CDF and its partners need the support of people living in Galapagos and Ecuador if their work is to be successful. A population who understands the value of conservation in general, and the benefits of conserving Galapagos in particular, is indispensable. CDF recognizes that conservation efforts depend on fostering people’s appreciation and understanding of conservation issues.
More importantly, the people must clearly see how conservation issues relate to their daily lives, society, culture and economy. Such a “conservation consciousness” will naturally lead people to become more proactive and therefore take greater responsibility in ensuring that wise, ecologically sound decisions are made in and about Galapagos.
CDF does this by:
- including Galapagos collaborators in the design and management of research projects
- sharing research results with Galapagos and Ecuadorian communities, authorities and collaborators, using appropriate communication tools.
By extending science into the community, CDF can ensure that research is enhanced by local knowledge, and these experiences help Galapagos residents to understand the need for a sustainable island culture and address issues such as introduced species, sustainable resource use, collaborative management, waste management, population growth and island enterprise development. First-hand opportunities such as the annual "Darwin Day" celebrations allow those who ultimately carry out conservation management to experience CDF science programs in a very tangible way.