A documentary, Galapagos, Hope for the Future, was released on December 12th, 2019 at the Teatro Capitol in Quito, as part of the celebration of the sixtieth anniversary of the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF). The film’s international premiere was in Amsterdam, the Netherlands on October 28th, 2019, in front of approximately 800 attendees, including the Dutch royal family and several European personalities.

It was presented again, this time virtually, on October 6th, 2020, thanks to the collaboration of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. This event was attended by more than 200 people who joined from the United States, Europe, and South America.

This film, which was directed by Dutch director and producer, Evert Van Den Bos, shows the work undertaken by CDF and the Galapagos National Park Directorate (GNPD) to preserve our beautiful and unique Galapagos Islands. Those who see this production learn about monitoring of Galapagos penguins and albatrosses, studying of sharks within the Galapagos Marine Reserve, research on the migration and health of giant turtles, the urgency of controlling invasive species, both marine and terrestrial, and so much more.

After each person watched the documentary at their leisure, a panel discussion took place with Evert Van Den Bos, our scientist, Francesca Cunninghame, and her collaborator, Dr. Ilka Feller, who work on the CDF's Mangrove Finch Project. In the first part of the conversation, they discussed the inspiration behind production of the documentary and the work of CDF related to mangrove finches and their habitat. The debate was moderated by Dr. Peter Kramer, former Executive Director of CDF and current member of the General Assembly. The discussion was followed by the Q&A session.

The audience agreed that the film can help raise people’s awareness of the important work that is being carried out for the conservation of the island’s wildlife and ecosystems. They thought that everyone should take the time to reflect on the environmental impacts of their actions, and that we should thank the entities who are joining forces to ensure that the Galapagos continues to be a paradise for everyone to enjoy.

CDF would like to thank the panelists, Evert Van Den Bos, Dr. Ilka Feller, and Francesca Cunninghame, for sharing their ideas and inspiring the audience, Dr. Peter Kramer for facilitating an engaging conversation, as well as everyone who took the time to join the discussion. We would also like to give special thanks to the Smithsonian Institution for co-hosting this event and coordinating the logistics.

If you missed the panel discussion, you can watch it here: https://naturalhistory.si.edu/education/after-hours/natural-history-big-screen-galapagos-hope-future