About Galapagos Conservation Trust
Activity Raising funds for, and awareness of, conservation in the Galapagos Islands
Website http://www.gct.org
Registered Charity No. 1043470
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Galapagos Conservation Trust
The Galapagos Conservation Trust (GCT) was founded in April 1995 to provide funds and support for conservation work in the Galapagos Islands.
The Galapagos Islands are located 600 miles off the coast of mainland Ecuador in South America, and are one of the largest unspoiled areas left in the world. Charles Darwin visited there in 1835, where he found the animals and plants of great interest and described the islands as a "living laboratory of evolution". Recently two primary threats have emerged to the conservation of the unique flora and fauna:
1. The destructive spread of introduced animals and plants
2. Illegal or uncontrolled exploitation of fishes and other marine resources
Conservation in Galapagos is primarily the responsibility of the Galapagos National Park. They work closely with the Charles Darwin Foundation, which is an international non-governmental organisation founded in 1959 to advise the government of Ecuador on science and conservation in the islands.
GCT supports on-going environmental education programmes and the successful captive breeding programmes for giant tortoises and Galapagos land iguanas, developed by the Charles Darwin Research Station. Since the giant tortoise-breeding programme started in 1965, some 2,500 young tortoises have been released back to their native islands.
GCT has also supported the monitoring, protection and restoration of native plants and insects, as well as control of animals and plants that have been introduced to the islands by man and that are becoming a danger to the native species. The Mangrove finch, first described by Charles Darwin on his trip to Galapagos onboard the HMS Beagle, is critically endangered and only about 100 individuals are left in the world. They are all found in the Galapagos Islands, and scientists have been working hard to conserve this rare species with the support of GCT.
In the United Kingdom, GCT has provided funds for Ecuadorian scientists visiting from Galapagos, to assist them to expand their knowledge and further their education at universities in this country.
The Galapagos Conservation Trust is the primary source of information in the United Kingdom on conservation in Galapagos, and works closely with other Friends of Galapagos organisations throughout the world to help ensure the future of the Galapagos Islands.
Status Registered Charity Number 1043470
Company Limited by Guarantee. Registered in England No 3004112
Incorporated: 21 December 1994
Officially launched: 5 April 1995
Contact information:
Galapagos Conservation Trust
5 Derby Street
London
W1J 7AB
United Kingdom
Phone: +44 (0)20 7629 5049
Fax: Phone: +44 (0)20 7629 4149
Email: gct@gct.org
Website: http://www.gct.org