The Gal谩pagos Islands and Leonardo DiCaprio
What听is the link between the听Gal谩pagos Islands听and Leonardo DiCaprio?听
This week it was announced on Leonardo DiCaprio鈥檚 twitter account that the film star and environmentalist听will be contributing听to a听$43 million听(拢30.2 million)听conservation effort on听the听Gal谩pagos Islands,听in partnership with听Re:wild听(which DiCaprio co-funded).听Paula Casta帽o and other environmental听individuals, as well as the听Gal谩pagos National Park Directorate, Ecuador鈥檚 Ministry of Environment and Water, and听the听Charles Darwin Foundation听will all be involved.听Casta帽o听has stated:听
Time is running out for so many species, especially on islands where their small populations are vulnerable and threatened.听
Conservationist,听Paula Casta帽o听
Casta帽o听goes on to explain that 97% of the island听archipelago is classified as听Ecuadorian听National Park听and therefore the push to rewild the听island ecosystems will be done in line with听supporting听local communities,听and听acknowledging听the realities of ecotourism.听
Where are the Gal谩pagos Islands?听
The听Gal谩pagos Islands听are an Ecuadorian archipelago of islands in the Pacific Ocean.听They are 1000 kilometres off the coast of Ecuador.听Image 1 below shows the听13 major,听and 6 smaller, islands.听
Below is a brief chronology of key conservation dates for the Gal谩pagos.听
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1959 the islands become the Gal谩pagos National Park听
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1978 designated a UNESCO World Heritage site听
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1986 the Galapagos Marine Resources Reserve was created to protect the surrounding waters听
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2012 conservationists remove invasive rats from Pinz贸n to help restore saddleback tortoises听
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2021 Re:wild begins with a $43 million commitment focusing on Floreana听
What听does the conservation project hope to achieve?
The听project is chiefly a rewilding听initiative听hoping to听restore听three indigenous species: the Floreana mockingbird, the pink听iguana and听the Floreana Giant Tortoise听as well as听funding operations to restore Floreana Island more widely, home to听54 threatened species.听Of this number 13 have been totally removed from the island (but are present in other parts of the听Gal谩pagos).听
In total, around 250 species are threatened through the听Gal谩pagos.听Rewilding and restoring species back onto the island of Floreana will need听multiple different activities. For example, for the pink iguana a听captive population will be required as they currently only live听on the northern slopes of Wolf Volcano to the north of Isabela Island.
Leonardo DiCaprio听posted听on听17 May听that听half the Earth鈥檚 remaining wild areas could disappear in the next few decades听鈥渋f we don鈥檛 decisively act鈥澨齱hen announcing the conservation project launch.听The听Re:wild听promotional film starts by saying:听
A technology exists听all around us, that breathes and breeds life, that makes food and rain,听that protects us from floods and new disease. It is a technology with the power to reverse global warming,听to prevent pandemics, to bring life back from the brink of extinction. It has existed for 4 billion years: it is the wild.听
Re:wild听
The pledge to rewild the Gal谩pagos Islands is timely and unanimously welcomed. Like other Pacific islands, the archipelago is facing a multitude of challenges from climate change as surface sea temperatures rise, ocean acidification steadily increases and the El Ni帽o and La Ni帽a events become more unpredictable. In worse-case future scenarios for greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE), extreme El Ni帽o and La Ni帽a events are expected to increase in frequency in the Pacific from about 1 in every 20 years to 1 every 10 years by the end of the 21st century.听
Further reading听
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Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) activities for GCSE听听听
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