Galapagos Islands

The Charles Darwin Research Station is a biological research station operated by the Charles Darwin Foundation, and located in Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island in the Galapagos Islands, with satellite offices on Isabela and San Cristobal islands. The objectives of the Charles Darwin Research Station  is to conduct scientific research and environmental education for conservation. The Station has a team of over one hundred scientists, educators, volunteers, research students and support staff from all over the world. Scientific research and monitoring projects are conducted at the Charles Darwin Research Station  in conjunction and cooperation its chief partner, the Galapagos National Park Service, which functions as the principal government authority in charge of conservation and natural resource issues in the Galapagos.

The information from this research is given to the Galapagos National Park Service and the Ecuadorian Government to better protect and maintain this precious area. The information is also published in scientific journals, reports, and interpretive displays for visitors and becomes part of the environmental education process. The Darwin Station also works providing environmental education to communities and schools within the islands, and to tourists visiting the Galapagos Islands. The Darwin Station has developed the curriculum for Galapagos Guides including the study of the Island's natural history, conservation and preservation of the islands.

The Charles Darwin Foundation grew out of a project housed in the Smithsonian Institute for over twenty years, and was launched as an independent entity in late 1992 with the blessing and cooperation of the Smithsonian Institute. CDF, Inc. is responsible for raising funds to support projects in Galapagos related to the conservation mandate of the Charles Darwin Foundation, and is a logistical base in the U.S. for projects and programs in the Galapagos. The CDF, Inc. also conducts seminars, briefings, and other public education and advocacy efforts to inform the general public about conservation issues and current work being undertaken in the Galapagos. The CDF, Inc. distributes and publishes Noticias de Galapagos and The Galapagos Bulletin several times a year to our membership. CDF, Inc. is the headquarters for an international membership of over 8,000 "Friends of Galapagos", donors and institutions which support Galapagos conservation.

The Darwin Station provides:

• Information and technical assistance for the Galapagos National Park Service and other branches of the government of Ecuador.

• Support for resident and visiting scientists who work in Galapagos.

• Environmental education for island communities and schools and for the visitors that come to Galapagos each year.

• Hands-on training in science, education, and conservation for Ecuadorian university students who participate in the Darwin Station's volunteer and scholarship programs.

Galapagos National Park 
continues ...