Galapagos Ecuador
Charles Darwin Foundation
Galápagos Sustainable Framework
Protecting Galápagos: Empowering Communities, Safeguarding Nature.
The mission of the Charles Darwin Foundation and its Research Station is to tackle the greatest threats and challenges to Galapagos through scientific research and conservation action, in order to safeguard one of the world’s most important natural treasures.
The COmON Foundation's core funding for the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) underscores our commitment to the preservation of the unique biodiversity of the Galápagos Islands. Renowned for its critical scientific research and conservation efforts, CDF plays an indispensable role in safeguarding the islands' delicate ecosystems against the impacts of climate change, invasive species, and human activity. Through stable funding, we empower CDF to continue their vital work in protecting this UNESCO World Heritage site, ensuring its extraordinary natural heritage remains intact for future generations.
Islands encircled by vast oceans serve as unique microcosms, offering a glimpse into contained ecosystems that have the potential to inspire conservation efforts in larger, mainland environments. The Galápagos Islands stand out as a prime example, meriting their designation as World Heritage Site #1 for their unparalleled natural beauty and significant ecological value.
The pivotal visit by Charles Darwin in 1835 to the Galápagos played a crucial role in shaping his evolutionary theory, thanks to the islands' rich biodiversity and distinct geological features. Today, these islands continue to captivate with their extraordinary landscapes and the remarkable diversity of life they support.
The vision is to champion the Galapagos Islands as a global model for conservation, inspiring sustainable practices and the next generations to protect our planet's natural wonders.
Unfortunately, over the years this remarkable, protected island group has also suffered degradation. This resulted not only from land misuse, but also tourism. As farmers became taxi drivers, more and more immigrants arrived, and serving the tourist trade became the norm. This proved an unsustainable choice, tipping the ecology out of balance. The Charles Darwin Foundation is dedicated to restoring degraded areas of the Galápagos Islands, eradicating invasive species and collaborating with world-renowned universities and the government of Ecuador to turn this tide, so as to conserve this special corner of our planet, as an example to the rest of the world.
The COmON Foundation is supporting a range of landscape restoration projects as part of the Galapagos Verde 2050 programme, and finances a large proportion of the organisation’s annual overhead costs. In addition, COmON is supporting the foundation in the redevelopment of the Charles Darwin Research Center (CDRS), thereby setting an example of sustainable building, the wise use of alternative energy, and best practices in respect of water use and waste management. If there is one place on Earth where collective leadership is needed, it is here on the Galápagos Islands. To bring about this complete transformation, we are in need of more partners.
