News

CDF presents 2009 annual report

2010-03-02T13:12:06Z

On 28 January the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) presented its 2009 Annual Report and Flagship Initiatives for 2010 at Quito's Botanical Garden. Representatives from major local, national and international institutions were in attendance.

Environment Minister, Marcela Aguinaga, and Dr Lopez

During the event, Dr. J. Gabriel Lopez, CDF's Executive Director, highlighted the foundation's achievements during 2009, as well as the new conservation and development challenges facing Galapagos.

Dr. Lopez reported that as an integral part of facing these challenges, in 2010 the Foundation will further strengthen its three flagship programmes launched in 2009. These include measuring the "human footprint" in the archipelago, better understanding the impacts of climate change in Galapagos to inform decision-making on adaptation, and furthering its comprehensive restoration of Floreana Island at the southern end of the island chain. Dr Lopez also emphasised the importance of "working in a coordinated manner with Ecuadorean government agencies, academic centres of excellence, local actors, and the private sector for the conservation and sustainable development of Galapagos."

In his address, CDF Board President Pablo Iturralde Barba, brought attention to the importance of the Foundation's volunteer and scholarship programme, through which more than 1,100 young people from Galapagos and continental Ecuador have been trained at different stages of their careers. Many have continued their education, graduating with master's degrees and doctorates, and are now working in high-level positions in Ecuador and abroad.

CDF also launched a new "Partners for Galapagos" campaign that aims to bring together public and private enterprise in support of the organization's vital conservation efforts in the Galapagos archipelago.

No tsunami reported in Galapagos after Chilean earthquake

2010-03-01T09:30:42Z

In the early hours of Sunday 28 February, following the previous day's massive Chilean earthquake, the Ecuadorian authorities advised people to evacuate Puerto Ayora because of a fears of a tsunami.

According to the Charles Darwin Foundation's Executive Director, Dr. J. Gabriel Lopez: "We assembled all staff, volunteers and becarios who live on the station within 10 minutes and drove to Bellavista as advised by the authorities.

"We were among the first evacuees to arrive in Bellevista but eventually the vast majority of the population of Puerto Ayora made their way there. Shops quickly ran out of water, other liquids and breads and snacks. Upon receiving the all clear we returned to the Station at 0830".

As of Monday morning, UK time, the sea is reported to be behaving oddly with quickly rising and receding tides of about one metre every 15 minutes. However there is not thought to be any serious risk.

GCT's Achievements in 2009

2010-02-25T16:09:33Z

2009 was an exceptional year for both GCT and our support for Galapagos and we are delighted to share with you just some of the highlights.

The Darwin celebrations and 50th anniversaries of the Galapagos National Park (GNP) and Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) created a real opportunity to raise GCT's profile, put Galapagos conservation firmly in the spotlight and so secure much needed funds for conservation in the Islands. With help from our members and supporters we are delighted to tell you that we achieved all three. For more details on the following please click here .

We all know that conservation costs money. That is why our greatest success has to be the 28% increase in the funds we raised to help save Galapagos - over £680,000 in all.

A new £400,000 research fund (in addition to the figure cited above) to create a lasting link between Galapagos and Cambridge University. This was thanks to a highly successful fundraising dinner attended by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, shown here, held at Darwin's alma mater, Christ's College.

A fantastic start for Project Floreana, the first plan to restore an inhabited island in Galapagos. GCT raised over £150,000 in year one of this five year programme, including close to £50,000 to help save the Floreana Mockingbird, Darwin's inspiration and one of the world's rarest birds. Project Floreana remains one of our priorities for 2010.

We would like to thank every single one of you for helping us make 2009 our best year ever. With Galapagos still on the list of World Heritage in Danger we cannot afford to stop. Please help us to make 2010 even more successful for Galapagos' long term future, by making a contribution towards our 15th Anniversary Appeal.

Monitoring of sea turtle nesting sites resumes

2010-02-02T14:49:02Z

The Galapagos National Park Service (GNPS) and the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF), with support from local and foreign volunteers, have resumed a sea turtle monitoring program that measures a range of data related to the nesting season of this species.

