Subject: [Fwd: Galapagos Conservation Trust e-News]

From: "R.Stephens" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 10 Oct 2006 21:21:26 +0000

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	Galapagos Conservation Trust e-News
Date: 	Fri, 06 Oct 2006 12:19:51 +1300
From: 	Galapagos Conservation Trust <[email-masked]>
To: 	[email-masked]

Galapagos hawk
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Galapagos Conservation Trust logo 	  Welcome to the Galapagos 
Conservation Trust's e-newsletter...
6 October, 2006

Dear Mr Stephens,

In this edition:

    * Giant tortoises still on the menu - 4 more slaughtered in Isabela
      <#tortoise>
    * Update on the pioneering shark conservation project <#sharks>
    * Galapagos Day a great success <#gday>
    * "Lonesome George" contends for literary prize <#prize>
    * Special Birdlife Fund launched <#birdlife>
    * Launch of Tortoise Club for Schools <#tortoiseclub>

  Giant tortoises still on the menu - 4 more slaughtered in Isabela

The slaughter of the Galapagos giant tortoises continues in the south of 
Isabela Island as poaching hacks away at the already low numbers of the 
very emblem and namesake of the archipelago. On 14th September, during 
routine patrolling in the Roca Union area, south of the town of Puerto 
Villamil, park wardens discovered the butchered remains of 2 adult 
females, an adult male and bones of a young adult.

Most disappointing for the CDF is that the news of this recent find came 
on the eve of an archipelago wide tour by the "Friends of the Tortoises" 
children's club from Puerto Villamil. The club is an initiative run by 
their Environmental Education Centre (EEC). The club members toured all 
the populated islands to present their work to local media, schools and 
authorities to encourage others to act and protect the tortoises.
Visit http://www.gct.org/sep06_3.html for the full article.

..Top <#top>

  Update on the pioneering shark conservation project

In our last email bulletin we talked about the project that we want to 
raise funds for to help protect the sharks of Galapagos. You might have 
seen some footage of Galapagos sharks in the BBC programme that was 
broadcast last Friday. To date we have raised £1315 from people who 
generously sent us donations to help get this project started. We would 
like to raise £5000 by the end of the year. Can I ask that you be even 
more generous and help us reach our target?

There is virtually no information known about Hammerhead shark 
populations in Galapagos. We don't know the actual situation but dive 
guides believe that Hammerhead populations have dropped in the last 
decade and illegally fished shark fins have been seized. It is illegal 
to fish for sharks in the Galapagos Marine Reserve but fishers from 
outside of Galapagos illegally come into the Marine Reserve to catch 
sharks in nets, cut off their fins and leave the sharks to die in the 
water. Shark fins sell for approximately £20 per set of fins.

Please help us raise these funds by sending this email bulletin to as 
many people as possible and ask them to make a donation to this project 
by visiting https://secure.gct.org/don_gen.html.

Thank you.
Leonor Stjepic
Executive Director

..Top <#top>

  Galapagos Day a great success

I hope you all had the chance to see the first episode of the BBC series 
"Galapagos" which was broadcast last Friday at 9pm on BBC2. Next Friday 
will be the second episode and I urge you to watch it if you can. (It is 
repeated on Saturday early evening).

The Galapagos Conservation Trust were delighted to have the core team 
from the BBC - who were responsible for the filming and production of 
the series - as speakers to our Galapagos Day last Wednesday. Led by 
Producer Patrick Morris, the team told us about the making of the series 
and we were privileged to see clips from the film as well as some of the 
sounds and sights that didn't make it into the final series.

We were overwhelmed to have such a huge interest in the evening. The 
Royal Geographical Society was full to capacity - there was not even one 
seat left and we had a waiting list of 100 people. Our apologies to 
those who were unable to get tickets.

We hope you enjoy the rest of the series and look forward to seeing you 
at our next Galapagos Day.

..Top <#top>

  "Lonesome George" contends for literary prize

Lonesome George The life and loves of a conservation icon

Go George! The critically acclaimed biography of the Galapagos' most 
famous resident Lonesome George is a hot contender for this year's 
Guardian First Book Award.

Lonesome George: the life and loves of a conservation icon 
<http://www.macmillanscience.com/1403945764.asp> by science writer and 
GCT member Henry Nichollls (Macmillan Science, 2006) is one of 10 books 
on the longlist announced in August. Nicholls' book has been rave 
reviewed by TLS, THES, Nature, Wired, Booklist, Guardian, Focus, 
NewScientist and Seed Magazine. The shortlist is announced in November 
and the winner in December.

You can catch an exerpt from Lonesome George and view the other 
nominations on the Guardian website at 
http://books.guardian.co.uk/fba2006/story/0,,1856995,00.html. GCT 
members can buy a copy of Lonesome George at a special discounted price. 
Visit http://www.gct.org/giftsmain.html#george for further details.

..Top <#top>

  Special Birdlife Fund launched

Sylvia Harcourt

In the 2006 New Year's Honours list, British citizen, Sylvia Harcourt 
was awarded an MBE for her services to conservation and education. 
Sylvia has been a member of the Charles Darwin Foundation's general 
assembly since 1991, and has actively participated in the revision of 
documents such as the application to recognise the Galapagos Marine 
Reserve as a World Heritage Site. She has been involved in research in 
the islands since 1978 and was an assistant to the director of the 
Charles Darwin Research Station from 1986 to 1989.

In celebration of Sylvia's recognition by HM The Queen, the Galapagos 
Conservation Trust is launching a special fund aimed at raising funds to 
help protect the unique bird life of the Galapagos. Sylvia has had a 
long-time interest in the protection of the mangrove finch - one of the 
22 species of endemic land birds in Galapagos. For further details and 
to find out how you can support this special fund, visit 
http://www.gct.org/funded.html#birdlife.

..Top <#top>

  Launch of Tortoise Club for Schools

On Thursday 12th October 2006, Tortoise Club for Schools will be 
re-launched at Milking Bank Primary School in Dudley where Tortoise Club 
for Schools co-ordinator, Tom Garner, works.

The day will start with a whole school assembly focusing on conservation 
in the Galapagos Islands, led by author and science writer Henry 
Nicholls. Bob Langton, Don Freeman and George Spears from the British 
Chelonia Group will also be attending on the day, along with Neil Swann 
and a number of tortoises from Sedgley-based Proteus Reptile Trust. It 
is also hoped that Club patron, Chris Packham, will be attending the 
re-launch. It promises to be a fantastic day! For further information 
e-mail [email-masked] <mailto:[email-masked]>.

/Visit http://www.gct.org/events2.html for details of other events 
coming soon, including the *NEC Dive Show* at Birmingham, and *Parody of 
the Penguins*, a fundraising party that will celebrate the tiny 
Galapagos penguin and all of its marine neighbours, including rare 
seabirds, sharks, whales, turtles and sea lions./

..Top <#top>

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