The Transformation of Floreana: Community and Nature in Harmony

From the start, we've made sure to involve the community. "Dialogue has been the foundation of our work in Floreana. The community's active participation has made every step of the restoration process stronger," says Victor Carrión, the Island Restoration Coordinator for the Jocotoco Galapagos Program, which has led this process. 

One of the most exciting things about Floreana's history is its famous "Post Office Bay'' mail system. Beginning in the 18th century, sailors left letters in a makeshift barrel on the island, trusting that other travelers would carry them to their final destinations. This gesture connected sailors to their homes and established a lasting link between Floreana and the outside world. This tradition of communication is still going strong.

This was shown by the more than a decade of joint work between the people of Floreana and the organizations managing its ecological restoration, who worked together to create a vision for the future of the island. In fact, every resident of Floreana agreed to the project. 

The commitment to ecological restoration led to significant improvements in agricultural practices and local infrastructure. As soon as we got the go-ahead from the community, we got to work. "We built 16 hen houses, nine poultry houses, and seven stables," says Victor Carrion, pointing out how much the project has benefited from close cooperation between all the parties involved. "This allowed us to get rid of rats and mice without harming chickens and other livestock the community depends on"

Getting rid of rodents has increased crop production. 

Aníbal Altamirano, a local farmer, shares his experience: "We used to get about 30 or 40% of what we planted, with the rest eaten by rodents. That's changed since the rodents were eradicated. It's really important for the island to be rodent-free."

"Before, you would plant a cassava bush and half of the plant would grow, the same with corn. Most of it was eaten by rats. It's great to see my products coming in healthy," says Claudio Cruz, a native of Floreana. 

Max Freire Salgado, another native of Floreana and the representative of the agro-producers' union, says that the main change on the island is the attitude and the new ways of doing things in production. 

"We're making some changes to how we take care of the livestock in Floreana.  In other parts of the Galapagos, the animals are often released into the field, but this causes problems when the grass dries out during the drought. Here in Floreana, we now keep the animals in stalls, where we give them chopped grass, molasses, and corn stalks to eat. This change helps us improve our farming activities and protect wildlife habitat," Max states. "Farmers are now feeling confident and enthusiastic about production, which is really helping to improve the overall attitude in the community."

The ecological restoration of Floreana has led to some big cultural changes for the people who live there. It's encouraged them to adopt more sustainable farming practices and improve their quality of life. It has also helped strengthen community ties and opened up new economic possibilities for the island. It's a great example of how dialogue and a vision that brings the community and nature together can have a positive effect on people's lives and the landscape, ensuring a good future for the island.