Conservation

Conservation
After visiting the Galápagos Islands, most people take with them very special feelings and memories of this magical location. There are some of us who want to go one step further - they want to give something back to these wonderful islands.
Scholarship Program
Wanting to give back was why we initiated the GALAPAGOS TRAVEL Scholarship Program in 1994, a joint venture with the Galápagos Conservancy. The Galápagos Conservancy and the Charles Darwin Research Station are vital partners with the Galápagos National Park, yet the station is woefully under funded; their annual budget is under $5 million, and they have 100 employees, a visitor center, tortoises to raise and care for, and baseline research to conduct. Under the terms of our program, GALAPAGOS TRAVEL will be funding Ecuadorian undergraduate students to conduct 18-month - 2-year research programs in the Galápagos, the results of which will be a senior thesis.

Flightless cormorants in courtship (Fernandina Island)
Our first three students completed their theses on marine iguanas and giant tortoises, respectively. The results so far are quite fascinating, not only in terms of conservation data, but also, for example, as far as shedding new light on basic iguana behavior - in this case, that the hatchlings migrate to a safe feeding ground, much as sea turtles do.
Our third student, Paola Buitron, worked with the fragile (and possibly threatened) populations of land iguanas on North Seymour & Baltra Islands, and also investigated the recent increase of infertility.
Fernando Garcia's project brought us back to the giant tortoises; this time mapping the distribution and nesting zones of the endangered giant tortoises of southern Isabela.
Diógenes Aguirre, our fifth graduate student, has just completed his research on the "Foraging behavior, population status and distribution of the Lava Gull on Santa Cruz Island." Diógenes has this to say about his experiences thus far:
"This letter is to thank Galápagos Travel, and your passengers, for your tremendous generosity; not just for the economic but also for the moral support, and for the wonderful opportunity, which I will always remember with gratitude.

This Scholarship has opened doors for me and helped me take my first steps in searching for new goals; it has allowed me to take the decision to continue with my education and play an important role in the Charles Darwin Foundation's work, and to be up-to-date with biology and related areas of scientific research.

If I had not been given this opportunity, I would have made other decisions about my life... Now I have new things on the horizon of my life; I can look forward to being a Master of Science, which previously did not seem possible; I can specialize in conservation biology and the managemnet of Protected Natural Areas.

This experience has also woken in me a love and passion for my beloved birds; finches, mockingbirds, Galápagos doves, albatross, yellow warblers, pintail ducks, frigate birds, moorhens, penguins and cormorants, and now especially the Lava Gulls...

Thanks to you and Galápagos Travel passengers, the Lava Gulls and I will be able to make a good future. We will always be grateful to you."

In our opinion, the future of Galápagos is in the hands of Ecuador, and the islands need environmentally-sensitive and educated Ecuadorians (such as these excellent graduate students). A rather remarkable example of this is that our second graduate student, Washington Tapia, in now a senior official with the Galápagos National Park and was in fact appointed interim Director of the park in 2005.
To date, we have contributed and/or raised $150,000 for this program. Many of our passengers contribute to this special program, and any assistance you may wish to offer would obviously be greatly appreciated. Checks should be made out to the Galápagos Conservancy, and sent to our office. The "memo" line should indicate "GALAPAGOS TRAVEL Program." Within the US this is fully tax-deductible. All donors who give $25 or more will become recognized by the Galápagos Conservancy as a "Friend of Galápagos" and will receive a 1 year subscription to Noticias de Galápagos and the Galápagos News, the journals of the Charles Darwin Foundation (which carry articles on Galápagos science and conservation). Annual contributions will extend the subscription to both publications. We will keep all donors notified on the progress of
this special program.
Low Impact Tourism
GALAPAGOS TRAVEL is dedicated to preserving the ecological integrity of the Galápagos Islands. We promote sustainable low impact tourism and feel that nature-oriented tourism should remain as the main economic activity of the Galápagos. Further, we perceive that the truly unique and rich natural resources of the Galápagos are threatened by commercial fisheries and by introduced species of plants and animals. For a detailed description and analysis of these problems, we refer you to information offered by the Galápagos Coalition. We feel that a necessary condition to support the growth of future tourism is increased protection for the islands and its natural resources. This protection refers to both legislative action and the enforcement of these laws. To this end, GALAPAGOS TRAVEL was a founding member of the INTERNATIONAL GALAPAGOS TOUR OPERATORS ASSOCIATION. The mission is to have a unified, strong voice - one that will be heard by the world press, the concerned public, and the Ecuadorian government.
Scouting Program
GALAPAGOS TRAVEL also helps fund a local chapter of the Scouts. The Nueva Era Scout Foundation provides conservation education and recreation activities to local boys and girls in San Cristobal. Following is a letter from the president of the Scouts, William Puga, detailing their group's activities and accomplishments.
Greetings from San Cristobal! We have been very busy over the last few months, and the garua doesn't seem to be putting a damper into our growth nor our spirits.

