News

'Extinct' Galapagos Giant Tortoise still alive?

2012-01-12T11:00:51Z

Hold the Press! 'Extinct' Galapagos Giant Tortoise Found on Isabela

This week, researchers led by a team from Yale University have reported that there is a strong possibility that the Floreana tortoise (Chelonoidis elephantopus) may well still be surviving - on Wolf Volcano in the northern part of Isabela.

The Floreana tortoise was thought to have become extinct 150 years ago, soon after Darwin's famous Beagle voyage. In the 18th - 19th centuries, island visitors including pirates and whalers had a heavy impact on tortoise numbers but also moved tortoises between the Islands, most likely as a portable food source. This has now resulted in a mix of different populations in areas like Wolf Volcano that were a popular stop off point with sailors.

After a small number of hybrid tortoises were discovered on Wolf Volcano, a study was launched in 2008 to collect blood samples from the tortoise population in order to analyse the DNA and establish the various origins of the tortoises. After some dedicated fieldwork, 1,669 individuals were sampled.

It has been reported this week that 84 of these tortoises were found to be hybrids with an extremely high possibility that one parent was a pure bred Floreana tortoise. 30 of these individuals were under 15 years old suggesting that it is highly likely that there is at least one pure bred Floreana tortoise still wandering around on Wolf Volcano!

The Galapagos National Park is now set to embark on a rescue mission for the Floreana tortoise - a task that could never have been predicted at the beginning of Project Floreana (a key project funded by GCT). Stay tuned for updates on this exciting news!

New sewage treatment plant on San Cristobal

2011-11-16T12:38:35Z

The Minister of the Environment and the Mayor of San Cristobal have inaugurated a new sewage and water treatment plant which will benefit the whole community. Waste disposal is a key issue in sustainable development especially for a growing population and this improved system is a positive step for a more sustainable future.

Until now 70% of the population of San Cristobal depended on a sewage system which discharged directly into the sea, creating both a potential health hazard and an ecological danger. The new plant uses the latest technology combining a physico-chemical treatment of water with an aerobic sludge activator, a high-volume and pressure blower, filters and silencers, a disinfectant raft connected to the plant and a pumping system.

A proportion of the water will be re-used for municipal ecological gardens. The rest of the water will be discharged into the sea in accordance with the latest health standards for marine ecosystems.

- Galapagos National Park

GCT appoints new Chairman

2011-10-19T15:11:06Z

Chairman of the Galapagos Conservation Trust (GCT), Edmund Truell, founder and Director of Pension Corporation, has decided to move on to establish a wider international network through which to deploy innovative fundraising methods to support the Galapagos Islands. The Trust is delighted to announce that current GCT Trustee Dr Mark Collins, will take up the role with immediate effect.

During Mr Truell's Chairmanship, the Trust has achieved record fundraising as well as the successful initiation of a series of groundbreaking local projects in the Galapagos Islands. He will continue to pursue his passion for sustainable development there.

Dr Collins, a trustee of the Galapagos Conservation Trust since 2006, brings with him the experience of a career in international environmental organisations, including UNEP and IUCN. A biologist with a PhD in tropical ecology, Mark is an established spokesman and writer on the environment, and was awarded the Royal Geographical Society Busk Medal in 2000 for his contributions to conservation.

On behalf of the Trust, Dr Collins commented, "We have thoroughly enjoyed working with Edmund, both as a trustee and, more recently, as Chairman, and we are very grateful for his dedication and the considerable resource that he has provided on a personal level and through the Truell Charitable Foundation. In building on Edmund's achievements, we will continue to work closely with him and those many partners who, like us, are dedicated to preserve and enhance these enchanted islands. The legacy of Galapagos in terms of our understanding of our own human origins, is a treasure to us all."

Watch our Galapagos Day videos by David Shukman!

2011-10-13T12:32:27Z

Here at GCT we would like to extend our thanks to all who came to our Galapagos Day lecture with the BBC's David Shukman. We have a little something for those who couldn't make it this time round - watch the videos below of David talking about the problem of plastic pollution in our oceans, with some great footage of albatrosses on Midway Atoll and, of course, one about Galapagos and the problems with invasive species. We are grateful to have had such a fantastic speaker with some great conversation messages - we hope you enjoy watching him too.

Protecting the Galapagos Islands' Wildlife

2011-08-10T15:12:51Z

This BBC report is well worth a watch! Contains some great footage and highlights the issues associated with tourism. Keep an eye out for an update on GCT's report from our recent tourism workshop coming soon!

