Understanding the importance of environmental education in Galapagos

Can you tell us more about the education workshops you are delivering and what you hope to achieve with them?

The uniqueness of the Galapagos Islands requires from its inhabitants an understanding of how this uniqueness can be taken care of and protected. As with everywhere else on our planet, climate change has had, and will continue to have, impacts on marine and terrestrial biodiversity, and on the human communities found here on the Islands.

My hope for the workshops delivered here was to provide a safe space where climate change can be understood by educational leaders and members of different local organisations from Santa Cruz, San Cristobal and Isabela. My intention has been to share ‘seeds of awareness that participants will ‘plant’ in their educational and local communities.

What is the Galapagos Contextualized Curriculum and how is it being used to increase environmental awareness and engagement on the Islands?

Adapting the national curriculum to the unique context of Galapagos and its needs has added meaning to the education work being done on the Islands. The units that make up the curriculum provide understanding for current and future generations regarding the role they play as members of the local communities in taking care of and protecting the Islands.

The work done through the workshops contributes to the unit focused on the climate crisis. As an educator, I believe that the Contextualized Curriculum is one of the best initiatives implemented for the Galapagos Archipelago. Education with meaning is key for co-creating a society that is aware of its relationship with the natural environment, especially in a place like Galapagos, where the natural environment provides for the community by bringing hundreds of thousands of tourists to the Islands every year.

What impact is climate change having on islands such as Galapagos and their wildlife and communities?

It’s important to understand how the Islands will be affected by climate change. The year 2023 has been confirmed as the hottest year on record, with temperatures exceeding 1.5°C above the pre-industrial level. We can expect to have these temperature levels every year in the near future, as most probably this will become the new normal average temperature. The complexity of the natural systems makes it difficult to predict their exact behaviour and what the impacts will be.

However, what we know for sure is that this extra 1.5°C translates into higher air and water temperatures that already have impacts on both marine and terrestrial biodiversity; this will unleash cascading effects for both marine and terrestrial ecosystems.

Again, the local population highly depends on the local biodiversity through tourism activities; to put it simply – no biodiversity means no tourism. Other predicted impacts that will directly affect the local population are sea level rise and the disruption of the water cycle, which can lead to extreme rainfall, droughts, or both. Continuing the chain of impacts, access to water and local food production might also be affected.

What inspired you to work in the field of environmental education field, and in particular in Galapagos and Ecuador?

The way life expresses itself through the biodiversity found in mainland Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands inspires me to invest my time and energy in the environmental education carried out here. Surfing and diving in the Galapagos Islands made me fall in love with its waters filled with life. Trekking in the incredible Andes mountains and getting lost and re-encountering oneself in the Amazon rainforest is an infinite source of inspiration!

The people I have met in these places are incredible and inspiring! The ones I call family and friends have received me in their lives, taught me so much and are a source of inspiration for me. I share the same feeling for the teachers who, against all odds, long hours, tremendous work and lack of recognition, choose to put love into their way of teaching. My amazing and inspiring students are the reason I first came to Ecuador and the reason I continue to contribute to the education here. They, the young generations, are the guardians of the life found here, and what we choose to teach and how we choose to do it will have an impact on us all.

What is your favourite Galapagos species and why?

Having lived in the Enchanted Islands for four years, it is easy to fall in love with its biodiversity. At the same time, it’s hard to pick a favourite species. I’m fascinated by the different species of rays, hammerhead sharks, sea lions, penguins and sea turtles that are found in the waters here.

On land, one gets hypnotised looking into a tortoise’s eyes or admiring a pelican nearly touching a wave as it flies by. One species that grabs my attention is the marine iguana! The behavioural, physical and physiological adaptations the species went through to survive and thrive on the Islands are fascinating! Every time I see a marine iguana feeding on rocks underwater, and knowing that it had to change its behaviour to do so, reminds me of the quote – “When you want something as badly as you want to breathe, everything becomes possible.”