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English Local Farmer Adopts Baby Giant TortoisesIsabela Island resident Wilfrido Michuy welcomed 42 baby giant tortoises to his farm as part of a new conservation program led by the Charles Darwin Research Station (CDRS) and the Galapagos National Park Service (GNPS). Michuy, who owns a private farm and eco-tourist attraction, received funding support from the Local Action Fund for Conservation, a small grants program run by CDRS, to build a corral and fences to house the endangered tortoises in a semi-natural environment. The innovative program is designed as an alternative to traditional captive breeding programs that benefits the local community and raises awareness. The tortoises are cared for and protected from human and introduced predators, while farmers benefit economically through ecotourism. A complementary education campaign will be led by the Friends of the Tortoises, a local kids club run by the CDRS, whose mission is to protect the giant tortoises and create conservation awareness in the community. More than 25 children are members of the club. The Hunt for Rare and Endemic Marine SpeciesCDRS marine researchers, along with a group of international experts, collaborated in two expeditions in December 2004 to search for rare and endemic fish, invertebrate, and algae species in the Galapagos Marine Reserve. The team undertook habitat surveys (at depths of more than 100 feet across the archipelago) to identify areas with rare and vulnerable species. Such sites, particularly in the west and far north, have great significance for conservation because they harbor the last remaining coral reefs and algal formations in "Areas such as coral reefs, sponge gardens, and macroalgae beds create habitats for fish and invertebrates, and the health of these habitats affect the marine communities depending on them," said Stuart Banks, coordinator of marine ecosystem monitoring and investigation at the station. "Data gathered in these expeditions will play a central role in gauging the effects of changing climate and human use on the Galapagos Marine Reserve and creating effective protection measures." Both expeditions were funded by National Geographic. Last Days for Rare Scalesia?After recent survey work on Santa Cruz Island, CDRS botanists located fewer than 10 plants of the endemic Scalesia affinis. Although the species is also found on Floreana, Isabela and Fernandina, the unique population on Santa Cruz has declined rapidly over the past 30 years to near extinction. The remaining plants on Santa Cruz now occur at great distances apart, on the edge of Puerto Ayora and in park areas. Only a few years ago, the main population of this species was found in the Pampas Coloradas sector of Puerto Ayora. The recent expansion of housing and office developments and other public works in this area now occupy the area where it formerly grew. CDRS and GNPS personnel are fencing the remaining plants to protect them from further human impact and from feral donkeys and goats. Meanwhile, station botanists are attempting to produce more plants from seed, while continuing to monitor the remaining adults and study their reproduction. CDRS is also investigating possible hybridization with other Scalesia species, as a preliminary to encouraging the planting of this species in gardens in Puerto Ayora. Project Isabela Field DispatchProject Isabela, the world's largest island conservation program, reported a number of successes in 2004. Santiago Island is free of feral pigs and donkeys, and five species of invasive plants have been eradicated. In northern Isabela, a field camp was set up as a site for helicopter maintenance and logistical support for ground hunters on the island. Northern Isabela is now at 75 percent Judas goat level (goats that are radio-collared and used to attract other goats) and will be free of donkeys later this year. Project goals for 2005 include the complete removal of goats in Northern Isabela and donkeys in Alcedo, as well as the removal of remaining goats on Santiago Island. "Project Isabela began in 1998 with the goal of restoring the natural ecosystems of Pinta, Santiago and northern Isabela islands," said Felipe Cruz, technical coordinator of the project. "During 2004, more than 7,450 ground hunting and 975 helicopter hours have been invested on Santiago and northern Isabela and the results are impressive." Eco-Friendly Energy for San Cristobal IslandA team of seven staff from CDRS and GNPS completed an environmental impact study last November to determine whether alternative energy wind generators threaten the endangered Galapagos petrel. The three-part study included monitoring the birds' flight paths, projecting the effects of installing several kilometers of transmission cable, and monitoring reproduction in petrel colonies near the proposed wind park. The initial stage of the archipelago's alternative energy project - which has the potential of eventually replacing an estimated 60 percent of the energy currently provided by diesel generators - involves placing three 87-meter-high wind generators on a summit in the San Cristobal highlands. Locations for the planned wind generators were moved to the summit of Cerro Tropezon after a preliminary study by CDRS and GNPS study in 2002 suggested many areas selected for the wind generators were in the petrel's nesting sites. Results from the 2004 study indicate the windmills themselves are unlikely to increase petrel mortality, although constructing the transmission line may pose mortality risks. CDRS recommended that all or at least critical portions of the transmission line be buried to reduce risk to the birds. Three organizations participated in the study, including ElecGalápagos, United Nations Development Programme, and the e7 Fund (an international consortium working with the Ecuadorian government). Isabela Island Children Represent Galapagos in JapanTwo children from the Friends of the Tortoises kids club in Isabela represented Ecuador in the first Biodiversity Convention for the Children of Asia and the Pacific held in Japan in December. Nataly Ortuño and Fernando Gil gave a presentation at Kyoto University on the Galapagos giant tortoises and their club's activities to promote conservation of this emblematic species. Children from Thailand, China, Korea, Fiji, Japan and Malaysia also took part in the convention. The Japanese minister of environment, the consul of Fiji, and members of the Japanese royal family also attended. In Tokyo, Nataly and Fernando exchanged gifts and stories with the other children, and visited the UENO Zoo where they saw two Galapagos giant tortoises and took part in a press conference. "We are young people committed to caring for and saving from extinction many representative species that exist in the world," said Nataly Ortuño. "We are young people who want a better tomorrow, a future free of pollution and a healthy planet." The children were accompanied by Martha Veliz, the center's coordinator on Isabela Island. International Experts Collaborate in Fisheries WorkshopFisheries research experts Anna Parma and Lobo Orensanz of Argentina participated in a technical workshop on the two main Galapagos fisheries - lobster and sea cucumbers - held at the CDRS in December. Participants analyzed the spiny lobster's growth and moult cycles, the declining sea cucumber populations, and the distributions of slipper lobster by size and the implications for its sustainable harvest. Members of the park service, the coordinator of the participatory management board (local legal forum for the Galapagos Marine Reserve), and other organizations attended the 6-day workshop. Additional workshops are planned during the next two years. "The goal is to build long-term, collaborative relationships between park and station staff with fisheries experts from around the world," said Rodrigo Bustamante, marine biologist and former head of marine research at the station who led the workshop. The Pew Charitable Trust supported the event. New Study of Plant Diseases UnderwayA new study into the fungi that attack the plants of Galapagos is underway in the islands. Since early 2004, researchers have collected and identified fungi that primarily attack several endemic and native species in the park areas and the agricultural zones of the inhabited islands. "Studies on plant disease in Galapagos are relatively new," said Franklin Arboleda, the station's phytopathologist leading the study. "Initial results show that of the 157 plant samples analyzed to date, 100 percent are infected by true fungi," said Arboleda. The project will attempt to determine the endemism of approximately 100 species of true fungi, some of which may be new to science. |
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