Association

The Swiss Association of Friends of the Galápagos Islands was founded in June 1994 in liaison with the Galápagos Darwin Trust Europe (GDTE), itself founded in 1990. It is part of a worldwide network of organisations working to help protect the wildlife and ecosystem of the Galápagos Islands.

The Association wishes to raise public awareness in Switzerland of the need to save these islands and to contribute to the protection of this sensitive and unfortunately threatened ecosystem.

Our goal is to raise funds and other means to support the work of the Charles Darwin Research Station (CDRS) in Puerto Ayora in cooperation with the Galápagos Darwin Trust Europe.

Our Association has 1'485 members (December 2007). President is the biologist Dr. Hendrik Hoeck; he was director of the Charles Darwin Research Station from 1978 to 1980. Through their professional activities he and other members of the Board are familiar with Ecuador and the Archipelago.

Since April 1999 our Association runs a part-time office in Zürich Zoo. Zoo Zürich was the first Zoo in Europe, which successfully breeds Galápagos giant tortoises. With its close collaboration it supports our efforts to protect the Galápagos Islands.

In total, the Association has, as to the end of 2006, supported different Galápagos projects with around CHF 1'020'900. The main amount went into the running costs of the Charles Darwin Research Station.
We have also contributed to

  • the rescue program for the rarest subspecies of giant tortoises,
  • a project for breeding the giant tortoises,
  • the promotion of nature protection and education program for the population on San Cristobal island,
  • programs on monitoring of sea birds and albatrosses,
  • the protection of the biological diversity on Santiago,
  • the research on the mangrove finch,
  • research work of young Swiss doctoral researchers and
  • a book on the molluscs of Galápagos.

Jointly with the Research Station and the National Park authorities, the Association supports and carries out projects for conservation, education and information.

Detailed information about our Association can be found in our Business Plan and the Annual Report.