The Galapagos Islands

The following postings on this blog consist of a group of pictures and then the diary we kept on our Galapagos trip. It was a very enlightening experience. The Galapagos Islands are 600 miles off the shore of Ecuador, a remote Pacific archipelago. They straddle the equator at 90 degrees west, the approximate longitude of Wisconsin. Ecuador has declared the Galapagos to be a national park and is doing an excellent job administrating them Eco-tourism is a great help because it provides funding for improvements and gives the local people a source of income other than exploiting the environment. As the decades have gone by, the islands have been returned to nearly their original state. Species of non-native plants and animals have been eradicated. Others, such as the indigenous land tortoises, have been bred in captivity and released to increase their numbers. The Charles Darwin Research Station has been very helpful in doing research and establishing strategies for management and rehabilitation of this one-of-a-kind ecological system. It is supported by the tourism industry, generous donors, and the Ecuadoran government. Fortunately, the mentality of the local people has been changing and they are now a major part of the solution to the environmental problems. Their attitudes and actions are the key to the survival of the Galapagos.