IGTOA Announces Nearly $110,000 in Galapagos Conservation Grants in 2025

In 2025, IGTOA will give out $109,200 in grants to organizations working on the frontlines of Galápagos conservation, education, and community development through our Galápagos Traveler Conservation Fund (GTCF). The GTCF is made possible through the support of IGTOA members and their clients who support the fund by making a minimum donation of $20 per Galápagos passenger. Grants are awarded to people and organizations whose work supports our mission of preserving the Galápagos Islands as a unique and priceless world heritage that will provide enjoyment, education, adventure and inspiration to present and future generations of travelers.​

ECOS: Empowering Youth Conservation Leaders through Experiential Education, $35,000

We believe that the most important thing that we can do to support Galápagos conservation in the long run is to help empower young people to become engaged and informed stewards of their own natural heritage. This is why IGTOA is once again proud to support the important work of ECOS, which provides immersive, hands-on environmental education and field activities for Galápagos youth. Through its work, ECOS helps Galápagos youth to develop the skills necessary to become agents of change in their community.

This year, IGTOA's grant will be used to fund a unique educational program for all 31 students and seven teachers on the island of Floreana, which is currently in the midst of a massive environmental restoration program that includes the elimination of invasive species and the reintroduction of several native species, including the Floreana giant tortoise and Floreana mockingbird. The program will include the creation of new educational resources, teacher training, and immersive field trips. We are excited to support this initiative because Floreana has historically been underserved in educational and training opportunities due to its remote location and small population, yet it holds great potential to become a model for sustainable development in the islands and beyond.

Our funding will also be used to promote empowerment, awareness, and capacity building in research, monitoring, leadership, and communication among the youth population of Santa Cruz—the island with the greatest human impact due to its population size. This will be achieved through action-focused leadership and citizen science programs that will provide students with training in ecological monitoring for climate change and the protection of endangered species. The information gathered will not only support decision-making by the Galapagos National Park, but will also be used to educate and raise awareness among tourists and locals alike.  

Association of Galápagos Guides (AGIPA): The Community Library on Santa Cruz, $30,000

As the only public library in the Galápagos Islands, the community library on Santa Cruz provides critical access to information to people of all ages and from all backgrounds, supports life-long education, and provides internet access to many who would otherwise lack it. It also serves as a venue for educational workshops, symposiums, and cultural events and activities.

The library, which receives no government funding, operates under the stewardship of AGIPA, which took on responsibility for administering it in 2018 after previous funding sources dried up and the facility fell into disrepair. With funding from IGTOA, AGIPA was able to restore and renovate the library, buy new books and equipment, and hire a full-time librarian. Since then, thousands of Galápagos residents have used the library's resources and attended discussions and workshops there, covering everything from literacy, conservation, mental health issues, and vocational training. 

Naveducando: Galápagos Infinito an “Oceanic Classroom” for Galápagos Youth, $20,000

Imagine growing up in one of the most biodiverse marine reserves in the world yet never having the opportunity to experience its wonders firsthand. For many children in the Galápagos, this is their reality. Despite living amidst unparalleled natural beauty, very few have the chance to connect with the marine ecosystems and protected areas that define their home.

Research has shown that creating meaningful connections to the place where you live is paramount to enhancing your love for the place and desire to care and protect it. Naveducando's Oceanic Sailing Classroom is an immersive and transformative one-day sailing experience that includes coastal exploration, the opportunity for young participants to snorkel and explore visitor sites within the national park, and a unique oceanic literacy curriculum. This year, Naveducando's goal is to make this opportunity available for all of the archipelago's seventh graders and their teachers (roughly 550 students and 30 teachers from across the four inhabited islands). IGTOA's grant will be used to fund the participation of 150 students from the six schools of the San Cristóbal Canton, which includes Floreana. 

The Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF): Assessing Green Sea Turtle Vulnerability to Climate Change: $15,000

The Galápagos Islands contain more than 100 beaches that serve as nesting sites for the endangered East Pacific green turtle. It has been documented that rising global temperatures have impacted hatchling sex ratios of several different turtle species around the world, resulting in higher than normal numbers of female turtles. Rising temperatures are also increasing the frequency and severity of hurricanes, torrential storms, and tidal surges that can flood and erode nesting habitats.

Since 2020, IGTOA has been a proud supporter of the CDF's efforts to collect sea turtle nesting data and monitor nesting habitat. Thus far, the CDF and the Galápagos National Park have collected more than twelve years of baseline turtle nesting data. Last year, our grant helped fund the first extensive monitoring of nesting habitat during a strong El Niño event. This year's funding will allow the CDF to continue to monitor nesting sites during the current La Niña event. This data will support the development of conservation measures aimed at protecting turtles, both on the nesting beaches and in adjacent marine areas. This ongoing monitoring will help them assess current and potential future impacts of climate change on sex ratios and hatchling success in this crucial nesting rookery. The findings will support environmental authorities in creating action plans to mitigate potential current and future climate change impacts on green sea turtles.  

Frente Insular Marina de Galápagos (FIRMAG), #GalapagosMiResponsabilidad Radio Program, and Community Art and Recycling Programs, $9,200

FIRMAG is a community-based, grassroots organization dedicated to educating and  motivating the citizens of the Galápagos to get involved in important social and environmental issues and to give them a collective voice on important subjects. 

The centerpiece of this activity is the #GalapagosMiResponsabilidad radio program, which has become a vital platform for keeping a wide swath of the Galápagos community informed about important environmental, social and cultural news. The weekly, commercial-free radio program is an independent voice that seeks to “link the community with the environment” by providing news and perspectives that local people may not otherwise have access to. The problem of single use plastics and the need for better protection and monitoring of the Galápagos Marine Reserve are just two of the issues the program has kept at the forefront of public attention in recent years. The radio program also provides workshops that give young people in the Galápagos the opportunity to learn and develop new skills, including public speaking, radio production, journalism, and more. 

IGTOA’s grant will be used to help cover operating and production expenses for the radio program.