate Darwin and the areas of his study which inspired his ideas on evolution - zoology, botany, geology, ornithology and anthropology.

The six unique 'jigsaw' shape stamps symbolise how his studies of different disciplines came together to form new ideas on evolution. In addition Royal Mail has produced a special sheet comprising of four stamps illustrating the unique wildlife of the Galapagos Islands that includes the Flightless Cormorant, Giant Tortoise, Floreana Mockingbird and Marine Iguana.

The unique sheet of four stamps builds up into a contemporary map of the Galapagos Islands with key species that Darwin studied in the 1830s.

Julietta Edgar, Head of Special Stamps, Royal Mail said: "Charles Darwin's ideas triggered a revolution in the understanding of how species evolve. The brilliance of his thinking is symbolised in the unique design of the stamps - the jigsaw shape suggest how Darwin was able to draw on his different areas of study to formulate groundbreaking new ideas.

"The distinctive jigsaw design of the stamps is a great way to link Darwin's vast areas of research, while the special sheet is a beautiful representation of the Galapagos Islands."

Andrew Marr, President of the Galapagos Conservation Trust said: "I believe Darwin is one of the most influential figures - and important scientists - the world has seen. It is a tremendous accolade to have a set of special stamps to honour his work and fitting that these should feature the Galapagos Islands that so inspired his thinking."

Thursday 12 February 2009

HRH the Duke of Edinburgh, Sir David Attenborough and broadcaster Andrew Marr are among those attending a fundraising dinner at Christ's College tonight to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin's birth.

They will be joined by some 60 guests, all of whom are donating £4,750 towards establishing a lasting research link between Christ's College and the Galapagos Islands.

A fund held by the college will go towards promoting the scientific understanding, conservation and long-term welfare of the islands.

The event, which is a joint collaboration between Christ's College and the Galapagos Conservation Trust, will begin with a discussion chaired by Andrew Marr and involving Sir David Attenborough and Felipe Cruz, Director of Technical Assistance of the Charles Darwin Foundation. This will provide both a scientific and historical background to Darwin and the Galapagos, as well as current challenges facing the archipelago.

The discussion will be followed by a dinner hosted by the Master of Christ's College, Frank Kelly. Darwin's great-great grandchildren, Randal Keynes and Sarah Darwin, will also be present.

The Galapagos Islands played a crucial role in helping Darwin develop his groundbreaking theories on the origin of species.

It was while visiting the Galapagos on board the HMS Beagle in 1835 that he noticed differences between mockingbirds on individual islands - an observation that led to him concluding that species evolved by means of natural selection.

Today, scientists and conservationists are working hard to maintain the islands' fragile and unique ecosystems, and the collaboration between Christ's College and the GCT will help to contribute to this vital process.

Professor Frank Kelly, Master of Christ's College, said: 'I am delighted that Christ's is working with the Galapagos Conservation Trust to set up a much-needed lasting research link between the college and the Galapagos Islands, to continue the work of the young Darwin.'

Toni Darton, Galapagos Conservation Trust chief executive, said: 'I'm sure our president, Andrew Marr, will join me in expressing our sincere gratitude for the generosity of the guests at our joint fundraising dinner with Christ's College, Cambridge.

'We are the only charity in the UK dedicated to raising money and awareness for the Galapagos Islands, and are very excited at this new research collaboration and the benefits this fund will bring.'

Donate A Darwin - The Galapagos Conservation Trust's campaign to help save the archipelago's Floreana Mockingbird - was launched this afternoon with the help of the Bank of England's Chief Cashier, Andrew Bailey. Andrew, whose name appears on the Bank of England's banknotes, presented Charles Darwin's great, great granddaughter, Sarah Darwin and the Galapagos Conservation Trust's Chief Executive, Toni Darton, with the bank's own "Darwin", an outsize version of its £10 banknote, all of which have Charles Darwin's face on the reverse.

The Donate A Darwin appeal aims to encourage members of the public to donate "Darwins" - £10 and multiples of £10 - to help save the bird that inspired Darwin's theory of evolution as we celebrate the 200th anniversary of his birth.

According to Sarah Darwin: "Launching the appeal with a £10 "Darwin" at the Bank of England was brilliant. My great, great grandfather would really have appreciated how the design of banknotes has evolved to include him and how it could now help to save the bird that inspired him".

Toni Darton commented: "The Floreana Mockingbird is on the edge of extinction. It will be a huge tragedy if this bird of such scientific importance is allowed to die out. Our Donate A Darwin campaign is urgently needed to help save this iconic species and its native island of Floreana - one of the islands Darwin visited in Galapagos".