Galapagos Nature Reserve ousts developers
Since 1988, the Rainforest Trust has saved over 19 million acres. And now conservationists are celebrating the creation of a nature reserve in the Galapagos – a private nature reserve. A crowdfunding campaign raised a staggering £1.35 million to save the land from greedy developers. The developers wanted to build hotels. Thankfully this land has been saved. It’s not in a good state – it’s been devastated – and so scientists now need to begin to restore the land to its natural state. The land will give protected key habitat for the critically endangered Galapagos petrel and the woodpecker finch, which is known for its ability to use twigs and sticks as tools. Other famous residents of the Galapagos include the blue-footed boobies who have turquoise feet and marine iguanas. The first section of the site on San Cristobal is being completed this week (October 2018). It’s the area where Charles Darwin first went ashore in 1835. The next stage will involve 318 acres and these will be incorporated into the new Galapagos Nature Reserve by the end of March. The government of Ecuador designated all of the Galapagos Islands into a national park back in 1959, barring those areas owned by existing colonists. The plan now is that in five to ten years, the reserve will be turned over to the Ecuador government and incorporated into the national park. Donate to the Rainforest Trust Being on the front lines of conservation in the Galapagos Islands |