More than half of the endemic plant species in Galapagos are currently classified as threatened. The potential loss of these imperiled species not only disrupts ecosystem integrity, but also jeopardizes the survival of iconic native fauna that depend on it. We are updating the IUCN Red List of endangered plant species of Galapagos in order to enable targeted species conservation actions.

In November 2020, I joined the Galapagos Verde 2050 (GV2050) team during an exciting time. The team had just returned from an expedition to Punta Manzanillo on Española Island, where they had rediscovered a small population of Lecocarpus lecocarpoides, a species thought to be locally extinct. With 50 precious seeds collected, I was given a mission: to use these seeds to help recover the only population of this endangered species on the island.

The population of the Galapagos pricky pear cactus declined during the 1960s and 1970s due to the impact of invasive species and human activities. By adopting a Galapagos prickly pear cactus you will support the Charles Darwin Foundation’s Galapagos Verde 2050 program, which works to restore the populations and enhance the conservation process of the Galapagos ecosystems by using ecological restoration tools.

While kayaking along El Garrapatero Beach, a chance sighting led to the re-encounter of Scalesia retroflexa, one of Galápagos’ rarest plants. What began as a weekend outing became a pivotal moment for conservation. Discover how this unexpected find could reshape the future of an endangered species.

Discover the Charles Darwin Foundation, established in 1959 to protect the Galapagos Islands' fragile ecosystem. As the oldest and largest science and conservation organization in the archipelago, our Research Station leads efforts to preserve this unique environment through groundbreaking research and conservation milestones.

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

Scientists from the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) have, for the first time, assessed the conservation status of mangrove ecosystems in the Galápagos Islands using the Red List of Ecosystems methodology developed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The study concludes that this ecosystem is classified as Vulnerable, underscoring the urgency of its conservation. The full report is available in the EcoEvoRxiv repository.