The CDF joins the Island-Ocean Connection Challenge to Implement Community-Based Monitoring and Safeguard Island Ecosystems

The Charles Darwin Foundation and Oceans Finance Company are delighted to announce a strategic partnership aimed at advancing crucial long-term conservation initiatives to enhance resilience to climate change in the archipelago and surrounding areas.

In a race against time, our scientists are working hard to find ways to control the avian vampire fly (Philornis downsi), an invasive parasitic fly that is affecting the survival of the unique small landbirds of the Galapagos Islands, including the iconic Darwin’s finches.

At the Charles Darwin Foundation, we believe that sustainable conservation depends on the involvement of the local community. Our goal is to inspire future generations of local conservation leaders, and embed conservation and sustainable development in the local culture.

The artisanal fishing sector is vital to the Galapagos Islands, but it is facing increasing challenges such as climate change, unfair value chains, and over-exploitation. Our program seeks to create a more prosperous, autonomous, and fair seafood system that is respectful of the natural environment, and fosters resilience against environmental, socio-economic, and climate change.

While the Galapagos Islands remain one of the best-conserved destinations in the world, they are faced with numerous challenges that are derived from growth in tourism and local population. The Charles Darwin Foundation is investigating how sustainable practices across multiple sectors such as urban planning and energy can mitigate these impacts while enhancing local community well-being through the health of the islands' socio-ecosystems.

You can support our research and conservation projects by adopting one of the Galapagos species.