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

From: "R.Stephens" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 17 Nov 2005 23:35:51 +0000

-------- Original Message --------

Subject: | Galapagos Conservation Trust e-News
Date: | Fri, 18 Nov 2005 09:25:43 +1300
From: | Galapagos Conservation Trust <[email-masked]>
To: | [email-masked]

Welcome to the Galapagos Conservation Trust e-News

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| Welcome to the Galapagos Conservation Trust's e-newsletter...
18 November, 2005

Dear Mr Stephens,

In this edition:

Galapagos news

Special screening of The Chronicles of Narnia: the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

Why not buy a Christmas gift that will last a year?

Galapagos Islands come to Hull

Q and A series - with Dr Graham Watkins

Select Latin America's Natural Selection Cruise

Galapagos news

Fire from eruption threatens rare Scalesia forest
A fire from the Sierra Negra volcano on Isabela island, which erupted on the 22 October, is reported to be threatening a unique forest in Galapagos. According to the Geographic Institute of the National Polytechnic (IGM), which has been monitoring the eruption, the flow of lava stopped about ten days ago, however staff from the Galapagos National Park have reported a fire on the west flank of the volcano which threatens the rare Scalesia cordata tree. More...

Harriet the Galapagos giant tortoise turns 175
Harriet, thought to be one of the oldest living creatures in the world, celebrated her 175th birthday on Tuesday at her home in Australia Zoo. It is thought that Harriet was collected by Charles Darwin during his visit to Galapagos in 1835 and taken to England, after which she was transported to Australia, although this has been disputed by some historians. For more than a century Harriet was believed to be a male and called Harry, and these days she is living out a peaceful retirement at the zoo.

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Special screening of The Chronicles of Narnia: the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

The Galapagos Conservation Trust has teamed up with Disney to put on a special Christmas screening of The Chronicles of Narnia - The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, where all profits will go towards the conservation of the Galapagos Islands.

The screening will be held at the Curzon Mayfair Cinema on Saturday 17th December 2005, and will be attended by one of the stars of the film and GCT member, Skandar Keynes, who plays Edmund. You are also invited to attend an after show party, which Skandar will also attend as well as some of GCT's celebrity supporters. For further details, please visit our website at http://www.gct.org/events.html.

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Why not buy a Christmas gift that will last a year?

For a minimum donation of £15, you could sponsor a Galapagos giant tortoise egg for 1 year as a Christmas gift for a friend or family member. The recipient of the gift will receive a certificate confirming that they are sponsoring a tortoise egg and a tortoise "passport".

Your gift will help support a tortoise hatching at the tortoise breeding centre in Galapagos. It is there that the eggs of endangered tortoise species are brought to be hatched. The hatchlings are then looked after by Galapagos National Park staff until they are 4 years old when they are repatriated back into the wild.

The work of the tortoise breeding centre is vital. For example, it is thanks to the tortoise breeding centre that the Espanola tortoise was saved from extinction. In the 1960's there was a small population on the island and no young, in 2000 the 1000th Espanola tortoise was repatriated and the population is now flourishing.

Help us do the same for other endangered species by sponsoring a giant tortoise egg. Visit https://secure.gct.org/sponsor1.html to sponsor your egg today.

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Galapagos Islands come to Hull

The Deep, Hull's £53m Millennium Commission lottery project, is hosting a special talk by Santiago Bejarano about the Galapagos Islands entitled "The Enchanted Islands", following the popularity of his exhibition of photographs.

Santiago has worked as a naturalist in the Galapagos Islands since 1992. It was here, living close to the unique and untouched nature of the Galapagos that he discovered his passion for photography. His work has been exhibited in galleries and magazines across Europe. In 2003 Santiago's work was selected for the opening photography exhibition at the new airport in Quito. The Charles Darwin Foundation has described him as "one of the most respected naturalists in the Galapagos."

The talk takes place on Thursday 24th November in The Deep's education centre at 7pm. The Deep is open to those attending the talk 6pm - 7pm. Entry to the talk (includes entry to The Deep) is £5. Light refreshments will be served. All proceeds will be donated to the Galapagos Conservation Trust. For further information and to book your tickets, please phone The Deep on 01482 381000.

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Q and A series - with Dr Graham Watkins

Thank you to Dr Graham Watkins, Executive Director of the Charles Darwin Foundation, and those of you who sent in your questions for him, for participating in our new Q and A series on the Galapagos.

Several companies advertise "sport fishing" in the near shore waters of the Galapagos. Has this practice been approved by the National Park?
Sport fishing is an activity that is included in the Galapagos Marine Reserve Management Plan, but only for implementation once regulations have been prepared for the activity. These regulations have not yet been finalised and sport fishing has been prohibited until they are prepared by a Ministerial Decree.

What do you see is the most pressing problem of Galapagos today?
The most important challenge in the Galapagos today is to balance conservation efforts with the need to develop a truly sustainable society based on equitable sharing of benefits from tourism and other sustainable businesses. This means providing a strong cultural connection between conservation of the islands and the livelihoods and lifestyles of local people living in Galapagos.

We have been hearing about the 500 passenger ship being given permission to sail in Galapagos. Is this a good thing or a bad thing?
Tourism development in Galapagos needs substantial analysis and re-engineering to ensure long-term sustainability. The CDF believes that the present drive toward growth in tourism must be managed within a framework that gives full consideration to the social, economic, cultural and ecological impacts.
Sport fishing, diving, island-based tourism and large cruise ships could potentially contribute to increasing equity in tourism by providing greater local benefits - but these new ventures must be considered in the broader context of the role of tourism growth in driving population growth, and consequently in terms of the direct and indirect impacts on the wildlife and the natural resources of the islands.
Tourism growth tends to be driven by market demands, causing substantial socio-economic and cultural change that in turn can cause ecological damage through increased species introductions, increased pollution, and greater demands on limited local resources.

What is your favourite island?
Fernandina, because the waters around Fernandina are particularly full of life, including turtles, penguins, cormorants, whales, dolphins, sea lions and fur seals. The island also presents one of the most dramatic landscapes in Galapagos.

Do you think tourism is a good thing or a bad thing for Galapagos?
Tourism should be welcomed and supported in the sense that it provides benefits for the people living in Galapagos and is the mainstay of the local economy. It is fundamental, however - if these benefits are to be sustainable - that tourism is effectively regulated. Tourism growth must be limited and tourism should provide a direct connection between local people and conservation, thereby contributing to sustaining this unique ecosystem. This makes sense for everyone concerned.

How do the giant tortoises get the calcium they need if the islands are volcanic?
>From the plants: the Opuntia cactus contains calcium that the tortoises can access.

What damage has the recent volcanic eruption caused?
We are still waiting for final reports on the eruption to be able to assess damage and problems resulting from the event.

We would now like to invite you to send in your questions for Leonor Stjepic, the Executive Director of the Galapagos Conservation Trust, and Leonor will answer your queries in the next email newsletter. Please send your questions by the 5th December to [email-masked].

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Select Latin America's Natural Selection Cruise

This is a unique opportunity to cruise aboard the traditional Square rigger Mary Anne, specially chartered for this departure. Guests will be accompanied by David Horwell, Galapagos naturalist, author and photographer together with Leonor Stjepic, Executive Director of the Galapagos Conservation Trust. The group will only consist of 16 people - so will be an exclusive trip. As well as special guest lecturers whilst on board, a photographic master class will be included in the price of the trip.

For further information, visit www.gct.org/charter_1.html, or contact Select Latin America on +44 (0)20 7407 1478.

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