Overview
Ensuring that every child can experience nature first-hand is vital to creating the next generation of conservation ambassadors. We support programmes that take young people out into the Galapagos National Park, allowing them to get hands-on experience of conservation and giving them time in the laboratory with scientists. We also have a growing library of educational resources available in both English and Spanish, designed to support educators and students in Galapagos, the UK and beyond.
Lead Project Partners
The problem
Research shows that people who connect with nature as children develop stronger conservation and sustainability values and are more likely to protect nature when they grow up. However, young people in Galapagos can face barriers to accessing nature within the Galapagos National Park. The prices that tourists pay to visit wildlife hotspots are out of reach for most families here, and many sites are only accessible by boat.
The young people of today are tomorrow’s conservation ambassadors and the future stewards of our planet. By deepening their understanding of the natural world and the conservation challenges that we face in the future, we hope to inspire and engage young people in the sustainable development of Galapagos and the wider world.
In Galapagos, rapid population growth is placing additional strains on a delicate ecosystem that is also at risk from increased tourism and associated threats such as invasive species, marine pollution and biodiversity loss. The issues faced in the microcosm of Galapagos are of global relevance, and the communication of these problems and their potential solutions could influence conservation management strategies in other areas of the world.
It’s been amazing seeing the transformation of the girls that started out being afraid of the ocean, to becoming enthralled by the underwater world.
How we’re tackling it
We provide frequent and varied activities to connect young people in Galapagos with the unique ecosystems and wildlife on their doorstep, whilst providing education opportunities on key conservation issues. By offering a range of activities and support from an early age, we aim to solidify long-lasting connections to nature, whilst encouraging greater interest in conservation careers or higher education courses in marine science, ultimately building in-country capacity in these areas. While our primary target audience is young people, we aim to bring wider community benefits by engaging families too.
Our current priorities include supporting environmental education led by the ECOS Foundation on Floreana, linked to the ongoing restoration of the island; strengthening community engagement with science and conversation through the Connecting with Nature programme, led by Leidy Apolo at the Galapagos Science Center; continuing to develop our series of educational storybooks and linked educational activities; supporting Fundación Naveducando’s ‘Sailing Oceanic Classroom’ experiential learning programme, which transforms private sailing boats into floating classrooms in the Galapagos Marine Reserve; and continuing to get more girls involved in ocean science through the Gills Club (Chicas con Agallas), led by Dr Diana Pazmiño of the Universidad San Francisco de Quito.
Our Discovering Galapagos online educational resources include materials adapted for the UK with easy-to-use, downloadable curriculum-linked activities, along with resources adapted for delivery in the Galapagos Islands and mainland Ecuador. From pirates to plate tectonics and colonisation to the evolution of species, our resources will bring the Islands to life in your classroom.
Project goals
Our environmental education and outreach work aims to:
- Give families in Galapagos greater access to nature and the Galapagos National Park
- Support teachers to help their students connect with nature
- Provide hands-on opportunities for young people to engage directly with conservation
- Develop and promote citizen science projects where local people can get involved in scientific data collection and analysis
- Support the training and development of community outreach leaders in Galapagos
- Strengthen the links between conservationists and local communities
- Form stronger cultural and educational connections between the UK and Ecuador
- Promote an understanding of the wider environmental issues that the world faces through the lens of Galapagos
Investing in the future
We believe that real change starts at the grassroots. Will you help us support young people in Galapagos and inspire the conservationists of the future?
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