The monitoring process has made it possible to record the number of females who come to deposit their eggs at popular nesting sites throughout the archipelago, assess the reproductive success of the species and its population status. Additionally, the program is observing the effects of human activity on sea turtle populations.

For the past seven years, the CDF has coordinated sea turtle monitoring. The GNP is now leading this process.The Galapagos are one of the main nesting sites of the green turtle Chelonia mydas. The species' survival is being threatened by fishing (the tortoises are often caught as bycatch), egg collection in regions outside Galapagos, and the negative effects of climate change on nesting sites. Global efforts are being made to assist the recovery of this species, and the GNPS is coordinating the conservation of these reptiles in the Galapagos archipelago.

Australian ladybird helps with biological control

2010-02-02T13:00:25Z

An Australian ladybird on the Galapagos Islands is succeeding in controlling the invasive cottony cushion scale (Icerya purchasi). This is according to results of work carried out by scientists Mark and Christina Hoddle of the University of California, Riverside, and Roy Van Driesche of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, in cooperation with Charlotte Causton, adjunct at the Charles Darwin Foundation, CDF staff, the Galapagos National Park Service, and the Galapagos Inspection and Quarantine System (SICGAL) during the last three months of 2009.

While work is still ongoing, data collected during the first phase of the study suggest that the mariquita or Vedalia beetle, an Australian ladybird (Rodolia cardinalis) has survived and spread, while suppressing the cottony cushion scale on many native Galapagos plants, including the white mangrove, Acacias, and Scalesia. However, there are several plant species still being affected by the cottony cushion scale, and further study is required to determine why the mariquita is not effective on these host plants. In addition to being effective, the project has been safe, as no evidence from field observations or the large cage studies was found of attack by R. cardinalis on non-target insects.

Lady Philippa Scott

2010-01-17T11:18:44Z

Many GCT supporters will have heard the sad news that Lady Philippa Scott, a former vice president of the Galapagos Conservation Trust, has died. Lady Scott was the widow of leading conservationist, Sir Peter Scott, and had supported GCT since the very beginning.

Waved Albatross - Lady Philippa Scott

Seen here is a beautiful Waved Albatross image, just one of the many that Lady Scott donated to GCT's slide library.

Julian Fitter, a founder of GCT and current Ambassador writes:
Serendipity is a word that comes to mind when thinking of Phil's marriage to Peter Scott. Peter, the son of Antarctic Explorer Robert Falcon Scott, was extremely successful in many ways, and not the easiest person to be married to. Phil though with her South African upbringing brought just the right ingredients to their partnership. Not content to simply be a supporter of the 'Peter Scott show', though she certainly was, she developed her own interests and skills, which in their turn enabled Peter to achieve so much.

Phil was an accomplished photographer, illustrating several of Peter's books, a keen Scuba diver, and a passionate conservationist with a particular interest in the Antarctic and the great whales. After Peter's untimely death she continued to be an important part of the Slimbridge team championing conservation. Her support for Galapagos, as a Vice-President of the Galapagos Conservation Trust was typical of her wide interests and strong commitment.

Phil was one of the last of the generation of conservation pioneers, people who were born before the word conservation was used in relation to the environment. We owe Phil and her fellow pioneers a huge debt in waking us up to the dangers the natural world is facing, and we owe it to her to continue the fight.

Julian Fitter
Maketu, New Zealand
22 January 2010

Fundraising cruise raises $23,000

2009-12-14T09:34:48Z

Oceanadventures has announced that the Official Charles Darwin Foundation and Galapagos Conservation Trust fundraising cruise, which took place in October on board the MV Eclipse in Galapagos, raised a total of $23.000 in donations for both charities.

Miranda Richardson meets a giant tortoise

Ben Dod, the General Manager of Oceanadventures, handed the cheque to Rodolfo Rendón, Vice President of the Charles Darwin Foundation, at a special cocktail party held in honour of the cruise passengers at the Quito residence of the British Ambassador to Ecuador.

Charles Darwin´s great, great grandson, Randal Keynes, and the British actress Miranda Richardson were the VIP guests on board the 7-night cruise around the islands, which featured a unique behind-the-scenes insight into the Charles Darwin Centre on Santa Cruz Island, a tree-planting session at the Centre´s Bellavista nursery and a celebratory lunch prepared by the Chef´s School in Puerto Ayora.

