What activities does the Galapagos Verde 2050 program carry out to carry out ecological restoration in rural areas of the inhabited islands of the archipelago?

The humid highlands of Galapagos are the most productive regions of the islands, resulting in a high development of agricultural activities. Agricultural expansion not only eliminates endemic and native flora through deforestation, it also makes these lands more vulnerable to the establishment of invasive species. However, proper management of agroecosystems can make agriculture an ally for the conservation of the islands. Silvopastoral agroecosystems (shade in paddocks), polycultures, and coffee under shade of Scalesia pedunculata can generate services such as biological nitrogen fixation through mycorrhizal consortia that allow the improvement of the soil microbiota, carbon sequestration that helps counteract effects of the use of fossil fuels, attraction of pollinators that help with the fertilization process of endemic plant seeds and their subsequent dispersal; allowing the attenuation of phytopathological problems by promoting the establishment of healthy ecological niches, which allows the generation of new protection zones for threatened species. Therefore, this project will be based on the restoration of degraded ecosystems in rural areas for agricultural use, through the recovery of endemic and native plants on farms on the Santa Cruz, San Cristóbal, and Floreana Islands. Also promoting the role of women in agriculture, management of their farms as a source of economic income in their homes and science.

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Galapagos Verde 2050: Recovering endemic and native flora on rural farms

What tools does the Galapagos Verde 2050 program use for the rural ecological restoration?

One of the important limitations in the Galapagos Islands is the availability of fresh water, so it is necessary to optimize its use. The GV2050 program uses the tools widely used and proven worldwide for their effectiveness: Groasis Waterboxx®, Cocoon, Growboxx®, Hydrogel and Biochar.
Groasis Waterboxx®. It is a technology that collects rainwater, storing it to provide it through a constant supply of water to the plant, allowing it to develop better.
Information on the use of this technology 

Cocoon biodegradable boxes. With functions similar to the Groasis Waterboxx, but made of biodegradable material that does not need to be removed at the end of its use.
The video shows how Cocoon technology is used in other ecological restoration projects 

Growboxx®. Also developed by Groasis, made of biodegradable material, it has a hole in the center where the plant to be restored is planted and four holes in the lid where seeds can be germinated hydroponically.
More information on how this technology 

Hydrogel. They are gels of polymeric materials that allow the retention of water in the soil to benefit the vegetation present on the site.
The benefits of hydrogel as a water saving technology 

BioChar. It is a product of biomass pyrolysis of organic waste under anaerobic conditions. It is an adjuvant for water retention in the soil, composting accelerator and source of nutrients.
The information about BioChar 

Water saving technologies used in the GV2050 program. a) Groasis Waterboxx®, b) Cocoon, c) Groasis Growboxx®, d) Hydrogel powder, e) BioChar sample

In what phases is the project timeline divided?

General map of the farms where the rural restoration projects are developed on the Floreana, San Cristóbal and Santa Cruz islands, within the GV2050 program.

Phase 1: It began in July 2014 and successfully completed in July 2017. Rural restoration and sustainable agriculture activities started on Floreana Island.

Phase 2: It began in August 2017 and will run until July 2027. In this second phase of the project, new farms were added, eight in Santa Cruz, three in San Cristóbal and an additional one in Floreana. In December 2021, the sustainable agriculture component will end.
Phase 3: The last and most extensive phase of the program will start ecological restoration programs in new farms to be defined. It will begin in August 2027 and will end in December 2050. We have established a rural ecological restoration model as a guide for future agricultural projects.