This page is the photo supplement to the article published in
the Summer 2022 edition of El Tecolote

The Galapagos Verde 2050 crew—the program does scientific experiments in habitat restoration and endangered plant species recovery to aid in conservation and restoration of degraded habitats in the Galapagos Islands National Park. Most are Ecuadorian.

Photo by Charles Darwin Foundation

Darlene with Charles Darwin on the Charles Darwin Research Station

View of Darwin finch from my office window drinking from the air conditioner outflow.

Photo by Darlene Chirman

Lily monitoring native plant installed on a local farm, with Waterboxx to conserve water for plant establishment.

Photo by Darlene Chirman

Lava Heron with Sally Lightfoot crabs.

Photo by Darlene Chirman

Local resident waiting for the bus (sea lion). People are required to stay 6 feet away from wildlife.

Endemic shrub Scalesia affinis grew mostly where the town of Puerto Ayora is located, and is now listed as “vulnerable.” Galapagos Verde has planted many in ecological gardens around the town, and is now growing plants to give to residents for home gardens. The common name is “lechoso de lava”; lechoso means milky in Spanish, for the milky sap. Pavel and I are planting seeds.

Brown Pelican in Mangroves, Puerto Ayora

Photo by Darlene Chirman

American Flamingo, Rabida

Photo by David Levasheff

Kayaking, Playa el Garrapatero

Photo by Darlene Chirman

Monitoring the endangered plant Lecocarpus lecocarpoides in the lab, grown from seeds collected on Española Island.

Photo by Anna Calle

On a stroll with marine iguanas at Tortuga Bay.

Video by Anna Calle

Cactus Opuntia echios var.gigantea on trail to Tortuga Bay. On islands with land tortoises, the cacti are much taller than on islands without.

Photo by Anna Calle

Galapagos Hawk on Española Island. This top predator has been nearly extirpated from Santa Cruz Island, which disrupts the ecological balance. Land iguanas are a major prey, and without hawks to control the population, they seem to be a major factor in the decline ofOpuntia cacti on South Plaza Island, as the high population of iguanas eat young cacti so they are not replacing old cacti as they die. I didn’t see any hawks.

Photo By Hugo Silva

Marine turtle cavorting in the shallow water at the shore. I was sitting on the boulders on the shore on my lunch break.

Video by Darlene Chirman

Galapagos Verde 2050 put on an educational program about endemic and native plants for students and staff of the Special Education School in Puerto Ayora. The costumes are Opuntia and Candelabra cacti, and program staff put on a skit.

Photo by Darlene Chirman

Program staff and students planted Scalesia affinis with and without Waterboxx in the school’s Ecological garden, to compare survival and growth.

Photo by Darlene Chirman

Planting BioChar Experiment on Charles Darwin Research Station. In some conditions BioChar has been shown to improve survival and growth rate, aid in water retention. I designed this experiment; if beneficial, this can be used in remote island restoration projects.

I saw a Blue-footed boobie diving in the bay in Puerto Ayora, and roosting on the sea cliff on Santa Fe Island.

Photo by David Levasheff - Elizabeth Bay, Isabella Island
I went on an 6-mile monitoring circuit to Mt. Crocker, the highest point on Santa Cruz Island, in the Galapagos National Park, accompanying a Portuguese Master’s student on his thesis project. At each designated monitoring point, Hugo played a recording of the Galapagos Rail, and wrote down responding calls and any observed rails. I didn’t see any of these secretive birds, but I heard them many times.
Photo By Hugo Silva

Planting BioChar Experiment on Charles Darwin Research Station. In some conditions BioChar has been shown to improve survival and growth rate, aid in water retention. I designed this experiment; if beneficial, this can be used in remote island restoration projects.

Photo by Anna Calle
Photo by Anna Calle

Sunset Floreana Island.

Photo by Darlene Chirman