Oceanadventures would like to thank all those who made this event such a success, especially the US and UK based travel companies Abercrombie & Kent Inc., Abercrombie & Kent (UK) and Steppes Travel for their commitment to this fundraising initiative, which would not have been possible without their effort and support.

Miranda Richardson, Toni Darton and Randal Keynes

on board the Eclipse.

Oceanadventures looks forward to contributing to similar projects in the future as part of its ongoing commitment to the Galapagos Islands and the conservation of its unique flora and fauna, as well as to social and educational projects involving the local population.

France mourns for its 'Lonesome George'

2009-12-07T15:56:40Z

According to The Guardian, France was in mourning on Sunday for one of its oldest and best-loved lotharios, a giant Sychelles tortoise named Kiki, who died at the age of 146. Staff at

Kiki. Photo © F-G GRANDIN/AFP

the Ménagerie du Jardin des Plantes in Paris announced that its veteran resident had succumbed last week to an infection. They paid tribute to the zoo's "doyen", whose distinctive personality and "demonstrative lovemaking" had made him one of France's best known animals.

One in five of threatened Galapagos marine species may be extinct

2009-12-04T14:59:58Z

According to the Charles Darwin Foundation's Stuart Banks, one in five of the 43 threatened Galapagos marine species may already be extinct.

In a landmark article published today by respected science journal, Global Change Biology, Stuart Banks, Senior Marine Scientist with the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF), headquartered in Galapagos, teams with the world´s leading marine researchers in calling for increased focus on the forces of climate change.

CDF scientists researching coral reefs. Photo © CDF

Banks asserts that: "Galapagos is well-known for being unique, but what is less apparent is how tenuous the archipelago's unique status really is." He reveals that of the 43 threatened Galapagos marine species, one in five may already be extinct.

The article provides an in-depth analysis of major studies charting changes in Galapagos biodiversity and marine ecosystems over the past 30 years. Former CDF Marine Sciences Director and ongoing CDF collaborator Graham Edgar of the University of Tasmania led the development of the paper bringing together such luminaries as Sylvia Earle; National Geographic Society, and Peter Glynn, University of Miami, Les Kaufmann, Boston University, and CDF´s Stuart Banks.

In a sobering snapshot, Banks explains that: "The unpredictable mix of El Niño, increased human presence, and global climate change is a recipe for the breakdown of natural ecological functions with serious impact on the recovery potential of species and habitats."
The article cites the Galapagos Marine Reserve as being "a near ideal environment for quantifying effects of oceanographic anomalies and fisheries on marine biodiversity, and for modeling future impacts of climate change," areas of study currently being addressed by CDF's Galapagos Climate Change Initiative.

This major new body of investigation takes a much-needed step in understanding the ties between climate, biodiversity, and the human impact, and will combine new and historical data to increase understanding of these relationships.

Bluer Boobies don't feel blue

2009-12-04T11:16:27Z

Something which Charles Darwin failed to spot when he visited the Galapagos Islands was the smile on those male Blue-footed boobies which skip a breeding season. The reason for the smile? Those males which abstain for a year have feet which are a brighter blue and more attractive to females.

Blue-footed boobies, one of the most loved and photographed species in Galapagos, are best known for their bright blue webbed feet, which the males prominently display in their courtship dances to attract females. A study has found that while the attractiveness of the blue feet diminishes with age in males that reproduce each year, if males skip a breeding season and don't mate, they appear to display a more attractive foot colour!

A new study reported in The National Geographic News shows researchers from University of Vigo in Spain, and the National Autonomous University of Mexico studied more than a hundred male blue-footed boobies over a total of six months in 2004 and 2005 on Mexico's Isla Isabel.

To adopt a Blue footed booby for a loved one for Christmas simply click here here

Wildlife of Galapagos Islands 'devastated by ocean warming'

2009-12-04T11:00:30Z

Ocean warming and human activity have devastated the coastal wildlife of the Galapagos Islands, say scientists.

Several species of marine plants and animals are believed to have become extinct and many others are seriously threatened, a new report reveals. Researchers blame the impact of rising ocean temperatures coupled with fishing and tourism.

