Saving The Seas: A Community Effort To Conserve Marine Biodiversity
Conservation in Galápagos requires not only scientists and professionals to solve conservation problems but the entire community. Thankfully, Galapagueño students and children are up to the challenge. In the last year, multiple projects have engaged and educated the next generation of conservationists in Galápagos.
One of the major issues that can affect both the local economy and wildlife as a whole on all the islands is beach pollution. Recently, 65 students took matters, and plastic, into their own hands as they collected 575 pounds of garbage from four beaches in the archipelago. Their success in cleaning up the beaches was not only a great feat for conservation, but it was also an inspiration to us all.
Additionally, the youth of Galápagos are helping their home by engaging in practices that promote marine conservation. The Galápagos National Park has given 65 students the opportunity to train and learn about the marine environment. The students are participating in many activities vital to marine conservation, including monitoring and tagging juvenile sharks and restoring corals.
These projects, and many more, show that the next generation of Galápagos conservationists is already well on their way to making a difference. None of these projects would have happened without Galápagos Conservancy’s key partner in conservation, the Galápagos National Park, which leads these remarkable opportunities for youth in Galápagos. We are proud to support the Park’s work to inspire this next generation of young conservationists.