Blue-footed Zumba

2011-06-22T10:44:41Z

GCT staffers and supporters joined up with travel company Journey Latin America to celebrate Blue-footed Booby Day. A video by Journey Latin America captured all the fun. To view the video, please click the Play icon below.

Blue-footed Booby Day in the media

2011-06-17T13:26:55Z

Blue-footed Booby Day got off to a cracking start with coverage in national newspapers and on the Internet. Here are some of the highlights.

The Daily Mail's online version has an in-depth interview with Sarah Darwin, the great-great-grand daughter of Charles. Read it here.

The Indpendent has a comprehensive article. Read it here.

Up until 2.45 pm today, the ITV News website had a film of Boobies courting with a written news item.

More to follow.

First Australian Galapagos giant tortoise hatchling

2011-06-03T09:37:31Z

Australia's Taronga Western Plains Zoo, about six hours drive from Sydney, has hatched Australia's first Galapagos giant tortoise.

The hatchling came out of the egg on March 19 and has been carefully looked after by keepers and veterinary staff. It now weighs 94.8 grams and is only 8cm long but it's doing very well.

The hatchling is currently housed in a special area behind the scenes which is temperature controlled allowing keepers to ensure optimum conditions for this new arrival.

The tortoise hatchling currently eats very small amounts of leaves and chaff as well as some fruit and vegetables once every three days and enjoys daily sessions in the sun as well as a soak in warm water three times a week.

"The clutch of eggs was collected from the nest and was incubated artificially" said Keeper, Addy Watson.

"We have been working towards breeding Galapagos tortoise for almost 10 years and to finally achieve success is a testament to the dedication and animal husbandry expertise of the team."

"The hatchling is currently only 0.033% the weight of our largest male. It will take approximately 20 - 25 years for this hatchling to reach full size. At just five years old it will still be only 30cm in length," said Addy.

The Galapagos giant tortoise hatchling is currently not on display but will soon make its public debut for visitors to come and see this amazing creature.

Galapagos giant tortoises are classified as vulnerable in the wild, with less than 20,000 remaining on the Galapagos Archipelago with feral animals the main threat for the species.

Read GCT's May eNews

2011-05-10T10:58:13Z

Please read the Galapagos Conservation Trust's May e-newsletter for all the latest news about everything that's going on in Galapagos and here in the UK...

May 2011

In this edition:

15th Anniversary Appeal reaches target

We did it!

A big thank you to all our supporters for your generosity in ensuring The Galapagos Conservation Trust (GCT) reached its 15th Anniversary Appeal target of raising £150,000 by the end of April.

GCT's chief executive, Toni Darton, said: "Last year GCT identified three priority areas that, we believe, not only contain the biggest threats but also, between them, hold the key to saving this natural treasure for future generations to enjoy.

"The Appeal was launched to help fund projects that address these priorities and we are delighted that so many people have shown their support for this vital work."

The three broad areas are Island Restoration, Climate Change and Social Issues and form the basis of our 15 Steps to Save Galapagos. These will remain our focus for 2011. You can find out more about our 15 Steps to Help Save Galapagos, by clicking here.

..Top

Join in Blue-footed Booby Day on 17 June

Join in this year's Blue-footed Booby Day by wearing a pair of blue socks or shoes and donating just £2 on JustGiving or on our website.

GCT's chief executive, Toni Darton, says: "Blue-footed Booby Day will help make people aware of the need to protect this amusing but vulnerable bird from joining other Galapagos birds and animals in danger of extinction and, we hope, raise vital funds to support this conservation work."

You don't necessarily have to limit yourself to wearing blue socks or shoes. Why not start planning your own activities in support of Blue-footed Booby Day? There are plenty of ideas on our website and you can have a look here at how some of our supporters celebrated Blue-footed Booby Day last year.

Don't forget you can also share ideas, images and videos on GCT's Facebook.

We would love to hear from you!

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BBC's David Shukman to be Galapagos Day guest speaker

We are pleased to announce that the BBC's David Shukman has accepted our invitation to be this year's guest speaker at Galapagos Day which will be held at 6 pm on Wednesday 14 September at the Royal Geographical Society.

David has been the BBC's Environment and Science Correspondent since 2003 and has reported from locations that reach every corner of the globe including the Arctic, the Amazon and the Galapagos Islands.

He has covered climate change on many assignments and has also experienced at first hand GCT's two other priority areas for conservation in Galapagos: Island Restoration and Social Issues.

Please click here to read an article about Galapagos and a video on Lonesome George by David, written by following his visit to the Islands for the Darwin Bicentenary in 2009.