Once abundant coral reefs and kelp beds had been wiped out in just a few decades, said the scientists from US-based Conservation International. Species that were previously plentiful such as the Galapagos black-spotted damselfish, the 24-rayed sunstar and the Galapagos stringweed were now thought to have vanished. Dozens of others, including the Galapagos penguin, were within ''a hairsbreadth of annihilation''.

Based on criteria laid down by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's Red List, two species were ''probably'' extinct, another seven ''possibly'' extinct, and a further 36 ''vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered''. Over-fishing had led to an expansion of sea urchin populations, which in turn had upset the delicate web of marine life in the islands, said the scientists.

The researchers warned the Galapagos was a ''canary in a coalmine'' indicating what the world could expect from global warming.

Daily Telegraph

See Felipe Cruz on YouTube

2009-11-27T16:59:47Z

CDF's technical director, Felipe Cruz, took part in E-Day 2009 in the Isles of Scilly earlier this year. You can see Felipe on YouTube below.

Guardian Weekly features GCT

2009-11-25T16:14:06Z

Coinciding with the 150th anniversary of the publication of Darwin's On the Origin of the Species, The Guardian Weekly's website featured an article by GCT's chief executive, Toni Darton, on its front page.

In the article Toni describes her passion for Galapagos: "Whilst I have always taken an active interest in the natural world it was my passion for Galapagos that actually brought me to this role. I had wanted to visit Galapagos for many years and when I achieved this dream in 2005 I saw at first hand how amazing yet how fragile the Islands are and the work going on to conserve them. I signed up as a member of the Galapagos Conservation Trust (GCT) and the rest as they say is history."

Please click here to see the complete article.

Help find Darwin's missing note book

2009-11-24T13:25:09Z

English Heritage is asking people to to help track down Charles Darwin's missing Galapagos notebook which contains the scientist's on-the-spot observations and which would prove invaluable when he was later writing the groundbreaking On the Origin of Species, published 150 years ago today (24 November).

The notebook went missing - it was possibly stolen around the early 1980s from the home of Charles Darwin, Down House in Kent, before the house came under the care of English Heritage.

GCT Ambassador and Charles Darwin's great-great grandson, Randal Keynes, supports the English Heritage appeal. "Our family always felt that the best Darwin material should be at Down House so that the public could see it in his home. The Galapagos notebook is of outstanding value for the history of science. If Darwin had not posed the questions in that notebook, he might never have written On the Origin of Species. The notebook was almost certainly stolen around the 1980s. But I am hopeful that it is only a matter of time before it resurfaces and when it does, it must be returned to English Heritage and Down House."

"Visually stunning" GCT calendar wins award

2009-11-23T16:53:05Z

GCT has been awarded a highly commended honour for its calendar in the first annual Professional Fundraising magazine's competition for the Charity Calendar of the Year.

Please click here to order GCT's 2010 calendar and see the visually stunning images and design for yourself.

GCT was just pipped by British Heart Foundation's targeted in-memoriam calendar to the top award.

Judges were impressed with the beautiful images used by GCT in its entry, but what made it stand out was the way that the calendar was also used to educate supporters about the work the charity does, and its reminding of supporters of different ways they can support the trust.

Although the Calendar of the Year competition did not initially intend to award highly-commended honours, the quality and quantity of entries forced judges to nominate a list of several high-performing calendars, both overall and in special categories.

Celina Ribeiro, deputy editor of Professional Fundraising and one of a panel of four judges, said: "The breadth of calendar styles and charities represented in the competition was extremely impressive.

"However, while we had no plans initially to release a list of highly commended calendars, the quality of many other entries - either in terms of the way they related the product back to the charity's work, the way they encouraged supporters to get involved or simply because they were exceptionally well-designed - meant that we have had to release an extensive list.

"The Galapagos Conservation Trust calendar was a visually stunning product. Judges, however, were moved to highly commend the entry because not only was it a nice, clean design, but it engaged the trust's supporters in the work of charity and encouraged them to do more to support it.

"Calendars are a very traditional, and often overlooked, part of a charity's fundraising and awareness raising programme, which is why this year Professional Fundraising decided to celebrate the humble calendar by awarding a Charity Calendar of the Year title."