On Friday July 7, 2000, we celebrated the realization of a several year old dream with the opening of the Cinema Paraiso and Rincon Scout at the Playa Mann. With several hundred members of the community of San Cristobal in attendance, we watched films on both Friday and Saturday nights under the stars and next to the crashing waves. In addition, in collaboration with the Charles Darwin Station, we began a recycling campaign and community cleanup with the youth of San Cristobal. We are very proud of these achievements, and we are grateful of your support, and the support of your passengers, that has helped us along the way.

As part of our Mejor Imagen project for San Cristobal, we have recently been approved to initiate a plan to install trash cans throughout the malecon (waterfront walk) and other areas where garbage can potentially spill into the marine reserve. The campaign also includes an educational component that will involve the Scouts and the community at large.

We have decided to allot a significant portion of recent donations towards the rent of the Environmental Awareness Center (EAC) and its staff of volunteers as we feel that these two items represent the backbone of our success. With the opening of the Bar Scout at the Playa Mann, we have begun to generate cash flow that will help us become more self-sufficient. Until then, however, we cannot share how much we appreciate your support in our efforts towards conserving the Galápagos Islands through education and community action.

In addition, the Environmental Awareness Center that you visited several months ago is now adorned with murals of the marine reserve, other Galápagos wildlife, and a map of the world, thanks to a group of recent volunteers here in San Cristobal.

Our English language courses continue to surpass our expectations, as our base of students is well over 120 students from ages 3-50. Like all of our projects, English classes serve as a medium for messages of conservation and the importance of Galápagos.

We have also granted a scholarship to Patricia Munoz. Patricia is a Scout leader who has been working with us for the past several years, as both leader of the Cub Scouts and dance groups. She has recently graduated from high school, and was accepted into a top dance academy in Quito. We decided to allocate a portion of your donation towards helping her further her dance studies for several reasons.

First, we feel strongly that dance has been a popular medium that has allowed us to attract the community's interest in order to convey messages of conservation, while building self-esteem of girls and boys in the community. Second, it is very difficult to find young people in San Cristobal who are willing to donate their time to community service, due to a number of economic, cultural, and parental influences. Thus, as a means to encourage more participation amongst the youth of San Cristobal, we felt that Patricia was the ideal candidate and more than deserving of our help in pursuing her dance studies. Third, the agreement of her scholarship is under the condition that Patricia comes back to the community when not studying to be an active leader in the Scout's dance groups and activities in general. Her stipend is $70 per month, which covers her tuition.

We are currently working on a brochure, and possibly a video, for you and your boats. We are always thankful for your continued support, and we think you would be proud of the work we have achieved in San Cristobal. Wishing you the very best, and looking forward to seeing you again in the future. As always, if you have any further questions, comments, ideas, etc. please don't hesitate to contact us.

Best Regards,

William Puga President, Nueva Era Scout Foundation

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