Recently in Galapagos Conservation Trust & CDF Category

Blue-footed Booby Day in the media

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.



Read GCT's May eNews




logo_gct2.gif  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

15th Anniversary Appeal reaches target

Brown Pelican at sunset, Floreana @ Jackie Hoare

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.

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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

davidshukman04 300 x 200.jpg

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

Portrait VI © Vanessa Garwood

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.

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

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Galapagos Day 2011 speaker

davidshukman04 300 x 200.jpg 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.
In the aftermath of the recent massive Japanese earthquake the authorities in Galapagos are assessing the damage caused by the tsunami-related waves which hit the Islands on Friday 14 March. Unfortunately their arrival in the archipelago coincided with a high tide, leading to waves nearly six feet in height.
Tsunami 2011 Inside the Red Mangrove Hotel © Swen Lorenz.jpg

Inside the Red Mangrove Hotel © Swen Lorenz


Thankfully there was sufficient warning to carry out a successful evacuation to higher ground -  not just for the human residents but also for the Islands'  most famous resident, Lonesome George, who was taken to the Highlands of Santa Cruz along with the other giant  tortoises from the breeding centre where he lives.

Tsunami 2011 Footpath to Finch Bay Hotel © Swen Lorenz.jpg

Footpath to Finch Bay Hotel © Swen Lorenz

Three of the four inhabited islands have escaped with relatively little damage. The greatest impact was felt in the main town of Puerto Ayora, where a number of waterfront buildings including two hotels and a bank were damaged.  Sadly there has also been severe damage to the Marine Sciences complex at the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF).  Toni Darton, the Galapagos Conservation Trust (GCT)'s chief executive, said: "This is a major blow. The important marine conservation work which we are supporting in Galapagos is underpinned by the scientific research undertaken in CDF's laboratories. We will be working with CDF to ensure this vital work continues."

Tsunami 2011 Damage to the Red Mangrove Hotel © Swen Lorenz.jpg

Damage to the Red Mangrove Hotel © Swen Lorenz

CDF is busy cleaning up the debris and retrieving equipment in the laboratories. According to CDF's Executive Director, Gabriel Lopez, it was a challenging night as the electricity was down and phone communications were difficult or nonexistent.  Dr Lopez said: "Our staff has again preformed admirably and mingas (voluntary work parties) have been organised to clean up."

"I know many of our members and supporters are concerned about the harm that may have been done to Galapagos," added  Toni Darton. "Damage reports are still coming in from all over Galapagos and It will be some time before scientists can carry out a thorough assessment of the coastal zones on the uninhabited islands, but we are hopeful that the impact on the Islands' wildlife has been minimal. I hope fairly soon to have a complete picture upon which we can assess the best way to help Galapagos recover". 

As part of the GCT-backed Project Floreana, the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) has officially presented its Water Source Operations and Solid Waste Management System studies to the island's local authorities and the community at large. From the outset Project Floreana has been a flagship project for the Galapagos Conservation Trust (GCT) and now forms a central plank of the Trust's 15 Steps to Help Save Galapagos.

Project Floreana links everything from species management to habitat restoration and tackling the human issues. GCT's chief executive, Toni Darton, said: "Project Floreana is the first time this approach has been taken on an inhabited island and could, we hope, not only restore Floreana and its wildlife but also provide a blueprint for the future."

During the presentation event, CDF Technical Assistance Director Felipe Cruz highlighted the importance of these studies and thanked the Floreana Parish Council and the Galapagos National Park for their joint support, adding: "We are committed to working for sustainable development and the all-round restoration of Floreana through community participation and the provision of resources for local capacity building, in pursuit of an enhanced quality of life for the island's inhabitants."

Felipe Cruz also informed the community that CDF will be holding a series of workshops in 2011 on creative thinking and sustainable tourism, among other topics, to be conducted by volunteer experts who will share their knowledge and skills with the island's residents. In conclusion, he presented two 2011 calendars prepared by CDF's Education team to reinforce the educational efforts being made on the island in the areas of solid waste management and native garden development.

Technologist Max Freire, Floreana Parish Council President, thanked CDF for the studies and pledged his support and collaboration to the Floreana Project, saying, "The Floreana community is grateful for the technical and scientific work being done by the Foundation on the island for the well-being and good living of its inhabitants."

In her intervention, CDF Education for Sustainable Development Coordinator Cristina Georgii briefed the community on CDF's environmental education plan for 2011, a project funded by GCT that will start off with holiday activities for island children in the second week of February.

After the formal presentations, the audience enjoyed a video summing up CDF's educational activities on Floreana last year and featuring children and parents from the Amazonas Elementary School.