Enabling the young people of Galapagos to get out into nature and experience the natural world is an important part of our approach to Galapagos giant tortoise conservation.
Volunteer at Galapagos Conservation Trust
In our previous blog, we introduced to you Tessa, the main character of our new storybook, Tessa the Giant Tortoise: A Galapagos Journey. In this blog, we want to tell you a little more about the giant tortoise conservation project behind the story.
In order to successfully carry out our projects in Galapagos, we work closely with local and international partner organisations and conservation experts. The Galapagos giant tortoise is one of the most iconic species on the Archipelago but continues to remain threatened. Only through understanding the ecological needs of the tortoises can we begin to conserve their numbers.
The Galapagos Tortoise Movement Ecology Programme (GTMEP) aims to better mitigate the relationship between tortoises and people. This is achieved by assessing changes in tortoise populations, determining spatial needs of tortoises on Galapagos, and assessing if human activity affects the health of tortoises on the Islands.
In our second educational storybook, Tessa the Giant Tortoise: A Galapagos Journey, we join our adventurer, Tessa, on her migration to and from the highlands of Santa Cruz island in Galapagos, as she faces perils such as busy roads and non-native species.
We are supporting GTMEP to improve our understanding of the ecology of these iconic reptiles to inform conservation strategies. The programme was initiated in 2009, and was the first GPS telemetry study of giant tortoises in Galapagos.
The programme is involved in a number of activities that will help us to improve our understanding of Galapagos giant tortoises, and what actions can be undertaken to support their conservation:
Alongside this, outreach programmes have been developed to establish better human-tortoise relationships, particularly amongst landowners on Santa Cruz. Continued outreach is vital to ensure people in Galapagos continue to have a connection with nature, particularly with children.
As a result, GCT has created a new storybook: Tessa the Giant Tortoise: A Galapagos Journey, that will inspire children in Galapagos to connect with nature and the unique animals they share it with, including the Galapagos giant tortoise. Through the eyes of Tessa, an 80 year old female giant tortoise on her migration journey to and from the highlands of Santa Cruz island, children will learn and reflect on the positive relationship they can have with nature through everyday environmentally friendly actions.
Researchers have found that Galapagos giant tortoises are unlikely to adapt their seasonal migratory patterns in the face of environmental change, with females using the same migration routes each year to return to their nests.
