Rewilding Floreana: You Can Lead the Way
Fundación de Conservación Jocotoco
Trabaja por la conservación de la áreas claves de biodiversidad en Ecuador.
Floreana is the sixth-largest island in the Galapagos. Famed for their biodiversity, these islands have been a living laboratory for the study of evolution for nearly two centuries. Floreana itself has several endemic species - species of plants and animals that only exist there. Unfortunately, Floreana's unique wildlife has suffered over the last two centuries. Some species were hunted out, while others succumbed to introduced invasive predators.
Right now, however, you can change that trajectory. You can lead the most ambitious and important rewilding effort on a tropical island. You can bring back wildlife that has been lost for generations. Floreana will flourish once again.
Wildlife on Floreana
We invite you to travel back centuries to a time when Floreana enjoyed an extraordinary natural richness. The Floreana Giant Tortoise - more than 8,000 individuals - roamed freely, foraging through the vegetation, seeking water in the crevices of the rocks, and feeding on cacti, bitterbrush, and grasses. Colorful birds brightened the environment with their incredible beauty and songs: finches, warblers, and flycatchers added their unique voices to the chorus. You could see a Floreana Mockingbird protecting its nest by repeatedly banging the head of an approaching giant tortoise. Hawks, gulls, and owls flew overhead in search of food. Floreana was full of life.
Unfortunately, from the early 1800s, the island became a major stop for whalers, pirates, and explorers on Pacific voyages. This led to the indiscriminate hunting of giant tortoises, until none were left. Introduced predators, such as rats and mice, ate the eggs and hatchlings of Floreana's fauna. Many species became locally extinct - they disappeared from Floreana but could be found on other Galapagos islands or small islets of the coast of Floreana. Although most of Floreana is protected as a national park, it has lost important parts of its unique wildlife. Today, Floreana is home to the highest concentration of endangered species of any island in the Galapagos, with 54 species according to the IUCN.
"I remember how Floreana used to be, with abundant life and the constant presence of birds like the bright-red Little Vermilion Flycatcher, which we used to see very close to my house." says Mariana Cecilia Salgado, who has lived in Floreana for several decades and works in agriculture. "I also remember the constant challenges - rats that ate our crops."
More than a decade ago, planning began for the Floreana Ecological Restoration Project
"The project started with the eradication of invasive species. Then, with restored habitat, we will reintroduce 12 locally extinct species. This will all be coupled with constant monitoring of biodiversity. It is the most comprehensive restoration project ever undertaken in the Galapagos. We have managed to get several organizations and the community to join forces for the same goal. No other previous project has had such a strong social component as this one," says Victor Carrión, project leader and coordinator of Island Restoration in Jocotoco. The 160 people who live on Floreana have been actively involved in the design of this project since 2012, ensuring continued support and effective collaboration in the long term
Controlling invasive predator
2023 marked a monumental turning point in the fight to save the rare and unique wildlife of Floreana. Using advanced technology, we were able to locate the introduced predators, often hidden in the island's rocky, volcanic fissures. Drones equipped with thermal cameras aided us in locating and tracking the wildlife. Additionally, a grid of 75 camera traps, strategically placed across the island and integrated with advanced artificial intelligence software
While invasive species control is ongoing, the results are encouraging, and monitoring shows that there are almost no invasive predators left. Controlling invasive species will make Floreana a safe place for native wildlife to thrive again. The work has also benefited the people of Floreana, as rats and mice are no longer damaging their corn and fruit crops, and crop yields have nearly doubled.
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Reintroducing Endemic Wildlife
During the invasive species eradication phase, to protect native wildlife still present on the island, we relocated individuals of five native finch species to aviaries. Working with bird conservation experts, we designed the aviaries to mimic the birds' natural habitats and ensure their health and well-being.
"In February, we safely released the 510 finches that had been in captivity. They adapted quickly, started reproducing within a few days and are now with their chicks. The population is growing rapidly. We have been able to confirm with radio transmitters placed on a few of the finches that they are returning to their territories. They have recovered their home," says Victor Carrión, Jocotoco's Insular Restoration Coordinator.
"Now we truly believe that our wildlife can return thanks to this project. This is not only good for tourism. It also strengthens our bond with nature," says Joselito Mora Salgado, a Floreana resident who was born on the island.
We will begin reintroductions with the Floreana Giant Tortoise, which was considered extinct. Thanks to a recent discovery, genetic testing showed that the ancestors of the Floreana tortoises were moved to another island, Isabela, where they interbred with Wolf Volcano Tortoises, but retained most of the genes of the Floreana tortoises. A captive breeding program led by the national park ensued. Now, those babies (little tortoises) are in the perfect age to be reintroduced in Floreana. The tortoise is an environmental engineer: it moves soil, spreads native plant seeds, and creates habitat for other wildlife. Reintroducing the tortoise to Floreana will set the stage for other reintroductions.
Over the next few years, we will reintroduce a total of 12 endemic species to Floreana:
"This unique effort not only aims to restore Floreana's ecological balance, but also serves as a model for similar initiatives in other regions of the world. With the commitment of the community, the support of strategic allies
If you visit Floreana, you will have the unique opportunity to witness the ecological renaissance that is underway. Floreana is a living testimony to how ecological restoration can reverse environmental damage and ensure a better future for generations to come.
"For my great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren, I wish to leave them a Floreana as I knew it in the beginning, a beautiful island full of life. Floreana ´the beautiful and gentle, as we call it," says with emotion Mariana Cecilia Salgado, an elderly resident of Floreana.
You can help make the dream of Mariana and hundreds of Floreana residents a reality. Help us restore Floreana by making a donation today.
Our goal is to raise at least $2,878,000 by the end of 2024, and we have already secured more than $2 million of that goal. This will allow us to reintroduce the first nine of the twelve endemic species to Floreana. It will even allow us to restore species to other Galapagos islands.
Join us on this journey to a restored and protected Floreana, where history and nature intertwine to create a lasting legacy of conservation and hope. DONATE HERE.