The smooth-billed ani is considered to be the most damaging introduced bird species in Galapagos. Hannah Rickets, at Galapagos Conservation Trust, spoke to PhD student Cristian Poveda about his research into this challenging species.

The smooth-billed ani is considered to be the most damaging introduced bird species in Galapagos. Hannah Rickets, at Galapagos Conservation Trust, spoke to PhD student Cristian Poveda about his research into this challenging species.

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.

In Galapagos, 83% of the landmass falls within the arid zone. Restoring plant communities in this zone is challenging and slow, and natural regeneration in severely degraded areas is very limiting. Our scientists work to restore the arid habitat across various islands in the archipelago, notably Baltra Island, which has undergone significant human alteration, and special use sites such as garbage dumps and quarries on inhabited islands.