The Galapagos Conservation Trust was officially launched on 5 April 1995 at the Royal Society. Some 250 people attended including David Attenborough and David Bellamy, the Ecuadorian Ambassador, four former directors of the Charles Darwin Research Station, several MPs and no fewer than 10 descendants of Charles Darwin himself.

The invasive parasitic fly, Philornis downsi, is currently the single biggest threat to Galapagos land birds. We helped to fund an international workshop on control methods for Philornis which resulted in the development of a five-year management plan.

We are providing ongoing support for the Galapagos Tortoise Movement Ecology Programme which is investigating the migration behaviours of these iconic reptiles.

We collaborated with WWF to facilitate recycling initiatives on two of Galapagos’ inhabited islands including a waste oil recycling programme to prevent contamination of waterways.

Controlling the spread of invasive species is a high priority in Galapagos. We funded a project pioneered by our Ambassador Godfrey Merlen to install UV insect zappers on boats to prevent the spread of insects between islands.

In 2010, a female silky shark was tagged by scientists from the Charles Darwin Foundation and tracked from Galapagos to Clipperton Island 2200km away. This is the longest recorded shark migration in the Pacific Ocean. We helped to fund the expedition that tagged her.

Originally named the Galapagos Newsletter, our member publication has undergone several facelifts and a couple of name changes over the years. This was the front cover of the very first edition in the Autumn of 1995.

Following our successful Whale Shark Appeal, we supported the 2014 expedition of the Galapagos Whale Shark Project. View the results of this expedition in our Field Report Infographic.

We funded an Ecuadorian sculptor to create a new statue of Charles Darwin which is now on display at the Charles Darwin Research Station.

In collaboration with the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG), we launched our curriculum-linked educational programme in 2014 both in the UK and in Galapagos. Using genuine case studies from the Islands, Discovering Galapagos will help to catalyse interest and stewardship among the next generation of conservation ambassadors.

Begin your journey of discovery

Over the years we have supported several coastal clean-ups. In 2012, we funded a clean-up that removed 185 kilograms of debris from coastal areas of Santa Cruz.

Introduced goats have caused significant changes to habitats on some of the Galapagos Islands. We supported the Charles Darwin Foundation and the Galapagos National Park in the world’s largest ecosystem restoration project in a protected area which led to the eventual eradication of feral goats from the islands of Pinta, Santiago and Northern Isabela.

We supported the development and implementation of the Special Law for Galapagos. This provides a legal framework for certain aspects of island life including immigration control and fisheries management.

Regular monitoring of the Galapagos penguin and flightless cormorant populations is critical to understanding the health of the species and allows the Galapagos National Park to make management decisions based on the most recent information. We have provided support to this project for over five years. Find out more about the Penguins & Cormorants Monitoring Study.

We supported a project to encourage the use of native plant species by gardeners on Floreana to reduce the likelihood of introducing potentially invasive plants into the ecosystem.

First introduced by pirates and whalers in the 18th century, rats are one of the most serious threats to biodiversity. We have supported eradication projects which have seen the return of native species such as the Rabida gecko (Let’s hear it for tiny geckos…).

In 2011, we hosted a successful sustainable tourism workshop for UK tour operators who send clients to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands.

In 2014, we assisted in sending two professional engineers to work with the Charles Darwin Foundation and the Prince’s Foundation for Building Community to refurbish the Research Station’s library and advise on building best practice housing.

Floreana has a human population of around 100 people. Working with a variety of partner organisations we have supported a range of projects to ensure the sustainable future of the island. These include protecting the critically endangered Floreana mockingbird and supporting waste and water management initiatives in the local community.