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October 10, 2024 Past events

Galapagos Day 2024

1 Wimpole Street, London W1G 0AE • 6:00 pm (UK time) • £30 / £15 for students
Galapagos sea lion pup on San Cristobal

Our speakers and panellists

His Excellency Mr Luis Vayas Valdivieso

His Excellency Mr Luis Vayas Valdivieso

Ambassador of Ecuador to the United Kingdom

Monty Halls

Monty Halls

GCT President

Dr Jen Jones

Dr Jen Jones

CEO, Galapagos Conservation Trust

Dr Ceri Lewis

Dr Ceri Lewis

University of Exeter

Dr Amy MacLeod

Dr Amy MacLeod

Iguanas from Above / University of Leipzig

Lucía Norris

Lucía Norris

Programmes & Policy Manager, Galapagos Conservation Trust

Dr Sally Uren OBE

Dr Sally Uren OBE

CEO, Forum for the Future

Drone image of shark nursery at Cerro Brujo

Turning the tide on plastic pollution

At Galapagos Day 2024, we are inviting you to join a growing movement with an ambitious goal: to turn the tide on plastic pollution, both in Galapagos and across the Pacific Ocean.

Galapagos Day is our flagship event, bringing together wildlife lovers, travel enthusiasts, students, early career scientists, businesses and government representatives to raise money for GCT’s vital conservation work and celebrate these magical islands.

You’ll have the chance to learn how cutting-edge technology is protecting endangered species, visit our Galapagos photography exhibition, speak to our staff and conservation partners, and win prizes including a trip to Galapagos in our raffle.

With your support, we can rid the Galapagos Islands of plastic pollution and restore damaged ecosystems, both on land and at sea. We can make urban and agricultural areas on the populated islands safe for giant tortoises, ensuring that their habitat is free of plastic bags and other waste. We can protect sharks, turtles and seabirds from discarded fishing gear, which entangles marine wildlife with deadly results. And we can work with the local community to foster a circular economy where waste is minimised, plastic alternatives are adopted and products are reused or repurposed, rather than ending up in landfill or leaking into the natural environment.

Lava lizard and plastic pollution in Galapagos
Lava lizard and plastic pollution in Galapagos © Conservation International / GNPD

Programme and tickets

The event opens at 6pm, with talks running from 7pm until approximately 8:30pm. Afterwards there will be time to network and visit our stands, with the event closing at 10pm.

Tickets are on sale now for £30/£15 for students. The ticket price includes your first drink at the bar.

Proceeds from this event will help to fund our conservation work in Galapagos.

Buy tickets now
Stephen Fry on screen at Galapagos Day 2023
Stephen Fry on screen at Galapagos Day 2023 © Akemi Yokoyama / GCT

How is GCT working to tackle plastic pollution?

When we launched the Plastic Pollution Free Galapagos programme in 2018, we knew very little about the plastic washing up on Galapagos coastlines. Where was it coming from? What effect was it having? We now have five years’ worth of data, which is already feeding into the Galapagos National Park plastics management plan, helping to identify priority areas for clean-up. Our evidence has been cited by policymakers, both at a local level and on the international stage, and is being used to drive forward solutions such as the development of a circular economy on the Islands.

To protect the precious wildlife of Galapagos from plastic pollution, we are taking a full-spectrum, long-term approach.

At the grassroots, we are educating and inspiring the next generation, from the recent launch of our new storybook, Alberto the Waved Albatross, to our support for the Young Tortoise Protectors programme, which engages local young people in Galapagos to collect litter and help scientists identify tortoises that need to be relocated from urban areas to safer locations. We are working with the Galapagos community to develop sustainable alternatives to single-use plastics, and we are training National Park rangers in the use of cutting-edge monitoring technology such as drone surveys.

Galapagos giant tortoise (Santa Cruz)
Galapagos giant tortoise on Santa Cruz island © Diego Andino

At the government level, we are collecting the evidence and developing the policies to support stronger protections for sharks and sea turtles, tackling unsustainable and illegal fishing practices such as the use of fish aggregating devices (FADs) in the Galapagos Marine Reserve, which entangle endangered marine animals in their plastic netting. And we are bringing together leaders from across the Pacific region to speak with one voice at the UN Global Plastics Treaty negotiations, drawing on Indigenous wisdom and raising up the voices of island communities.

At Galapagos Day you will hear first-hand from the people who are tackling this pervasive issue, from scientists working on the front line to the leaders representing Galapagos at the United Nations. We hope you will leave at the end of the night feeling inspired and empowered to join us in our mission: ridding the Galapagos Islands of plastic pollution, once and for all.

This year we have a wonderful new venue for Galapagos Day, the centrally located 1 Wimpole Street, home of the Royal Society of Medicine. Just 5 minutes’ walk from Bond Street and Oxford Circus stations, the intimate but impressive space includes a 298-seater auditorium, glass-ceilinged atrium and accessible facilities.

1 Wimpole Street
© 1 Wimpole Street
Buy tickets now
Mundy Adventures

Our sponsor

This year’s event is kindly sponsored by Mundy Adventures, a London-based travel agency specialising in expedition cruising, with over 50 years’ experience in tailor-making incredible holidays. Their focus is on adventures by small ship, taking you to places with no tourist infrastructure, whilst travelling in comfort with expert guides. Destinations include the Galapagos Islands, Antarctica and the Arctic.

Find out more

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