Give

You can support the
Charles Darwin Foundation's
efforts to conserve and protect
Galapagos by making a donation.

You can support the
Charles Darwin Foundation's
efforts to conserve and protect
Galapagos by making a donation.

WE CAN'T SAVE GALAPAGOS 
IF WE DON'T UNDERSTAND IT

Galápagos is home to some of the world’s most emblematic and curious species: Galápagos penguins, marine iguanas, giant tortoises, flightless cormorants, hammerhead sharks, Darwin finches, and many more. But much remains to be understood and discovered in order to effectively protect this natural treasure from modern threats.

Join our community of engaged activists to protect Galapagos' unique biodiversity.

PREMIER RESEARCH
INSTITUTION IN GALAPAGOS

Founded in 1959, the Charles Darwin Foundation is the premier research institution dedicated to the conservation and sustainable development of the Galapagos islands. As the oldest nonprofit research institution on the islands, we have acted as the Galápagos National Park’s primary partner and the source of key research and capacity-building to support the Park’s conservation efforts for the sustainable development of the islands.

By donating to the Charles Darwin Foundation and its Research Station, you are helping our scientists continue their research in order to better protect the unique animals and ecosystems of the Galapagos Islands.

Our Impact

CDF has worked on 135 scientific projects since 2016

We are currently working on 40+ scientific projects across land and sea

We’ve researched 8 endangered and 5 critically endangered species (across land and sea)

30+ New deep-sea organisms discovered

Friends of the Charles Darwin Foundation

You can support the Charles Darwin Foundation and its Research Station’s efforts to conserve and protect Galápagos directly through the Friends of the Charles Darwin Foundation, our fiscal agent and charity partner in the United States.

Friends of the Charles Darwin Foundation is a 501c(3) non-profit organization and any donation received is fully tax-deductible for U.S. donors. We accept cash, cheques, stock and crypto currency. For more information or any questions, please reach out to fundraising@fcdarwin.org.ec.

Other ways to donate

Tax-deductible wire transfers for U.S. donors

Tax-deductible donations for U.S. donors can also be made via wire transfer to the Friends of the Charles Darwin Foundation for the Galapagos Islands bank account in the U.S. If selecting this option, please contact us at fundraising@fcdarwin.org.ec.

Account: Friends of the Charles Darwin Foundation for the Galapagos Islands
Address: 420 Columbus Avenue, Suite 304, Valhalla, NY 10595-1382, United States
Bank: Citibank
Routing Number: 021-000-089
Account Number: 6780613592
SWIFT: CITIUS33
Address: Thornwood, NY, United States

Conservation Costs

Running an independent scientific research station in a remote place like Galapagos, now costs almost $5 million annually.
Have a look at the following examples of project costs:

0
Gloves
0
Wetsuit
0
University scholarship granted to a local student for one year
0
Parasitic fly traps
0
Publication of one academic paper
0
Stereo-microscope for specimens study
0
Underwater notebook
0
Monthly stipend for a local volunteer
0
GPS transmitter mounted on a sea turtle to track its movements
0
Compass
0
Drone to identify locations of invasive plants
0
Annual cleaning and maintenance cost
0
Service of diving equipment
0
One-day boat rental for marine research expeditions
0
Annual cost of electricity, internet, phone
0
Light trap to collect fish larvae
0
Printing of educational booklets for local schools
0
Annual conservation cost of the collections
0
Gloves
0
Wetsuit
0
Compass
0
Service of diving equipment
0
Annual cost of electricity, internet, phone
0
Underwater notebook
0
GPS transmitter mounted on a sea turtle to track its movements
0
One-day boat rental for marine research expeditions
0
Printing of educational booklets for local schools
0
Parasitic fly traps
0
Publication of one academic paper
0
Drone to identify locations of invasive plants
0
Light trap to collect fish larvae
0
Annual conservation cost of the collections
0
Stereo-microscope for specimens study
0
Annual cleaning and maintenance cost
0
Monthly stipend for a local volunteer
0
University scholarship granted to a local student for one year
0
Gloves
0
Wetsuit
0
One-day boat rental for marine research expeditions
0
Drone to identify locations of invasive plants
0
University scholarship granted to a local student for one year
0
Service of diving equipment
0
Annual cost of electricity, internet, phone
0
Parasitic fly traps
0
Publication of one academic paper
0
Compass
0
Light trap to collect fish larvae
0
Annual conservation cost of the collections
0
Stereo-microscope for specimens study
0
Underwater notebook
0
Monthly stipend for a local volunteer
0
GPS transmitter mounted on a sea turtle to track its movements
0
Annual cleaning and maintenance cost
0
Printing of educational booklets for local schools

