I want to find out more about Galapagos
Learn about the unique wildlife and history of the Galapagos Islands, and the conservation challenges that now threaten the Archipelago.
About Galapagos
The Big Give: Rewilding the Galapagos Islands
Invasive species, pollution, plastic waste and disease threaten the survival of iconic species like Galapagos giant tortoises and Darwin’s finches. Support our Big Give campaign to rewild the Galapagos Islands between Thursday 18 - Thursday 25 April 2024 and your donation will be doubled!
What would you like to do?
I want to find out about GCT’s work
Find out how our projects are helping to restore degraded island habitats, conserve threatened species and protect the seas around Galapagos.
Our work
I want to support GCT
Support our conservation work in Galapagos by becoming a member, donating to an appeal, adopting an animal, attending an event or entering our photography competition.
Support us
What we do
Galapagos Conservation Trust was founded in 1995 and is the only UK-registered charity to focus exclusively on the conservation and sustainable development of the Galapagos Archipelago and its unique biodiversity. We work with scientists, authorities, NGOs and local communities to tackle key threats to the unique biodiversity of Galapagos, including invasive species, plastic pollution, climate change and overfishing. Together with our project partners we gather the evidence needed for maximum conservation outcomes, whilst ensuring strong educational and communications campaigns garner public and political support for interventions.
Our impact
87 p
in every £1 we raise goes directly towards conservation in Galapagos
18.9 %
of Ecuadorian waters are now protected
£ 1.25 m
raised in 2022 – our best year yet
30 %
by 2030 – our goal for ocean protection
Plastic Pollution Free Galapagos
45% of all plastic used along the Pacific coastline of South and Central America is inadequately managed, leaking 1 million tonnes of plastic each year.
Our Plastic Pollution Free Galapagos programme is a multi-million pound, multi-year project, which feeds into broader work looking to tackle pollution across the Eastern Pacific region.
Restoring Floreana
Floreana is the sixth largest island in Galapagos and used to be home to some of the most iconic species in the Archipelago.
We are supporting partners to undertake one of the most complex eradication projects ever conducted on an inhabited tropical island, with the ultimate aim of reintroducing locally extinct species.
Galapagos Whale Shark Project
The whale shark is the world's largest fish, reaching lengths of up to 20 metres, yet surprisingly little is known about it.
By tagging individual whale sharks, the project team hopes to build a robust set of data about their migration behaviour, to determine what action is needed to protect this magnificent ocean giant.
Galapagos Tortoise Movement Ecology
Driven to extinction on some islands and the brink of extinction on others, tortoises are slowly recovering, but remain threatened.
The major threats to giant tortoises all stem from anthropogenic causes. Only through a human understanding of their ecological needs can landscape planning successfully conserve their numbers.
The latest from our blog
Events
Rewilding
Rewilding Floreana Webinar 2024
Our April webinar focused on the restoration of Floreana, with Jeff Dawson of Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust reporting back from his recent trip to the island.
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Research
Women in science
Studying health in birds: An interview with Gislayne Mendoza Alcívar
Gislayne Mendoza Alcívar, laboratory technician at the Charles Darwin Foundation, shares her experience studying the health of some of the Islands' most endangered birds.
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Island restoration
Rewilding
Double your donation to rewild Galapagos with the Big Give
We're taking part in the Big Give Green Match Fund campaign, raising money to rewild the Galapagos Islands. For one week only, every donation you make will be doubled, up to an amazing £10,000!
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Island restoration
Rewilding
The return of the Floreana giant tortoise
The remarkable story of the Floreana giant tortoise, a species that the world thought was lost forever.
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Join us today
Become a member from just £4 a month and support our vital conservation work in Galapagos.
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