30th anniversary of the Association of the Friends of the Galápagos Islands

The 30th anniversary of the Association of the Friends of the Galápagos Islands was a great success. We received many warm e-mails of thanks. The participants were thrilled by the tour of the Masoala Hall and the many interesting presentations before and during the meal.  

We were delighted that the Ecuadorian ambassador, Verónica Bustamante, was able to attend the event. She dedicated her speech to the development of nature conservation on the Galápagos Islands and the importance of foreign support in this task. However, she also mentioned existing political challenges, the regulation of the archipelago's population and measures to implement environmentally friendly tourism.  

Another interesting lecture was given by Volker Schies (UBS) on the topic of “Nature Finance”. At this point, many of the participants were unaware that nature conservation, renaturation and nature-friendly business models are offering an increasing range of investment opportunities.  

The videos prepared for the evening, with appreciative and kind words of congratulations from so many supporters and researchers, impressively demonstrated the impact of our association. In particular, Martin Wikelski's excellent lecture on the “Internet of Animals” brought hope, not only for the work of our association, but also for the future of the creatures on our planet.  

The anniversary project we have selected to ensure the long-term protection of small songbirds in the Galápagos, with the thank-you video of the land bird team at the Charles Darwin Station, was received with enthusiasm.  

It was a wonderful and dignified celebration, which all participants enjoyed very much. 

(All pictures by M. Foster Photography)