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You will travel to San Cristobal island within the famous Galapagos archipelago to support a rewilding project in the highlands of the island. San Cristobal is one of the oldest and the easternmost island in the archipelago and is also the only island with a fresh water source, starting from a crater called El Junco. Our research site on San Cristobal, the Jocotoco Reserve, is a 120 ha private conservation area adjacent to El Junco that is owned and managed by Fundación Jocotoco, a German-Ecuadorian nonprofit focused on bird conservation and rewilding. We will spend part of the time in bunkhouses or tents in the Jocotoco Reserve before descending to the capital of the island, Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, to survey the marine life on San Cristobal through a partnership with the Galapagos National Park.
The first portion will be focused on helping rehabilitate the Jocotoco Reserve, which is one of the only known breeding sites for the critically endangered Galapagos petrel. Populations of this ground-nesting bird have been declining over recent years due to predation and disturbance by invasive species like cats, dogs, rats, and pigs. Fundación Jocotoco is proposing to fence the entire area to exclude these invasive species and allow the native vegetation and petrel numbers to recover. Students based at this site will help monitor petrel nests for activity, plant native Miconia species using techniques designed to improve germination success and study Galapagos tortoises at a nearby research center. University students placed at this site for longer periods may have opportunities to conduct further research on predation activity by invasive species or marine species such as Galapagos sea lions, turtles, manta rays, and frigate birds.
Key Activities:
Galapagos Island Ecology Course*
*Can be completed by snorkeling or as a fully qualified diver
This course includes:
Surveys:
The Sani Reserve is the largest indigenous-owned conservation area in the Ecuadorian Amazon and forms a critical corridor between Yasuni National Park to the South and Cuyabeno Faunal Reserve to the North. The 40,000 ha Reserve protects over elevent resident jaguars, as well as lowland tapir, woolly monkeys, giant otters, harpy eagles, monkey frogs, arapaima (the largest freshwater fish in the world) and thousands more species. Sani Reserve is also home to the 800-person Sani Isla indigenous community, who fiercely protect their rainforest home.
However, like the rest of the Ecuadorian Amazon, the Sani Reserve is under imminent threat from the expansion of oil drilling along the Napo River and even within Ecuador’s national parks. In fact, indigenous reserves like Sani Reserve have deforestation rates 3-5x lower than in the rest of the Amazon, including national parks, and therefore serve a critical role in protecting the forest. The Ecuadorian terrestrial project will focus on establishing Sani Reserve as a recognized site for wildlife research and tourism within the Ecuadorian Amazon to ensure sustainable income to the community that replaces potential oil revenue.
The Galapagos Islands are one of the most famous nature tourism destinations in the world as the site where Charles Darwin first began to understand the theory of evolution. However, the introduction of domesticated animals and plants has threatened the native vegetation and wildlife on the islands and several species are in grave danger of disappearing soon if action is not taken. The new Jocotoco Reserve on San Cristobal Island, located just adjacent to the only fresh water source in the archipelago, is working to protect and rewild a 120 hectare reserve in the highlands that is home to Galapagos petrels, Miconia plants, and numerous other species.
Furthermore, the Galapagos National Park – which includes terrestrial and marine areas and covers 97% of the islands – is a critical marine protected area for endangered pelagic species like sharks, turtles, and marine mammals. However, little research has been conducted on the health of some of these populations due to heavy restrictions on surveying within the park; the partnership with Fundación Jocotoco provides a unique opportunity to support the Galapagos National Park by surveying marine species as well as terrestrial wildlife.
Climate
The Jocotoco camp in San Cristobal can be misty and overcast due to the “garua” fogs in the Galapagos highlands from June-August each year. Puerto Baquerizo Moreno and other marine areas are hot and dry.
Fitness level required
At the marine sites, some fitness is required for in-water activities (diving, kayaking, etc) as well as some longer walks but conditions are relatively easy. You will be hiking up and down steep hills – although relatively short distances – to check petrel nests, so agility and balance are helpful as well as general fitness.
Accommodation
Facilities at the Jocotoco Reserve are also shared tents with flushing toilets/showers available. There is phone signal and potential for limited Wifi in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. Conditions at the hotel in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno are comfortable shared hotel rooms.
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