For more information on Galapagos Day and how to book your tickets please click here.

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Art auction for Blue-footed Booby Day

Well-known artist Vanessa Garwood, whose impressive cv includes the Visitor's Choice award at the National Portrait Gallery 2005 BP award, has pledged to support her friends Georgia Berry and Max Fraser, who are taking part in Scotland's Cape Wrath marathon for Blue-footed Booby Day.

Vanessa has supported her friends by donating her framed painting Portrait VI to raise funds by auction for Blue-footed Booby Day.

At the time of this eNews the current bid was £250. To find out more and place your bid for this valuable work, please click here.

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We need volunteers!

GCT's volunteers are the backbone of our organisation and without them we could never achieve so much!

From time to time we require the help of volunteers with skills in a particular field- usually to help us with a specific project or piece of work but also occasionally to come into the office to help on a more regular basis. This could be in anything from graphic design to research; marketing to human resources; facilitating workshops to proof reading; and sourcing second hand furniture and equipment to writing articles. As you can see, the list is endless!

We are currently trying to build a pool of volunteers that we can call upon when needed. Specifically we need: a photographic volunteer; a fundraising volunteer; and general office volunteers. If you feel you might have particular skills or experience that could support the work of our small team, then please click here for job descriptions and information on how to apply.

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Visitor experience workshop in Galapagos

On 31 March, 2011, the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) hosted a two-day workshop to analyse The Experience of Visitors to the Galapagos National Park (GNP) and Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) Bi-institutional Area - the Charles Darwin Research Station, which is home to to Lonesome George. This popular site is on almost every visitor's itinerary and GCT is funding a feasibility study to investigate ways to enhance the visitor experience.

The purpose of the workshop was to explore opportunities for improvement and innovation in tourist interpretation at the institutions' shared facilities in Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island.

The event brought together such international experts as Ian Parkin from Great Britain, who has over 30 years' experience in heritage interpretation; Richard Morales, a Panamanian naturalist guide with 15 years' experience who is a certified National Association for Interpretation (NAI) trainer; and Randal Keynes, CDF Board member, GCT Ambassador, and great-great-grandson of Charles Darwin.

CDF and GNP staff, naturalist guides, and special guests attending the workshop pooled their knowledge, experience and aspirations to create a visitor experience that is informative, exciting and educational, covering the vital work done by the GNP and CDF.

A report and recommendations will be completed over the coming months.

..Top

Please click here for all news items on GCT's website

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Experts Meet to Enhance the CDF-GNP Visitor Experience

2011-04-11T06:40:45Z

On 31 March, 2011, the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) hosted a two-day seminar to analyse "The Experience of Visitors to the Galapagos National Park and Charles Darwin Foundation Bi-institutional Area." The purpose of the workshop was to explore opportunities for improvement and innovation in tourist interpretation at the institutions' shared facilities in Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island.

The event brought together such international experts as Ian Parkin from Great Britain, who has over 30 years' experience in heritage interpretation; Richard Morales, a Panamanian naturalist guide with 15 years' experience who is a certified National Association for Interpretation (NAI) trainer; and Randal Keynes, CDF Board of Directors member and great-great-grandson of Charles Darwin.

CDF and GNP staff, naturalist guides, and special guests attending the workshop pooled their knowledge and experience in an effort to turn the visit to the CDF-GNP bi-institutional area into a highly educational experience covering the varied aspects of the Galapagos Islands and the vital work done by the GNP and CDF.

At the opening of the seminar, CDF's Executive Director,Dr. J. Gabriel Lopez, spoke of the importance of this encounter: "My thanks to the specialists and other participants for their presence at this workshop, which for the next two days will give us the opportunity to rethink, analyze, and enhance the experience that visitors have at our bi-institutional complex, so that they may be better informed and thus become more knowledgeable ambassadors for the islands' conservation and protection."

The main topics of discussion for the workshop were:
1.        Mission, Vision, Goals
2.        Types of Visitors and Interpretive Messages
3.        Goals for the Visitor Experience
4.        Interpretive Resources
5.        Interpretation as a Management Tool

This CDF initiative has been generously sponsored by Galapagos Conservation Trust.

Managing invasive rats

2011-03-28T08:13:41Z

An article in today's Daily Telegraph by its Brazil correspondet, Robin Yapp, describes how :"Scientists in the Galapagos Islands, which inspired Charles Darwin's theory of evolution, have launched a major project to save native species under threat from thousands of invasive rats.

