She organized 14 workshops for 250 children on Santa Cruz Island. These workshops taught them how to transform plastic waste into toys and art. Mayra wants to spread “More Art, Less Garbage” to community colleges and schools, so that parents can be reached through their children. She hopes that by doing this, she can raise awareness of the damaging effects of plastic waste on Galapagos.

Mirian Silva, a Galapagos resident, is another WISE grant winner for her “Native Gardens”, which focuses on the conservation of native and endemic plants on Santa Cruz Island. She also aims to protect the iconic flora of Galapagos by reforesting areas in schools. Galapagos Conservancy is supporting projects like Mirian’s in order to ensure the sustainability of Galapagos.

They still face a variety of challenges despite their critical contributions and those of other female conservationists on Galapagos. Women are underrepresented in conservation leadership positions, which limits their ability to shape policy and influence decisions. Women in conservation can also be exposed to gender-based harassment and violence, which creates an unsafe environment.

Galapagos Conservancy’s WISE grant program and the achievements of female leaders on the island serve as powerful reminders of the important role women play in conservation. We can build a sustainable and equitable future for our planet by recognizing the contributions made by women in this area.

Mayra Hernández and her students ©Galápagos Conservancy

SER has led the way in ecological restoration over nearly 30 years, connecting more than 4,000 members around the world and championing effective practices and policies. The conference this year was no different, as around 1,000 academics, professionals, and scientists gathered in person for first time since 2019. They discussed the urgent imperatives of eco-system restoration.

Highlight of the event was Tapia’s presentation entitled “Rewilding Giant Tortoises : Engineering Plant Communities on the Galapagos Islands,” in which she explored the essential role giant tortoises play in revitalizing island ecosystems. Dr. Tapia stressed the importance of reintroducing giant animals, such as Galapagos tortoises. He also showed how their presence can revitalize entire plant ecosystems.

Tapia shared his insights about how the resurgence in giant tortoise population has affected plant communities at various scales. He noted that the resultant increase in herbaceous and decline in wooden plants. He called this phenomenon a “cascade” effect, where a single shift, such as the tortoises eating only certain plants, causes ripples in the ecosystem. The presence of the tortoises on the island has a domino effect, bringing about benefits for all the diverse species.

Tapia’s presentation raised the profile of Galapagos Islands and Ecuador internationally, but also highlighted a holistic approach to nature. He stressed the intrinsic value each species has as a contributor towards ecosystem health and resilience. Reintegration of giant tortoises and other megafauna is a testament of the Galapagos Conservancy’s collaborative efforts with the Galapagos National Park Directorate. This sets a benchmark for comprehensive island rehabilitation.

Events such as SER2023 highlight the importance of a collaborative, interdisciplinary approach to addressing the ecological challenges facing the 21st Century. Washington Tapia is leading the way to a more sustainable and greener future.

Dr. Washington Tapia, General Director of Galápagos Conservancy, attends
the 10th World Conference on Ecological Restoration (SER2023). Dr. Tapia
was one of the scientist guest speakers at the event. ©Galápagos Conservancy

Beach pollution is a major issue that affects both local economies and wildlife on all islands. Recently, 65 students collected 575 pounds worth of plastic from four beaches on the archipelago. The students’ success in cleaning the beaches was not just a great conservation feat, but also an inspiration for us all.

Galapagos youth also help their homeland by participating in marine conservation practices. Galapagos National Park gave 65 students an opportunity to learn and train about marine environments. Students are involved in a variety of activities that are vital for marine conservation. These include monitoring and tagging young sharks, and restoring corals.

The next generation of Galapagos Conservationists has already made a significant impact on the island. Galapagos National Park is the Galapagos Conservancy’s main partner in conservation. These remarkable opportunities for Galapagos youth would not have been possible without them. We are proud to support this Park’s efforts to inspire the next generation of conservationists.

Students participating in beach clean-ups on Santa Cruz Island ©Galápagos National Park

The species used to be widespread on Espanola Island, but in the 1960s only 15 individuals were left, and they all lived in captivity. Captive breeding is a complex program that involves repatriating tortoises to Espanola Island from breeding centers, where they were raised and hatched. The tortoises undergo a strict quarantine before they are transported to the island. They are selected according to their age, size and health. The tortoises will be released in carefully chosen areas on Espanola that have suitable habitat conditions. The microchips are regularly checked and the health of the tortoises is ensured.

Washington Tapia is our expert on tortoises and the General Director of Conservando Galápagos. He says that the tortoise population of Espanola was — and continues to be — an important element in the restoration of the island’s ecology, since their presence helps restore ecological processes including the nesting by one of the archipelago’s endemic species, the Waved Albatross. The giant tortoises, with their enormous bodies and voracious appetites clear woody vegetation out of areas where albatrosses land and take off. These runways are essential for nesting.

Galapagos Conservancy played a vital role in supporting the restoration program. They provided funding and expertise over the past 10 years, which helped ensure its success. The world’s greatest conservation success story is about to reach a successful conclusion with the repatriation of the last captive-reared turtles to the island. 86 of them were recently released. The return of the Espanola giant tortoise to their natural habitat is proof of the conservation efforts that are being made to preserve the Galapagos biodiversity for future generations.

Park Rangers loading tortoises onto the helicopter which transported them to Española Island. ©Galápagos National Park

Top endangered species on the Galapagos Islands

• Galapagos Giant Tortoises (Chelonoidis spp.)

• Galapagos Penguin (Spheniscus mendiculus)

• Galapagos Sea Lions (Zalophus wollebaeki).

• Flightless Cormorant, Phalacrocorax Harrissi

• Waved Albatross

• Mangrove Finch

• Pink Iguanas (Conolophus Marthae).