Featured Projects

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Exploring yet unchartered sea mounts

The Galapagos is rife with underwater mountains which are productive habitats and host rich biodiversity. But little is known about these mysterious sea mounts which rise thousands of meters above the sea floor. With the help of expert taxonomists from all over the world, we have already identified 37 potentially new species to science and registered a previously unknown tropical kelp forest, but have so much more to uncover.

Saving Scalesia cordata from extinction

Scalesia cordata is a tree endemic to southern Isabela, with only a few trees left. Together with the Galapagos National Park Directorate, we are taking several management actions to prevent its local extinction and facilitate its recovery. A greenhouse on Isabela now cultivates this species with more than 1000 healthy and beautiful seedlings, waiting their turn to join the Scalesia populations. We’ve already planted 75 saplings, and our last expedition in November 2022 revealed natural regeneration with more than 250 seedlings at four of the original Scalesia sites.

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Image

Saving Scalesia cordata from extinction

Scalesia cordata is a tree endemic to southern Isabela, with only a few trees left. Together with the Galapagos National Park Directorate, we are taking several management actions to prevent its local extinction and facilitate its recovery. A greenhouse on Isabela now cultivates this species with more than 1000 healthy and beautiful seedlings, waiting their turn to join the Scalesia populations. We’ve already planted 75 saplings, and our last expedition in November 2022 revealed natural regeneration with more than 250 seedlings at four of the original Scalesia sites.

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Protecting landbirds from the Vampire fly

20 Galapagos bird species, including 12 species of Darwin’s finches, are under threat from the parasitic fly, Philornis downsi. This includes the critically endangered Mangrove Finch and vulnerable Little Vermilion Flycatcher, both endemic to the Galápagos Islands. Together with the Galapagos National Park Directorate we are overseeing a multi-institutional collaborative effort (now up to 22 institutions from ten countries) that is investigating the biology and ecology of this little-known fly, while simultaneously conducting research to find effective and environmentally friendly control methods.

Protecting sharks

We study various shark species and their relationship with their environment with the aim of providing a strong scientific basis for the development of effective management plans that will ensure their long-term protection inside and outside the Galapagos Marine Reserve.

The Silky shark was listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Our scientists are studying this species’ migration behavior to understand how to better protect them inside and outside the GMR. In 2021, we collaborated in a research that tagged 47 adult silky sharks and obtained amazing results. One female silky shark traveled nearly 7,000 kilometers, visiting marine protected areas of Galápagos, Cocos Island, and Malpelo along the way.

Image
Image

Protecting sharks

We study various shark species and their relationship with their environment with the aim of providing a strong scientific basis for the development of effective management plans that will ensure their long-term protection inside and outside the Galapagos Marine Reserve.

The Silky shark was listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Our scientists are studying this species’ migration behavior to understand how to better protect them inside and outside the GMR. In 2021, we collaborated in a research that tagged 47 adult silky sharks and obtained amazing results. One female silky shark traveled nearly 7,000 kilometers, visiting marine protected areas of Galápagos, Cocos Island, and Malpelo along the way.

PROTECT GALAPAGOS,
IMPACT THE WORLD

The mission of the Charles Darwin Foundation and its Research Station is to tackle the greatest threats and challenges to Galapagos through scientific research and conservation action, in order to safeguard one of the world’s most important natural treasures.

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Photo credits: Jordi Chias, Kip Evans, Juan Manuel García, Pelayo Salinas, Joshua Vela.

Contact

Av. Charles Darwin s/n, Puerto Ayora, Galápagos, Ecuador
(593) 5 2526-146 / 2527-013 Ext 101
Quito Office
Francisco Andrade Marín
E6-122 y Av. Eloy Alfaro
+593 (2) 2 231 174

The ‘Charles Darwin Foundation for the Galapagos Islands’, in French ‘Fondation Charles Darwin pour les îles Galapagos”, Association internationale sans but lucratif (AISBL), has its registered office at 54 Avenue Louise, 1050 Brussels, Belgium. Trade Registry # 0409.359.103

© 2023 Charles Darwin Foundation. All rights reserved.