Ten tons of 'cookies' laced with poison bait, which will entice rats but repulse other wildlife such as sea lions, birds, marine iguanas and sea turtles, were dumped from a helicopter during two fly-overs.

Black rats and Norway rats, which were introduced to the islands via pirates' ships in the 17th century, pose a significant threat to several of the unique Galapagos species.

They eat the eggs and hatchlings of turtles and Galapagos giant tortoises, spread disease and are capable of climbing to feed on the eggs of tree-nesting birds.

In all they have endangered some 50 bird species, including the Galapagos petrel, a seabird that breeds in excavated tunnels on high islands only in the Galapagos.
Galapagos National Park Service launched the "full-scale assault" against the rats with help from other organisations, including the Charles Darwin Foundation.

Felipe Cruz, director of technical assistance at the foundation, said invasive species pose the "greatest threat to nature in the Galapagos"

But scientists who carried out the helicopter drops say the operation went "extremely well" and monitors have already identified dead rats on the rocky terrain."

For the full article, please click here..

Galapagos Day 2011 speaker

2011-03-27T11:42:19Z

We are delighted to announce that David Shukman will be our guest speaker at this year's Galapagos Day.

David Shukman has been the BBC's Environment and Science Correspondent since 2003, and he has reported from locations that reach every corner of the globe including the Arctic, the Amazon and the Galapagos Islands.

He has covered climate change on many assignments and during his travels he has also experienced GCT's two other priority areas for conservation in Galapagos - Island Restoration and Social Issues.

Please click here to read an article about Galapagos and a video on Lonesome George by David.

David's work has won him several awards, he is the author of two books and numerous articles.

Visiting the Islands, as part of the Darwin 200 anniversaries he reported 'that according to conservationists, the Galapagos Islands face irreversible damage unless tourism is curbed'.

The number of tourists has reached a record of 173,000, a four-fold increase over the past 20 years and the rising numbers have led to a boom in the construction of hotels and a surge in imports from mainland Ecuador. Increases in tourism result in increasing alien species reaching this once remote place and the temptation to migrants from the mainland population to reap the financial benefits remains.

"The Galapagos is still the best preserved archipelago in the world. But what's at stake if current trends continue is that the Galapagos will be lost. Yes the Galapagos will still be there but the richness will be lost." From an interview with Dr G Lopez, Executive Director of the Charles Darwin Foundation.

Managing invasives in inhabited Galapagos

2011-03-23T10:45:42Z

The Charles Darwin Foundation's Restoration Group Coordinator, Dr Mark Gardener, is featured in the 18 March edition of Science magazine, published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). The article by Gaia Vince entitled Embracing Invasives, describes how conservationists are beginning to manage highly-disturbed ecosystems as biodiversity strongholds.

According to GCT's chief executive Toni Darton: "Mark Gardener is trying to find ways to enable biodiversity and ecosystem services to be maximised and intervention minimised in the inhabited islands of Galapagos. Mark recognises that some uninhabited islands are in a near original state and entirely protected. These islands are obviously different from the inhabited islands which have been highly modified, especially in the humid highlands.

"Mark goes on to say, in the article, that a further challenge is marrying biodiversity and human needs to meet future conditions such as climate change and continuing human development through food cultivation and recharging groundwater.

"These are priority areas within GCT's 15 Steps to Help Save Galapagos and we believe that Galapagos could act as a model for the world in achieving this balance."

The Science article can be viewed here.

A new pink iguana

2011-03-22T10:55:00Z

According to The Observer (20 March 2011) a new species of pink iguana has been officially recognised on the Galapagos island of Isabela.

The newspaper said that The Conservation of Galapagos Land Iguanas project, a collaboration between the University Tor Vergata, Rome, and Galapagos National Park led by Gabriele Gentile, had discovered a new species.

There had previously been several anecdotal sightings but this was the first scientific observation.

Two species of iguana were previously recognised, described in 1831 and 1903. Now a third species has been identified from Isla Isabela. Conolophus marthae is distinctive genetically, behaviourally and anatomically. Its pink and black-striped colour and head-bobbing behaviour easily distinguish it from the other species, and its much greater genetic distance suggests that it represents an ancient split in the lineage. Based on the small population endemic to Volcan Wolf, highest peak in the Galapagos, the species has been recommended for placing on the ICUN Red List as "critically endangered".

Blue-footed Booby Day animation

2011-03-18T15:34:30Z

Find out here how you can join in the fun of this year's Blue-footed Booby Day. Meanwhile enjoy our funny and charming animation created by one of the team.