Galapagos Conservation Trust was officially launched on 5 April 1995 at the Royal Society. Some 250 people attended, including Sir David Attenborough, David Bellamy (GCT’s first President), the Ecuadorian Ambassador, four former directors of the Charles Darwin Research Station, several MPs and no fewer than 10 descendants of Charles Darwin himself.
Over the last 30 years we have celebrated whole islands cleared of invasive species, an expanded marine reserve, pioneering legislation to protect the Islands, and an incredible community of Galapagos-born conservation leaders, researchers and educators who we just know are going to do amazing things over the next 30 years.
When GCT was founded in 1995, the situation on many islands was dire. Vegetation razed to the ground by goats overgrazing, tortoise and iguana nests plundered by pigs, birds picked off by feral cats, and the creeping menace of invasive plants strangling native flora. Over the last 30 years we have made huge strides, and GCT has provided seven-figure sums to fund complex island restoration projects.
Island like Pinzon, Santiago and Isabela are beginning to heal, and missing species are being reintroduced. We are supporting the continuing efforts to repopulate islands with their missing plants, birds, snakes, tortoises and iguanas. In the coming years, together with our partners and the local community, we aim to restore 12 missing species to Floreana, in one of the world’s most ambitious rewilding projects.
The Islands must be protected – they are a living history, a miraculous source of knowledge and wonder that has been a huge privilege to witness. Please help to keep this legacy of nature safe well into the future.
Whale sharks, hammerheads, turtles and rays are threatened by huge industrial fishing fleets once they leave the safety of the Galapagos Marine Reserve and enter the High Seas. Ocean protection is vital and we must have joined up legislation across borders. Research funded by GCT was instrumental in the creation of the new Hermandad Marine Reserve in 2022.
We are also still having to fight hard against destructive fishing methods that encroach on protected areas themselves, such as fish aggregating devices (FADs) that drift across the Marine Reserve, entangling and killing defenceless creatures in their wake. By tagging and tracking sharks, rays and other marine species, we are building up a detailed picture of the waters around Galapagos. This means we can go to policymakers with data-driven recommendations on priority areas for protection, such as shark nursery sites and key migratory routes.
The Galapagos Archipelago is best known for its terrestrial wonders, but those found beneath the waves are perhaps even more awe-inspiring. It’s one of the best dive locations on Earth and one of the most worth saving.
The same ocean currents that bring life-giving nutrients to Galapagos are now smashing plastic waste against the lava rocks and beaches, littering the coast with drinks bottles, fishing gear and all manner of other detritus. GCT is at the forefront of a research network using groundbreaking techniques to map out where the plastic is coming from, where it’s washing up and how it’s affecting wildlife.
We have also supported leaders to emerge from within Galapagos itself, rallying their communities and demanding action at global forums like the United Nations. We believe that real change starts at the grassroots, and the seeds that we have planted over the last 30 years are just getting going.
We're calling on world leaders to agree an ambitious, legally-binding Global Plastics Treaty that ends the scourge of plastic pollution.
Once home to some of the most iconic wildlife in Galapagos, Floreana has been devastated by invasive species.
We are supporting a hugely ambitious project to bring back 12 missing species and restore the island to its former glory.
The Galapagos Islands are located in the Eastern Tropical Pacific, one of the richest marine ecosystems on Earth.
We are funding research to expand ocean protection around Galapagos and protect marine wildlife from damaging fishing methods.
Visitor numbers to Galapagos have more than doubled over the past 20 years, threatening the very wildlife that attracts tourists in the first place.
We are working with local authorities, tourism businesses and the Galapagos community to drive forward a new approach to tourism that allows both people and nature to thrive.
While the Galapagos Archipelago remains one of the most pristine ecosystems in the world, it is not immune to the devastating effects of plastic pollution.
We are working with partners across the Eastern Pacific to make Galapagos plastic pollution free once again, identifying the sources and impacts of plastic and driving forward innovative solutions.
